1. Overview
Linus Benedict Torvalds, born on December 28, 1969, in Helsinki, Finland, is a Finnish-American software engineer widely recognized as the creator and lead developer of the Linux kernel. His work on Linux laid the foundation for a vast ecosystem of operating systems, including Android and Chrome OS, and profoundly influenced the open-source software movement. Torvalds also developed Git, a crucial distributed version control system, and the Subsurface software for scuba diving logs. He is known for his pragmatic approach to software development, often described as a "benevolent dictator for life" of the Linux kernel, a title reflecting his ultimate authority in its development. His contributions have earned him numerous prestigious accolades, including the Millennium Technology Prize and the IEEE Computer Society Computer Pioneer Award, cementing his legacy as one of the most influential figures in the history of computing.
2. Early Life and Background
Linus Torvalds was born in Helsinki, Finland, on December 28, 1969. His parents, Anna and Nils Torvalds, were journalists and campus radicals at the University of Helsinki in the 1960s. His father, Nils, was a communist who studied in Moscow for a year in the mid-1970s, an influence Linus later acknowledged. His family belongs to the Swedish-speaking minority in Finland, which constitutes about 5.5% to 6% of the Finnish population.
Torvalds was named after Linus Pauling, the Nobel Prize-winning American chemist. However, in his autobiography, Just for Fun, he humorously noted that he was "half Nobel Prize-winning chemist and half blanket-carrying cartoon character," referring to Linus van Pelt from the Peanuts comic strip.
His interest in computers began at the age of 11 in 1981 with a VIC-20. He started programming in BASIC and later directly accessed the 6502 CPU using machine code. He then acquired a Sinclair QL, which he extensively modified, particularly its operating system. Due to the difficulty of obtaining software for the QL in Finland, he developed his own assembler and text editor, along with some games, including a Pac-Man clone called Cool Man.
3. Education and Military Service
Torvalds attended the University of Helsinki from 1988 to 1996, where he majored in computer science and was part of the NODES research group. His academic journey was interrupted after his first year when he fulfilled Finland's mandatory military service. In the summer of 1989, he joined the Finnish Navy's Nyland Brigade, completing an 11-month officer training program. He achieved the rank of second lieutenant and served as an artillery observer.
Upon resuming his university studies in 1990, Torvalds was first exposed to Unix through a DEC MicroVAX running ULTRIX. He found inspiration in Andrew S. Tanenbaum's book Operating Systems: Design and Implementation, which detailed MINIX, a simplified version of Unix designed for educational purposes. His master's thesis was titled Linux: A Portable Operating System. In June 2000, the University of Helsinki awarded him an honorary doctorate.
On January 5, 1991, Torvalds purchased an Intel 80386-based IBM PC clone. This acquisition, made before he received his MINIX copy, enabled him to begin the work that would lead to the Linux kernel.
4. Linux Kernel Development
The inspiration for the Linux kernel stemmed from Torvalds's desire to create a Unix-like operating system that could run on his personal computer, building upon the concepts he learned from MINIX. He began developing the kernel in his spare time, utilizing his home equipment.
The first prototypes of Linux were publicly released on the internet in late 1991. He initially shared his work on a university FTP server and announced it in the Usenet newsgroup `comp.os.minix` in August 1991, describing it as a "free operating system (just a hobby, won't be big and professional like gnu) for 386(486) AT clones." Version 1.0 of the Linux kernel was officially released on March 14, 1994.
Initially, Torvalds intended to name his kernel Freax, a portmanteau of "free," "freak," and "X" (to denote its Unix-like nature). However, his friend Ari Lemmke, who managed the FTP server where the kernel was first hosted, disliked the name Freax. Lemmke instead created a directory named linux for Torvalds's project, and the name stuck.
Torvalds first encountered the GNU Project in the autumn of 1991 when a fellow Swedish-speaking computer science student, Lars Wirzenius, took him to the University of Technology to hear a speech by Richard Stallman, a prominent advocate for free software. Influenced by Stallman's talk and pressure from other contributors, Torvalds eventually decided to switch the Linux kernel's original license (which prohibited commercial use) to Stallman's GNU General Public License version 2 (GPLv2).
Torvalds continues to serve as the lead developer and coordinator of the Linux kernel. His ongoing role involves overseeing the integration of new code and guiding the project's direction.
5. Authority and Trademark
Linus Torvalds maintains ultimate authority in deciding which new code is incorporated into the standard Linux kernel. Despite thousands of contributors, his personal contribution to the kernel's codebase, approximately 2% as of 2006, remains one of the largest. However, by 2012, he stated that his primary contribution shifted to merging code written by others, with less direct programming. His role is often described as that of a "benevolent dictator for life" (BDFL), a term used for open-source project leaders who retain final decision-making power.
Torvalds holds the "Linux" trademark and actively monitors its use, primarily through the Linux Mark Institute. Although he initially disliked the idea of trademarking Linux, he registered it in 1995 to prevent others from doing so or from using the name for exploitative purposes. He receives assistance from the global Linux community in monitoring its proper and improper usage.
6. Git and Other Software Development
Beyond the Linux kernel, Linus Torvalds has initiated other significant software projects.
His creation of Git, a distributed version control system, began on April 3, 2005. This project arose from the need for a free and open-source alternative to BitKeeper, a proprietary version control system that had been used for Linux kernel development but faced licensing issues. Git quickly gained widespread adoption in the software development community. On July 26, 2005, Torvalds handed over the maintenance of Git to Junio Hamano, a major contributor to the project.
Torvalds also developed Subsurface, a software application for logging and planning scuba dives. He began working on Subsurface in late 2011, driven by his personal interest in the hobby. Subsurface is free and open-source software distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2. In late 2012, Dirk Hohndel became its head maintainer.
7. Career and Affiliation
From February 1997 to June 2003, Linus Torvalds worked at Transmeta, a semiconductor company in California. After his tenure at Transmeta, he joined the Open Source Development Labs (OSDL). The OSDL later merged with the Free Standards Group to form the Linux Foundation, where Torvalds continues to work. The Linux Foundation currently sponsors Torvalds, allowing him to dedicate his full-time efforts to improving Linux.
In June 2004, Torvalds and his family relocated from Silicon Valley to Dunthorpe, Oregon, to be closer to the OSDL's headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon.
From 1997 to 1999, Torvalds was involved in the 86open project, which aimed to establish a standard binary format for Linux and Unix. In 1999, MIT Technology Review recognized him as one of the world's top 100 innovators under the age of 35, listing him in their TR100.
In 1999, Red Hat and VA Linux, two prominent developers of Linux-based software, presented Torvalds with stock options as a gesture of gratitude for his creation. When both companies went public that year, Torvalds's share value briefly surged to approximately 20.00 M USD.
8. Philosophy and Views
Linus Torvalds holds a strong belief that "open source is the only right way to do software." However, he also maintains a pragmatic stance, stating that he uses the "best tool for the job," even if it involves proprietary software. This pragmatism led to criticism for his use and alleged advocacy of the proprietary BitKeeper software for version control in the Linux kernel, prompting him to develop Git as a free-software replacement.
A core tenet of his philosophy is encapsulated in "Linus's law," coined by Eric S. Raymond, which states: "Given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow." This principle suggests that with a large enough community of developers reviewing code, even complex bugs become easier to identify and resolve.
Torvalds is known for his candid and often blunt opinions on software development and competing operating systems. He has frequently expressed critical views on Microsoft Windows and macOS, referring to Apple's offerings as "utter crap." He also criticized Sun Microsystems' decision to open-source Solaris, stating that "nobody wants to play with a crippled Solaris" and highlighting its poor device driver support compared to Linux. He has also strongly rebutted FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) campaigns from proprietary software companies like Microsoft and SCO that aimed to undermine Linux. In a notable email response to Microsoft Senior Vice President Craig Mundie's criticism that open-source software lacked innovation and destroyed intellectual property, Torvalds invoked Isaac Newton's famous quote about "standing on the shoulders of giants," emphasizing the collaborative and cumulative nature of progress.
Regarding his personal computing environment, Torvalds stated in 2008 that he used the Fedora Linux distribution due to its good support for the PowerPC processor architecture. He later confirmed this in a 2012 interview. After the release of GNOME 3.0, he temporarily switched to Xfce, criticizing GNOME developers for making it "really annoying to do real work." However, he returned to using GNOME in 2013, noting that extensions had improved its usability.
9. Personal Life
Linus Torvalds is married to Tove Torvalds (née Monni), a six-time Finnish national karate champion. They met in late 1993 when Tove, a student, responded to an email test he had set for an introductory computer laboratory exercise by asking him on a date. They subsequently married and have three daughters: Patricia Miranda (born December 5, 1996), Daniela Yolanda (born April 16, 1998), and Celeste Amanda (born November 20, 2000). Two of their daughters were born in the United States. The Linux kernel's reboot system call accepts their dates of birth (written in hexadecimal) as magic values.
In 2004, Torvalds and his family moved from Silicon Valley to Portland, Oregon. In 2010, he became a United States citizen and registered to vote. As of that year, he remained unaffiliated with any U.S. political party, stating he had "too much personal pride to want to be associated with any of them."
Torvalds describes himself as "completely a-religious-atheist" and "agnostic." He believes that religion can detract from appreciating nature, as it attributes creation to miracles rather than the inherent wonder of natural processes. He has noted the politicization of religion in the United States compared to Europe, where it is largely a personal matter, and has commented on the irony of legal ties between state and religion in some European countries.
In the early 2000s, Linus developed a keen interest in scuba diving, which led him to create the Subsurface software project. His personal mascot is a penguin named Tux, which has become widely adopted by the Linux community as the mascot for the Linux kernel.
10. Awards and Recognition
Linus Torvalds has received numerous awards and widespread recognition for his groundbreaking work in software development and his contributions to the open-source movement, encompassing both formal accolades and significant media attention.
10.1. Awards and Achievements
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 9793 Torvalds (Asteroid) | Asteroid 9793 Torvalds was named after him. |
| 1997 | Academic Honors | Received his master's degree (Laudatur Grade) from the Department of Computer Science at the University of Helsinki. |
| 1998 | EFF Pioneer Award | Recognized by the Electronic Frontier Foundation. |
| 1999 | TR100 | Named by MIT Technology Review as one of the world's top 100 innovators under age 35. |
| 2000 | Lovelace Medal | Awarded by the British Computer Society. |
| 2000 | Award for Industry Achievement | Presented by InfoWorld. |
| 2001 | Takeda Award | Shared the Takeda Award for Social/Economic Well-Being with Richard Stallman and Ken Sakamura. |
| 2003 | Linus (Moon) | The naming of the asteroid moon Linus was partly motivated by the discoverer being an enthusiastic Linux user, also honoring Linus Torvalds and Linus van Pelt. |
| 2005 | Vollum Award | Received the Vollum Award from Reed College. |
| 2008 | Hall of Fellows | Inducted into the Hall of Fellows of the Computer History Museum for the creation and management of the Linux kernel. |
| 2010 | C&C Prize | Awarded by the NEC Corporation for contributions to information technology. |
| 2012 | Internet Hall of Fame | One of the inaugural inductees into the Internet Hall of Fame in the Innovators category. |
| 2012 | Millennium Technology Prize | Declared one of two winners, along with Shinya Yamanaka, for his creation of the Linux kernel. This award is widely considered technology's equivalent of the Nobel Prize. |
| 2014 | IEEE Computer Society Computer Pioneer Award | Recognized by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers for his foundational contributions to the computer field. |
| 2018 | IEEE Masaru Ibuka Consumer Electronics Award | Conferred by the IEEE for his leadership in the development and proliferation of Linux. |
| 2019 | Great Immigrants Award | Honored by The Carnegie Corporation of New York. |
10.2. Media Recognition
Time magazine has recognized Torvalds multiple times:
- In 2000, he was ranked 17th in their Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century poll.
- In 2004, he was named one of the most influential people in the world.
- In 2006, the magazine's Europe edition listed him as one of the revolutionary heroes of the past 60 years.
In 2005, BusinessWeek included Torvalds among "the best managers." However, in 2006, Business 2.0 magazine controversially named him one of "10 people who don't matter," arguing that the widespread growth of Linux had diminished his individual impact.
In a summer 2004 poll by YLE (the Finnish Broadcasting Company), Torvalds was placed 16th in the "100 Greatest Finns" list. In 2010, as part of The Britannica Guide to the World's Most Influential People, he was listed among The 100 Most Influential Inventors of All Time. In October 2017, the Linux company SUSE released a song titled "Linus Said" in his honor.
11. Impact and Legacy
Linus Torvalds's creation of the Linux kernel has had a profound and lasting impact on the technology industry and the global developer community. What began as a hobby project in 1991 has evolved into a foundational component for a vast array of computing systems.
Linux now powers a significant portion of the world's technology infrastructure. As of recent data, Linux accounts for a substantial share of the global desktop market, and it dominates the server market, surpassing Microsoft Windows, Unix, BSD, and Solaris. Furthermore, Linux forms the core of the Android operating system, which holds a majority share in the smartphone market. Its versatility allows it to be embedded in diverse devices, from tablet PCs, PDAs, and mobile phones to GPS systems, robots, cars, and even NASA's space shuttles.
Torvalds's success in establishing Linux as an open-source project set a precedent that encouraged many other developers and companies to adopt open-source principles. This influence extended to projects like BSD, Solaris, Java, and even major software companies like Adobe, which began to release their source code.
Despite his relatively modest salary, Torvalds's work has indirectly created numerous multi-billion dollar businesses in the computer industry, including companies like Red Hat, SUSE, Debian, Mandriva, and Ubuntu, along with countless other open-source software developers. His commitment to open collaboration and his leadership style have fostered a vibrant and expansive developer community.
His personal humility and focus on sharing, rather than strict adherence to "free software" dogma like Richard Stallman, emphasized the "open" aspect, allowing for the coexistence of free and proprietary components within a single operating system. Torvalds's words, whether in publications, speeches, emails, or press releases, are highly anticipated and influential within the Linux community, often setting standards and guiding values.
12. Criticism and Controversy
Linus Torvalds is known for his direct and sometimes abrasive communication style, particularly on the Linux kernel mailing list. He has described himself as a "really unpleasant person," stating, "I'd like to be a nice person and curse less and encourage people to grow rather than telling them they are idiots. I'm sorry-I tried, it's just not in me." This attitude, which he believes is necessary for clarity, has drawn criticism from various developers, including Intel programmer Sage Sharp and systemd developer Lennart Poettering.
On September 16, 2018, the Linux kernel's "Code of Conflict" was replaced by a new "Code of Conduct," based on the Contributor Covenant. Shortly thereafter, in the release notes for Linux 4.19-rc4, Torvalds issued an apology for his past behavior, acknowledging his personal attacks as "unprofessional and uncalled for." He announced a period of "time off" to "get some assistance on how to understand people's emotions and respond appropriately." These events followed The New Yorker approaching Torvalds with critical questions about his conduct. Following the release of Linux 4.19 on October 22, 2018, Torvalds returned to maintaining the kernel.
In 2024, when Russian developers were excluded from the list of Linux kernel maintainers, Torvalds commented, "I'm Finnish. Did you think I'd be supporting Russian aggression?"
13. Bibliography
- Torvalds, Linus; Diamond, David (2001). Just for Fun: The Story of an Accidental Revolutionary. New York City, United States: HarperCollins.
- Himanen, Pekka (2001). The Hacker Ethic and the Spirit of the Information Age.. Random House.
- Moody, Glyn (2002). Rebel Code: Linux and the Open Source Revolution. Perseus Books Group.
- Nikkanen, Tuula (2000). The Linux story. Satku.
14. See also
- Linus's law
- Tanenbaum-Torvalds debate
- List of pioneers in computer science