Linus Torvalds Reflects on Evolving Developer Workflows at Open Source Summit
Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux, made an appearance at the Open Source Summit in Mumbai where he shared insights into his current workflow and perspective on the state of software development.
Torvalds acknowledged that his role has evolved significantly over the years. "I'm not a programmer anymore," he noted during his talk, explaining that his day-to-day activities have shifted away from direct code writing toward other aspects of the Linux project's leadership and maintenance.
Regarding tools, Torvalds revealed he now relies primarily on just two tools for his work—a notably streamlined setup compared to the complex development environments many modern programmers use.
The conversation also touched on artificial intelligence's role in kernel development. Torvalds discussed both the pain points and the power that AI brings to the table, indicating a nuanced view of how machine learning and AI-assisted development are changing software engineering practices.
Additionally, Torvalds addressed technical direction for the project, noting that Linux has moved away from supporting what he described as "museum" technology—older, legacy systems and hardware that no longer warrant active maintenance resources.