Linus Torvalds

Finnish software engineer (born 1969) · United States · Developers · also Finland

Linus Torvalds is read about 3,099 times a day, in 123 languages.

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He wrote the kernel that runs most of the internet, every Android phone, and the supercomputers mapping the cosmos - then gave it away for free.

Open Source Developers Developer Web Development Literature Entrepreneurship

A life in dates

2018IEEE Masaru Ibuka Consumer Electronics AwardAward2014Computer Pioneer AwardAward2012Internet Hall of FameAwardMillennium Technology PrizeAward2008Computer History Museum FellowAward2001European of the YearAwardTakeda AwardsAward2000Doctor Honoris Causa of the University of HelsinkiAwardLovelace MedalAward1999Honorary Doctor of Stockholm UniversityAward1998EFF AwardAward1995“When you say "I wrote a program that crashed Windows", people just stare at you blankly and say "Hey, I got those with the system, *for free*”In their words1995-99Read the whole statement

“You know you're brilliant, but maybe you'd like to understand what you did 2 weeks from now.”In their words1995-99Read the whole statement

1991“I'm doing a (free) operating system (just a hobby, won't be big and professional like gnu) for 386(486) AT clones.”In their wordsThis was the launch of Linux.Read the whole statement

“Well, with a subject like this, I'm afraid I'll have to reply. Apologies to minix-users who have heard enough about linux anyway.”In their words* , announcing Linux version 0.02.Read the whole statement

“Portability is for people who cannot write new programs.”In their wordsAccording to Torvalds, this was "tongue in cheek" (Ibid.)Read the whole statement

“No. That's it. The cool name, that is.”In their words* , announcing Linux version 0.02.Read the whole statement

1969Born28 December 1969

Also in Deutsch

Photos 8

Lc3 2018 (263682303) (cropped)

1 RETRAT 01 Linus Torvalds

2 RETRAT 02 Linus Torvalds

2016-11-14 gnu-linux portrait

2016-11-14 gnu-linux wallpaper

3 RETRAT 03 Linus Torvalds

4 RETAT 04 Linus Torvalds

Bdale Garbee and Linux Torvalds, Linux.conf.au 2009

In their own words 10

Linus Torvalds

10 statements, newest first

When you say "I wrote a program that crashed Windows", people just stare at you blankly and say "Hey, I got those with the system, *for free*
1995, 1995-99, Own words
If you need more than 3 levels of indentation, you're screwed anyway, and should fix your program.
1995, 1995-99, Own words
You know you're brilliant, but maybe you'd like to understand what you did 2 weeks from now.
1995, 1995-99, Own words

Wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0

On YouTube

2,790 subscribers

Open channel on YouTube

Awards

IEEE Masaru Ibuka Consumer Electronics Award2018

Computer Pioneer Award2014

Millennium Technology Prize2012

Internet Hall of Fame2012

Computer History Museum Fellow2008

European of the Year2001

Takeda Awards2001

Lovelace Medal2000

Doctor Honoris Causa of the University of Helsinki2000

Honorary Doctor of Stockholm University1999

EFF Award1998

Suuret suomalaiset

Nokia Foundation Recognition Award

GitHub

@torvalds

Followers220K

Public repos8

Stars188K

Record 2

Repositories 2

linuxC★ 175K

subsurfaceC++★ 3,000

Family

Parents

Linus Torvalds

Partners

Spouse Tove Torvalds

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About this person

Born in Finland on 28 December 1969, Torvalds started building the Linux kernel in 1991 as a student project, releasing it under an open license that let anyone use or modify it. That decision seeded an operating system now embedded in billions of devices. Later he built Git, the version control system that coordinates code across nearly every major software project on earth. In 2012 he received the Millennium Technology Prize for creating "a new open source operating system for computers leading to the widely used Linux kernel." The IEEE gave him the Computer Pioneer Award in 2014 and the Masaru Ibuka Consumer Electronics Award in 2018. He remains the lead developer of Linux, still merging patches and steering the kernel's evolution three decades in.

Country

United States

In common with Linus

Richard StallmanAlso in The Code (2001)

Miguel de IcazaAlso in The Code (2001)

Eric S. RaymondAlso in Revolution OS (2001)

Susan EganAlso in Revolution OS (2001)

Developers from the United States 2

Toby Fox76.7

Scott Cawthon76.6

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