- Linux finally documents how to select who succeeds its longtime leader
- Decades of stability masked a zero bus factor problem in core steering
- A formal organizing role replaces assumptions during sudden and messy leadership lapses
The Linux kernel community has existed for over three decades under the leadership of a single individual, Linus Torvalds, the creator of the Linux kernel, who has been at the helm since 1991.
But after many years without a written response, a formal process now exists to manage the change in leadership if the current manager steps down.
The succession plan will only be used if Torvalds suddenly leaves a void and there is no smooth transfer of power – in this situation, the first step is to select an “convener”, a role assigned to either the organizer of the most recent maintainers summit or the chair of the Linux Foundation’s technical advisory board.
How would the replacement process begin
Once appointed, the organizer has a limited window to begin structured discussions with officials who attended the most recent summit.
If too much time has passed since this meeting, the advisory board steps in to decide who should be invited, with the possibility of including additional officials if necessary.
Once discussions begin, the invited group has two weeks to agree on a path forward, with the results then shared publicly via established mailing lists, keeping the wider community informed.
The process is deliberately procedural rather than personality-driven, and relies on people already responsible for maintaining subsystems.
This approach reflects the fact that many Linux distributions already handle management changes, even though the kernel itself has remained an exception for years.
Linus Torvalds has repeatedly pointed out that many core maintainers have been active for decades, which reduces the risk of knowledge loss.
At the same time, the project has long had a bus factor of zero, meaning a single unexpected event could cause disruption.
Although Torvalds has previously raised concerns about the number of managers, he also said that competent developers continue to emerge and gain influence over time.
The new plan does not change this dynamic, but it more directly recognizes structural risk.
The existence of a written process does not guarantee consensus during a true transition, especially in a community known for its strong opinions.
It also does not identify a successor in advance, leaving uncertainty until the time comes. However, it reduces ambiguity in times of crisis and avoids improvisation under pressure.
Linus Torvalds is only 56 years old; so he probably won’t leave anytime soon, but this process formalizes the inevitable: he will leave one day.
For a project of this scale, relying on an informal agreement may not be enough and could constitute a time bomb.
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