Linux kernel gets continuity plan for post-Linus era

The Linux kernel project has finally answered one of the biggest questions gripping the community: what happens if Linus Torvalds is no longer able to lead it? The "Linux project continuity document," drafted by Dan Williams, was merged into its documentation last week, just ahead of the release of Linux 6.19-rc7.

The document, found at Documentation/process/conclave.rst, outlines a clear succession plan for the world's most important open source project. It acknowledges that while the kernel development project is "widely distributed, with over 100 maintainers each working to keep changes moving through their own repositories," the final step of pulling changes into the mainline repository is "normally done by Linus Torvalds," though "there are others who can do that work when the need arises."

The Succession Process

The plan centers on a designated $ORGANIZER, who is "the last Maintainer Summit organizer or the current Linux Foundation (LF) Technical Advisory Board (TAB) Chair as a backup." In the event that Torvalds or other top-level repository maintainers become "unwilling or unable to do that work going forward (including facilitating a transition), the project will need to find one or more replacements without delay."

Within 72 hours of such an event, $ORGANIZER will open a discussion with the invitees of the most recently concluded Maintainers Summit. A meeting of those invitees and the TAB, either online or in-person, will be set as soon as possible in a way that maximizes the number of people who can participate. In the event of no summit happening in the previous 15 months, the TAB will choose the attendees. Invitees can bring in other maintainers as needed.

The meeting will be chaired by $ORGANIZER and will "consider options for the ongoing management of the top-level kernel repository consistent with the expectation that it maximizes the long term health of the project and its community." Next steps will then be communicated to the broader community through the [email protected] mailing list.

The Linux Foundation, with guidance from the TAB, will "take the steps necessary to support and implement this plan."

Addressing an Aging Community

This succession planning comes at a critical time for the open source community. The graying open source community needs fresh blood, and maintainers are really feeling the squeeze. Recent events have highlighted the challenges facing long-term open source projects.

Just weeks ago, the Rust for Linux maintainer stepped down in frustration with "nontechnical nonsense," highlighting the growing tension between technical work and community management. Open source maintainers are underpaid, swamped by security responsibilities, and going gray.

The continuity document follows extensive discussion of succession and continuity at the 2025 Maintainers Summit. This included what would happen during a "smooth transition" if Torvalds decides it is time to move on, as well as the process "should something happen."

Torvalds' Perspective on Succession

While Torvalds has a firm grip on Linux, as the continuity plan notes, he has himself mused on his own future and the fact the maintainer community, at least for the kernel, is getting grayer. At the Open Source Summit in 2024, he noted: "Some people are probably still disappointed that I'm still here. I mean, it is absolutely true that kernel maintainers are aging."

He was asked by fellow pioneer Dirk Hohndel of Verizon what the community needs to do to ensure the next generation is ready, "so that in 10, 15, 20, 30 years your role can be handed off to someone else." Torvalds replied: "We've always had a lot of people who are very competent and could step up."

As for an aging community, he said new people still come in and become main developers within three years. "It's not impossible at all."

Broader Industry Context

Torvalds is not the only maintainer making plans as the open source community matures. Some projects have, of course, fallen by the wayside over the years. Some remain embedded in the ecosystem, even as their originators and maintainers get older.

One option is handing them over to a foundation. Others like curl originator Daniel Stenberg have remained fiercely independent – with discreet arrangements to pass on their GitHub details when the time comes.

The Linux kernel continuity plan represents a significant milestone in open source governance, providing a template for other critical projects to follow. As the open source ecosystem continues to mature and its original creators age, such succession planning becomes increasingly vital for ensuring the long-term health and stability of the software that powers much of the modern world.