At LinuxCon Europe in Edinburgh in 2013, Linus Torvalds spoke with Intel’s Dirk Hohndel about kernel development, maintainers, open-source business incentives, desktop Linux and gaming. The Linux Foundation’s contemporaneous roundup presents these ten selections in the order Torvalds said them; the quotations below are attributed to that article, not independently checked against a transcript or recording.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
1. Don’t rush code at the expense of quality
“Don’t hurry your code. Make sure it works well and is well designed.”
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
The roundup connects this advice to the Linux kernel’s roughly quarterly release rhythm and the next merge window. The point is not to ignore schedules, but to avoid treating speed as a substitute for working, well-designed code.
#1 Best Overall
2. Short cycles help developers move on
The second selection jokes about developers’ limited attention spans: rapid development cycles let work get merged and give people a chance to turn to what comes next. It is a wry observation about process, not a claim that careful review is unnecessary.
3. A maintainer must be dependable
In the third selection, Torvalds emphasizes that a maintainer’s reliability and availability may matter more than exceptional engineering talent alone. Contributors need someone they can count on to handle work and stay engaged. The article also notes that trust within a community takes time to establish.
4. Technical mistakes can be repaired
The fourth selection draws a distinction between a technical error and a human conflict. Code problems can be fixed; the statement does not suggest that they are unimportant, only that they are often more tractable than damaged relationships.
5. Interpersonal strain can linger
The fifth selection continues that contrast: flare-ups and unresolved social tensions can weigh on people for days or weeks. In the article’s account, the social side of development can be harder on contributors than a technical problem with a path to correction.
6. Open-source work can make practical business sense
The sixth selection presents participation in open source as useful in practice for companies. This is Torvalds’ perspective as reported in the 2013 roundup, not an independently demonstrated finding about every company or business model.
7. A tiny kernel change is unlikely to be a lasting advantage
The seventh selection questions whether a small kernel change can give a company a durable competitive edge. Torvalds contrasts that prospect with the more meaningful challenge of building strong hardware at a low price. The remark expresses his view of business incentives; it should not be read as a universal economic rule.
8. Desktop Linux needs cooperation
The eighth selection returns to Linux on the desktop. Torvalds says he wants it to succeed and hopes distribution communities will cooperate more on technology instead of competing over presentation details. The focus is on shared technical progress, not on eliminating the differences between distributions.
Recommended Free Tools
9. Steam could encourage common gaming practices
The ninth selection points to Valve’s Steam for Linux as an opportunity for distributions to converge around gaming support. Torvalds’ view, as reported in the article, is that standards can emerge through adoption and success rather than only through a central specification.
10. Broader participation is a long-term task
The final selection addresses diversity in the kernel community, including women and developers from different geographies. The 2013 article reports Torvalds’ view that broadening participation is solvable over time. This is a historical comment, not a current measurement of the community’s demographics.
What ties the selections together
The roundup ranges from code review to company strategy, but several selections turn on how collaborative software work is sustained: quality requires time, maintainers need to be present and trusted, and interpersonal problems can be costly even when technical errors are fixable. Its Linux desktop remarks extend that concern to cooperation among distributions, while the Steam example treats adoption as one route to shared conventions.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems
