Let's take a deeper look at this from a technical standpoint. There are numerous flavors of Linux, numerous applications that perform (at a high level) the same function, and numerous ways to solve a given problem. For example, if you want to script a task, do you write it in a shell script, Perl, Python, or Ruby? For some tasks, all can achieve the desired end result. Different people have different preferred ways of approaching problems and different preferred technology solutions, and often it is found that a Linux environment has been built using a technology that was the flavor of the month when it was created or that was a favorite of the person responsible for it. There is nothing wrong with this in and of itself, and initially, it does not cause any problems.

If organic growth brings with it one fundamental problem, it is this: scale. Making changes by hand and always using the latest and greatest technology is great when the environment size is relatively small, and often provides an interesting challenge, hence keeping technical staff feeling motivated and valued. It is vital for those working in technology to keep their skills up to date, so it is often a motivating factor to be able to employ up-to-date technologies as part of the day job.