This post from KDE hacker Fred Emmott says it all. Patrick Volkerding, the one and only man behind the marvelous Slackware Linux distribution, is battling a rare infectious disease.
The message he left to the Internet community is here.
Patrick is a really nice guy —and a public benefactor, given the fact that he makes Slackware available for free download over the Internet. His main effort, Slackware, is an excellent product, and I really hate to learn that he is suffering. I don’t have a clue about his spiritual condition; but please pray for his health. Slackware has been and is being a blessing to me and many others; now, please, pray that his creator is spared from evil.
Thanks for passing that on.