The Rampantly Unofficial Linus Torvalds FAQ (2024)

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...a collection of trivia and personal facts about Linus.

He wrote the Linuxkernel. If you don't know that, why are you reading this?

Here is a decent picture of Linus. Itis Copyright 1999 by GaryWagner. He has since had laser eye surgery and no longer wearsglasses.

If you're speaking Swedish (his milk tongue) it's /lee'nus/. Youcan hear this in an audio file if you havea sound card.

If you're speaking English, Linus answers to either /lie'nus/(long i) or /li'nus/ (short i). We have a sound file of Linus pronouncing his name inEnglish.

Finland.He grew up in Helsinki(the capital of Finland and its largest city). He wrote the Linuxkernel while a student at Helsinki University.

December 28th 1969.

Finland has a significant (about 6%) Swedish-speakingminority population. They call themselves finlandssvensk orfinlandssvenskar and consider themselvesFinns; many of their families have lived in Finland forcenturies. Swedish is one of Finland's two official languages.

Many people seem to think think Linus's middle name is "God". Afew claim it ought to be Eric. But in fact hismiddle name is `Benedict'. He doesn't use it much.

He's now resident in Portland, Oregon, having moved to theU.S. from Helsinki in early 1997. He lived in Santa Clara andSan Jose before going to work for OSDL

He has one at http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/~torvalds;it's got an animated penguin and cute pictures of his baby daughterPatricia Miranda Torvalds.

Linus deftly avoids the most persistent religious war in thehacker community by using neither Emacs nor vi. He uses MicroEmacs.And, we are told, Pine as a mail reader.

You can reach him at torvalds@osdl.org.

Note: because Linus is who he is, he gets a staggering amount ofemail that he has to deal with. Don't waste histime. Linus is too nice a guy to hurt you if you abusethis address, but there are probably about a hundred thousandpeople who would be displeased enough to mess with you if youdid.

He works at Open Source Development Labs.

He plays with his baby daughters, Patricia Miranda and Daniela.We have a picture of his family.

He drinks beer (especially Guinness). Occasionally he shootspistols. He does not combine these two activities.

He enjoys driving his Merecedes SLK 32 AMG.

Yes, he in fact has a life. We await enlightenment on his otherleisure-time activities. Assuming he wants to talk about them.

The Rampantly Unofficial Linus Torvalds FAQ (2024)

FAQs

Why Linus Torvalds is not famous? ›

He was criticized for his use and alleged advocacy of the proprietary BitKeeper software for version control in the Linux kernel. He subsequently wrote a free-software replacement for it called Git.

What language does Linus Torvalds code in? ›

For over three decades, Linux has been written in the C programming language.

What will happen to Linux after Linus Torvalds dies? ›

If Linus Torvalds dies, will there still be Linux? The kernel would survive Linus's departure. This is something which is discussed regularly these days. Even if Linus decided to retire, Greg Kroah-Hartman would probably take the top seat (Greg is the only person other than Linus to have released a Linux kernel).

Why Linus Torvalds doesn t like Nvidia? ›

Nvidia has preferred to offer proprietary binary drivers to let operating systems use its graphics chips, not open-source software that others can adapt, modify, and debug. So naturally, He was pretty annoyed by Nvidia.

Why Linus is faster than Windows? ›

There are many reasons for Linux being generally faster than windows. Firstly, Linux is very lightweight while Windows is fatty. In windows, a lot of programs run in the background and they eat up the RAM. Secondly, in Linux, the file system is very much organized.

Why Linus hates GitHub? ›

Back in 2012, Torvalds gave a slightly more detailed explanation about why he doesn't use GitHub for pull requests: “github throws away all the relevant information, like having even a valid email address for the person asking me to pull. The diffstat is also deficient and useless.

Does Linus Torvalds use Apple? ›

Our recommended models for every use case and platform. These days, when he's on the road, Torvalds is using an Apple MacBook Air with an M2 processor. On this hot new machine, he runs Fedora Workstation 36.

Is Linux moving to Rust? ›

In October 2022, a pull request for accepting the implementation for Rust for Linux was approved by Torvalds.

What does Linus Torvalds think of Java? ›

Early on, Linus Torvalds had high hopes for Java and its “write once, run anywhere” feature, feeling that it could be a big boost for Linux.

What if Linus Torvalds gets hit by a bus? ›

Our study's bottom line: given standard traffic patterns, Linus Torvalds has an 8.9% (plus or minus 1.4%) chance of surviving and fully recovering from a collision with a bus.

What happens if Linus gets hit by a bus? ›

Torvalds remarked, if he were hit by a bus, Linux would continue, because they're the ones building Linux today. In short, while Torvalds is still programming, primarily on his Subsurface dive program, he's now Linux's manager, not it's developer.

Is Linus Torvalds still coding? ›

Torvalds explained: I don't know coding at all anymore. Most of the code I write is in my e-mails.

What flavor of Linux does Linus Torvalds use? ›

"We've had arm64 hardware around running Linux for a long time, but none of it has really been usable as a development platform until now." Torvalds is running Linux on his M2 MacBook with the help of Asahi Linux, a distribution that has been working to reverse-engineer Apple's hardware.

What is the IQ of Linus Torvalds? ›

It's been estimated that Linus Torvalds has an IQ of around 160, but it has never been officially published.

Why does Linus Torvalds use C? ›

Compared with C++, Linus chose to unconditionally stand on the C side. “When people talk about the dangers caused by C, they also talk about a part of the reason C is so powerful:'It allows you to efficiently implement all these low-level things.

Which Linux runs the fastest? ›

Top 12 Best Lightest / Fastest Linux Distros (Pros and Cons)
  1. Absolute Linux. Absolute Linux is a light and fast desktop distro that comes out of the box with LibreOffice suite and the Firefox browser. ...
  2. antiX Linux. ...
  3. Linux Lite. ...
  4. Lubuntu. ...
  5. Puppy Linux. ...
  6. SliTaz. ...
  7. LXLE. ...
  8. Porteus.
Mar 11, 2023

Is Linux faster on old computers? ›

Linux tends to run better than Windows on less potent hardware. In fact, several Linux variants are specifically designed with ultra-minimalist requirements so they're able to run on old PCs—Puppy Linux, LXLE, and Lubuntu come to mind immediately.

What are the disadvantages of Linux? ›

The disadvantages of Linux include limited software availability, limited hardware support, a steep learning curve, lack of commercial support, and compatibility issues.

What is Linus Torvalds bad behavior? ›

Sharp described Torvalds as “one of the worst offenders when it comes to verbally abusing people and publicly tearing their emotions apart.” At the time, Sharp, who grew up in a small town in Oregon, was in their late twenties and was an important administrator of the Linux kernel.

Does Linus have autism? ›

Personality. Due to high-functioning autism, Linus usually has trouble understanding & communicating with others. Although he wishes to be more social, too often Linus tends to be withdrawn from people, usually being by himself. He also tends to get all moody, pessimistic, & is prone to anger outbursts.

Will Linus rust into Linux? ›

In an email conversation, Linux's creator Linus Torvalds, told me, "Unless something odd happens, it [Rust] will make it into 6.1."

Which phone does Linus Torvalds use? ›

Torvalds has owned a number of phones before, including Google's G1 device and 'one of the early China-only Motorola Linux phones', but it took for Google to add multi-touch capabilities to the Nexus One before he finally broke down and bought one from the company's web store.

Why did Linus Torvalds leave Linux? ›

16 when Linux founder Linus Torvalds, the originator of both Linux and the software version control system Git, announced he was temporarily stepping down from his role as benevolent dictator for life at Linux to take something of a sabbatical because, in his words, "I need to take a break to get help on how to behave ...

Does Linus Torvalds make money from Linux? ›

Torvalds receives an annual salary of $10 million from the Linux Foundation. For his contribution to the world of technology, He has been also presented with many awards and prizes, including the Millennium Technology Prize and IEEE Computer Society Pioneer Award, and many more.

Why can't Linux replace Windows? ›

Member. its because windows comes intalled on most pcs for sale and linux doesnt. Therefore you have to normally make an extra effort to by a computer already with windows on it delete it and install an operating system that may or may not work on your new pc.

Will Linux overtake Windows? ›

"Overall, just 1% of employees report usage of Linux on their primary laptop used for work," he said. "That's compared to 60% that still use Windows, and small numbers that use Chrome OS and macOS on a global basis. It is very unlikely that Linux will overtake Windows as the main operating system."

Which Linux can replace Windows? ›

Download a copy of Linux Mint

Unlike other operating systems, Linux distros like Mint make it easy to give them a test run before installing them. To do this, first, you must download a copy of Linux Mint. Unlike Windows, when there's only one desktop interface, you get your choice of three different Mint desktops.

Which IDE Linus Torvalds uses? ›

His PC used MS-DOS (the disk operating system from Microsoft Corp.), but Torvalds preferred the UNIX operating system he had used on the university's computers. He decided to create his own PC-based version of UNIX. Months of determined programming work yielded the beginnings of an operating system known as Linux.

Does Linus Torvalds use Gnome? ›

The creator of the Linux kernel Linus Torvalds has swapped back to using Gnome 3. x desktop it has emerged, after he fixed many of the problems he has with the desktop. Gnome 3.

What OS did Linus Torvalds create? ›

Linus Torvalds, creator of the Linux Operating System, was born December 28, 1969 in Helsinki, Finland. His grandfather had a Commodore VIC-20 that he had the opportunity to work with; by age ten he was already dabbling in programming.

What car does Linus Torvalds drive? ›

The license plate on Linus Torvalds' Mercedes SLK convertible says it all. The frame running around the outside of the plate reads "Mr. Linux. King of Geeks." But the plate itself says "Dad of 3."

Did Linus Torvalds invent Linux alone? ›

Linux began in 1991 as a personal project by Finnish student Linus Torvalds: to create a new free operating system kernel.

Does Linus Torvalds dive? ›

While far better known as the creator of the Linux Kernel, Linus Torvalds is also a passionate scuba diver.

What happens if you befriend Linus? ›

At any friendship level greater than zero friendship points, you may receive a gift in the mail from Linus. The chance of receiving a gift in the mail increases as your friendship with Linus increases. Hello, friend.

Did Linus get a vasectomy? ›

I had my vasectomy last year. Not a pleasant experience, but a very grown up one. Plus, sex is great now.

Is Linus a baby? ›

Linus was the third baby to be seen in the strip, behind Schroeder, Lucy van Pelt, and Rerun van Pelt. She is in front of Sally Brown.

Does Linus Torvalds like GitHub? ›

Torvalds: Github is an excellent hosting service; I have nothing against it at all. Now, the complaints I've had is that GitHub as a development platform – making commits, pull requests, keeping track of issues etc – doesn't work very well at all.

Does Linus Torvalds work at Google? ›

linus torvalds - Senior Software Engineer - Google | LinkedIn.

Does Linus Torvalds live in the US? ›

Torvalds is settled in the USA. Linus moved to the US in 1997 and settled there with his wife Tove and their three daughters. He became a US citizen in 2010. At present, he works full-time on the Linux kernel as part of the Linux Foundation.

What is the most difficult Linux distro to install? ›

Gentoo - the most challenging Linux distribution on the market.

Does Torvalds use Fedora? ›

He continues his tinkerer spirit and the 'i can fix that' attitude even today. He managed to run Fedora Linux 36 Workstation edition on his Apple Macbook Air M2. Note: As informed by Hector Martin from Asahi Linux, it seems Linus Torvalds used Leif's tooling packages here.

Why does Linus Torvalds use Fedora? ›

Linus Torvalds, author of the Linux kernel, says he uses Fedora because it had fairly good support for PowerPC when he used that processor architecture. He became used to the operating system and continues to use it.

Is 127 a low IQ? ›

85 to 114: Average intelligence. 115 to 129: Above average or bright. 130 to 144: Moderately gifted. 145 to 159: Highly gifted.

What was Bert Einstein's IQ? ›

Smarter than Einstein? Albert Einstein likely never took an IQ test but is estimated to have a 160 IQ—but even that can't stand up to these masterminds.

Why did Linus Torvalds call it Git? ›

The name "git" was given by Linus Torvalds when he wrote the very first version. He described the tool as "the stupid content tracker" and the name as (depending on your mood): random three-letter combination that is pronounceable, and not actually used by any common UNIX command.

What language is Linux kernel written in? ›

The kernel is written in the C programming language [c-language]. More precisely, the kernel is typically compiled with gcc [gcc] under -std=gnu11 [gcc-c-dialect-options]: the GNU dialect of ISO C11.

Is Linus Torvalds a Millionaire? ›

Linus Benedict Torvalds is a Finnish-American software engineer, entrepreneur, computer scientist, author, and blogger who has an estimated net worth of $150 million. He earned a master's degree in computer science in 1996.

Who is the most famous Linus? ›

Linus Pauling is the most famous person named Linus. Their Zodiac sign is ♓ Pisces.

What is Linus Torvalds doing now? ›

Torvalds is settled in the USA. Linus moved to the US in 1997 and settled there with his wife Tove and their three daughters. He became a US citizen in 2010. At present, he works full-time on the Linux kernel as part of the Linux Foundation.

Does Linus Torvalds still code? ›

Linus Torvalds, the software engineer and outspoken Linux kernel creator, has returned to oversee the open source project following a self-imposed break last month designed to help him adjust his controversial behavior.

What does Linus Torvalds think of rust? ›

As far as he's concerned, the more important part is that the Rust compiler needs to be reliable and stable. One of the issues people have is that GCC Rust is most definitely not reliable or stable yet. So practically speaking, to do Linux Rust work right now, you have to use Clang.

Who is the richest guy in real life? ›

Top 10 richest people in the world, Jeff Bezos net worth. The world had 2,668 billionaires as of 2022, according to Forbes - but who are the 10 richest people among them? Here are the world's top 10 richest people, what their net worth is and the source of their wealth.

Who is the richest Internet billionaires? ›

Please do not hesitate to contact me.
...
Leading internet billionaires as of December 2022, by net worth (in billion U.S. dollars)
CharacteristicNet worth in billion U.S. dollars
Jeff Bezos, Amazon171
Bill Gates, Microsoft129
Larry Page, Google111
Sergey Brin, Google107
9 more rows
Dec 13, 2022

What is Linus IQ? ›

It's been estimated that Linus Torvalds has an IQ of around 160, but it has never been officially published.

What does Linus mean in the Bible? ›

In Biblical Names the meaning of the name Linus is: Net.

Is Linus A Boy or a girl? ›

Linus is a Greek boy's name that means “flax” or “flax colored.” In Greek mythology, Linus is the son of Apollo.

What laptop does Linux Torvalds use? ›

Torvalds runs Linux on his MacBook M2 using Asahi Linux, a distribution that supports Apple's new chips.

Does Linus Torvalds have a degree? ›

Torvalds enrolled at the University of Helsinki in 1988, graduating with a master's degree in computer science. His MSc thesis was titled Linux: A Portable Operating System. An avid computer programmer, Linus authored many gaming applications in his early years.

What does Linus Torvalds think of JavaScript? ›

In a 2018 interview with LWN.net, Torvalds expressed skepticism about the idea of including JavaScript in the kernel, stating that "I think it's a fundamentally bad idea. The kernel is written in C for a reason, and I think trying to mix in other languages just leads to confusion and problems."

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