Linus Torvalds apologizes for years of being a jerk, takes time off to learn empathy

Linux creator Linus Torvalds has apologized for years of rants, swearing, and general hostility directed at other Linux developers, saying he’s going to take a temporary break from his role as maintainer of the open source kernel to learn how to behave better.

For many years, Torvalds has been infamous for his expletive-filled, aggressive outbursts on the Linux Kernel Mailing List (LKML), chewing out developers who submit patches that he believes aren’t up to the standards necessary for the kernel. He’s defended this behavior in the face of pushback from other developers, insisting that people being nice to one another was an American ideology.

But that may be coming to an end. In a lengthy e-mail posted to the LKML on Sunday night, Torvalds expressed a change of heart. Taken to task over attacks that he recognizes were “unprofessional and uncalled for,” he recognizes now that this was “not OK” and is “truly sorry.” He’s going to step back from kernel development for a while—something he’s done before, while developing the Git source control system—so that he can “get help on how to behave differently.”

It’s not entirely clear what precipitated this change, though Torvalds did mention a little of the backstory. The Linux Maintainer Summit, an invitation-only gathering of around 30 core Linux developers, takes place each year to provide a venue for kernel maintainers to discuss issues around the kernel’s development process. This year’s summit was due to be in Vancouver, but was moved earlier this month to Edinburgh, after it turned out that Torvalds had mistakenly booked a vacation in Scotland that clashed with the Vancouver event.

This presented two options: stay in Vancouver, without Torvalds, or move to Edinburgh, with Torvalds. Torvalds himself preferred the first option, but this was met with resistance, suggesting that Torvalds’ behavior, which is known to have driven some developers away from kernel development entirely, was one of the issues that the maintainers wanted to discuss. Accordingly, the decision was made to move to Edinburgh to fit in with his vacation. That such a disruptive change of venue should occur indicates there’s considerable strength of feeling about Torvalds’ presence.

Simultaneously with this, the Linux project now has a code of conduct. Previously it had a “code of conflict;” a short document that asserts that the code quality is the only thing that matters, and implores developers to “be excellent to each other.” The new code of conduct is rather more extensive, and sets explicit standards for behavior, requiring it to positive, professional, welcoming, and inclusive.

Together, these changes represent a big shake-up of the kernel development process and style. Of course, it remains to be seen whether anything will actually change—old habits die hard, after all. Kernel developer and Torvalds critic Matthew Garrett tweeted that the changes are a “long overdue step in the right direction” but that he’ll “believe it when [he sees] some actual change.” In contrast, many denizens of the /r/Linux subreddit are unimpressed, dismissing the code of conduct as made up by a “completely insane and bigoted individual,” and claiming that “millenial [sic] snowflakes finally got to him.”