What Did Linus Torvalds Say About Creating Linux?

TL;DR

Linus Torvalds started Linux for himself, partly because he needed the end result but even more because he simply enjoyed programming, not as a collaborative or open-source effort. He worked alone, valuing a completely silent computer and a calm, distraction-free office with calming light-green walls. The turning point, he says, was not going huge but getting the first 10 to 100 people involved, whose comments and ideas turned a personal project into a community. Read on for how open source took hold.

Transcript

Chris Anderson: This is such a strange thing. Your software, Linux, is in millions of computers, it probably powers much of the Internet. And I think that there are, like, a billion and a half active Android devices out there. Your software is in every single one of them. It's kind of amazing. You must have some amazing software headquarters drivin... Read More

Key Insights

• 💻 Open source software powers many computers and Android devices, showing the power and reach of Linux.
• 💚 Linus Torvalds prefers a quiet, distraction-free workspace and values silence over external stimulation.
• 🔀 The Linux project started as a personal project and grew as more people contributed ideas and feedback.
• 💡 Linus Torvalds emphasizes the importance of taste in good code, seeing the big patterns and instinctively knowing the right way to do things.
• 🛣️ Linus Torvalds sees himself as more of an Edison than a Tesla, focused on practical problem-solving rather than big visionary ideas.
• 💰 Linus Torvalds does not resent companies making money from open source software, as it has brought him personal satisfaction and fulfilling experiences.
• 🌍 Open source principles are making a comeback in science and other fields, but applying them may be more complex than in code.
• 🙌 The development of Linux and open source software is a collaborative effort that relies on the contributions and feedback of the community.
• 🎙️ More videos with Linus Torvalds:
  • Linus Torvalds: Getting Upset in Public and Ignoring Flame Wars
  • Linus Torvalds: Linux on the Desktop and Chromebooks

Questions & Answers

Q: What was Linus Torvalds' motivation for creating Linux?

Torvalds started Linux for himself, as one in a series of many personal projects. He did it partly because he needed the end result, but even more because he simply enjoyed programming. There was no open source on his radar at the time and no intention of making it collaborative.

Q: Did Linus Torvalds make Linux by himself?

At the start, yes. He says he did not begin Linux as a collaborative project and still works alone, often from his house. It only became a shared effort after he made the code publicly available and other people began approaching him with feedback.

Q: How did Linux evolve from a personal project into a community effort?

As the project grew, it became something Torvalds wanted to show off, so he made it publicly available for comments after about half a year of work. Other people then took an interest, first contributing ideas and feedback rather than code. He describes someone looking at his work closely enough to give feedback as a huge moment for him.

Q: What role did open-source licenses play in Linux's development?

When Torvalds first released it, the source was open but he was not yet using open-source methodology to improve it. A friend at the University of Helsinki, involved in what was then called free software, introduced him to existing open-source licenses. After worrying about commercial interests taking advantage of his work, he decided, in his words, 'What the hell,' and went ahead.

Q: How does Linus Torvalds prefer to work?

He works alone in a quiet, boring office, sometimes in his bathrobe, and avoids external stimulation. The walls are a calming light green, a color he says is used in mental institutions. Above all, his computer has to be completely silent, so that when the cat sits in his lap he hears it purring rather than the computer's fans.

Q: When did Linus Torvalds realize Linux was becoming something big?

He says there was no single moment where it 'just took off.' For him the big point was not becoming huge but becoming little, going from being alone to having 10 or maybe 100 people involved. After that, growing from 100 people to a million felt very gradual and, to him, not a big deal.

Q: Does Linus Torvalds enjoy working with other people?

He jokes that he is not really a people person and does not love other people in general. However, he loves interacting with others over email because it gives him a buffer, and he genuinely values the people who comment on and get involved in his project. Their feedback, he says, made the work so much more.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Linux is a software that is widely used and powers many computers, including Android devices.

• Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux, works alone in a simple office and prioritizes a quiet and calm work environment.

• Torvalds started Linux as a personal project and it grew gradually into a community project with thousands of contributors.