At the Seoul Open Source Summit hosted by the Linux Foundation, Linus Torvalds, the creator of the Linux kernel and inventor of the Git version control system, engaged in his 28th conversation with Dirk Hohndel, head of open source at Verizon, sparking heated discussions in the tech community.
This conversation unveiled his little-known recent situation.
From ‘Code Creator’ to ‘System Guardian’: I Am No Longer a Programmer
When asked about the biggest change in Linux over the past decade, Linus stated, “The real work is not being done by me; for nearly 20 years, I have actually not been a programmer.”
Once the author of Linux version 0.01, he now resembles a system guardian, overseeing the kernel’s direction, coordinating disagreements among maintainers, and controlling the technical direction. Even with Git, which he created, he is merely an observer.
Linux relies on contributions from developers worldwide, which is Linus’s clear understanding of the open-source ecosystem.
AI Programming? I Haven’t Tried It, But It Won’t Shake the Core of Programming
Amid the AI wave, the question of whether AI will replace programmers has become a topic of discussion.
Linus stated that he has not engaged with AI-assisted programming but does not deny its value, believing it will enhance productivity but will not eliminate programmers.
He pointed out: the real challenge lies in maintenance; the kernel community has already encountered technical noise brought by AI, which is very exhausting for maintainers.
All Pressure Comes from People: When Maintainers Become “Mediators”
Linus stated that most of the pressure comes from people.
Once he rejected radical proposals, but now he has to push new things amid opposition, such as advocating for Rust to enter the kernel. This role shift has transformed him from a technical gatekeeper to a change promoter.
In the face of high pressure, Linus’s way to relieve stress is by making guitar effects pedals. He enjoys the failures of soldering, and the extreme contrast between kernel maintenance and electronic circuit research has become a pressure buffer.
He advises developers to find a hobby that allows for failure, to accept imperfection, in order to alleviate work pressure.
