14 DAY TRIAL // Linus Torvalds built the Linux kernel almost 25 years ago, and he's still the main developer that determines the direction of the project. So the natural question that seems to arise all the time is what the future of the Linux kernel will be if something happens to him. Linus seems to know the answer to this as well.
If you are a Linux user, you probably know that Linus Torvalds, the developer of the initial Linux kernel, is still around, and he's still calling the shots. The entire project is handled by the Linux Foundation, but Linus is still the top dog. He's the maintainer, or better yet, the top maintainer of the bleeding edge Linux kernel, and he runs the community of developers with an iron fist.
He's also well known for strong language and honesty, which got him in hot water a few times already, but no matter what happens, the Linux kernel goes forward. On the other hand, the kernel is no longer the work of one man.
Thousands of developers from across the world contribute to its development and evolution each year, and this is the biggest collaborative project on the planet. So it's safe to say at this point that losing the creator of Linux won't stop the project.
Linus Torvalds already knows the answer
One of the questions that seem to pop up all the time is what would happen to the Linux kernel if Linus Torvalds ends up under a bus (his words, not ours). But that's not really a problem, according to the developer.
Linus already has a few trusted people who wield almost the same power as him and who can replace him at any given time. The Linux kernel is a meritocracy, for the most part, so the people at the top also happen to be very good at their job.
Linus has recently had an interview with Bloomberg in which he gave a more detailed answer than we usually get. "There is no concrete plan of action if I die, but that would have been a bigger deal 10 or 15 years ago. People would have panicked. Now I think they'd work everything out in a couple of months. The technical know-how these days is less. It’s more about being trusted and being available. Greg (Greg Kroah-Hartman) is the obvious No. 2. He could take it up, and then there are a couple of other people," Torvalds said.
You can check the entire interview on Bloomberg. Maybe his answer is not what people were expecting, but at least now we can put this tiresome question to rest. It must be getting creepy for him as well, always being asked what happens if he dies.