Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications
    • Development

    Linus Torvalds Talks Linux Development at LinuxCon

    By
    Sean Michael Kerner
    -
    September 18, 2013
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin
      Linus Torvalds

      NEW ORLEANS—Linus Torvalds, who created the open-source Linux operating system 22 years ago, took the keynote stage at the LinuxCon conference along with fellow kernel developers to talk about the state of Linux kernel development.

      Throughout the hour-long session Sept. 18, the panel was peppered with a barrage of questions on a wide variety of topics, with the outspoken Torvalds providing all manner of colorful comments.

      One of the first questions that Torvalds was asked was about how easy or hard it is to actually get involved with Linux kernel development.

      “We have an amazing amount of developers, and in some respects it is hard to get involved,” Torvalds said. “In other respects, of all the open-source projects that are out there, it is easier to get involved in Linux because there is so much to do.”

      Torvalds pointed to the numbers of people currently involved in Linux. “It can’t be that hard to get involved,” he said.

      For Torvalds, hardware innovation is part of the fun in doing kernel development He noted that when he started Linux 22 years ago, the hardware was very different than it is today. He expects that 20 years from now the hardware will change even more.

      Hardware Innovation’s Future

      Yet Torvalds considered that hardware innovation might at some point slow down. He said he’s interested in seeing how the industry will react when Moore’s Law no longer works. In his view, it’s just a matter of physics with how far silicon innovation can go.

      “The reason why Linux runs well on cell phones is because cell phones grew up, and they are thousands of times more powerful than the original machine I used to build Linux,” Torvalds said. “People like to pay lip service to Moore’s Law, but in 10 years it will be really tough.”

      Virtualization is a direction that many in the hardware community are taking, but it’s not an area of interest for Torvalds.

      “I don’t’ want to have anything to do with virtualization stuff,” Torvalds said. “I want to run on hardware; I’m a real man.”

      NSA Backdoor

      Torvalds was also asked if he had ever been approached by the U.S. government to insert a backdoor into Linux.

      Torvalds responded “no” while nodding his head “yes,” as the audience broke into spontaneous laughter.

      On Being a Developer

      During the session, Torvalds also explained why he became a developer in the first place. He said that when he started, he didn’t have money to run Unix on his own machine. He also noted that his friends were playing games on their computers that he couldn’t afford, so he had to learn to program.

      “Necessity made me try to do something,” Torvalds said.

      While Torvalds has a full life outside Linux, it is at the core of his existence, he said.

      “I don’t see any project coming along being more interesting to me than Linux,” Torvalds said. “I couldn’t imagine filling the void in my life if I didn’t have Linux.”

      Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at eWEEK and InternetNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TechJournalist.

      Sean Michael Kerner
      Sean Michael Kerner is an Internet consultant, strategist, and contributor to several leading IT business web sites.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      Alteryx’s Suresh Vittal on the Democratization of...

      James Maguire - May 31, 2022 0
      I spoke with Suresh Vittal, Chief Product Officer at Alteryx, about the industry mega-shift toward making data analytics tools accessible to a company’s complete...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×