Linux was just a hobby, and in his spare time Tyde would guide the Bay Area Linux Users Group, which he started a few years ago. But getting paid for Linux work was only a dream. He steps over the bedlam in his south of Market offices, where his employees patiently await a move into new digs on the floor above. You can't expect them to be here from 8 until 5. Many workers are crammed into rooms the size of large closets, sitting at folding tables pushed against the wall.
Cords run every which way across the fake-wood paneled tops of the makeshift desks.
File cabinets and space are at a premium, so employees keep personal effects in cardboard boxes underneath their desks. The 45-person company has more work than it can handle, and needs more Linux experts than it has, Tyde says. Still, Tyde is basking in it. To Linuxcare employee Bryan Abshiere, having a Linux day job is the ultimate perk, even if the office isn't one of the selling points. Now that Linux is no longer under cover, Linux lovers don't have to keep their activities secret, Abshiere says.