Linus Torvalds on Linux Kernel’s Future: Versions, Rust, AI, and Security

Introduction

During the 2024 OpenSource Summit China held in Hong Kong, Linus Torvalds and Verizon Open Source Program Office lead Dirk Hohndel held an engaging conversation about the current state and future direction of the Linux kernel.

Linus’s First Visit to Hong Kong

It was Linus’s first trip to Hong Kong, though not his first visit to China. The audience gave him a warm reception, cheering loudly when he took the stage.

Kernel Development Discussion

The two talked about the Linux kernel’s current status and future plans. Linus recalled the famous email he sent to the comp.os.minix newsgroup 33 years ago, announcing his hobby‑level operating‑system project.

He emphasized that the kernel’s development focuses on polishing every detail rather than long‑term speculation.

Release Cadence and Versioning

Linus noted that the upcoming scheduler sched_ext built with eBPF will not appear in the next release, though he hopes to see it in Linux 6.12.

Dirk joked that at the current pace, Linux 8.7 might be released when Linus is sixty‑something, to which Linus replied that he does not think that far ahead.

Linus explained the historical shift from irregular, chaotic releases to the current nine‑week cadence, and he downplayed the significance of version numbers.

Security Perspective

They discussed the constant stream of CVEs in the kernel. Linus stressed that vulnerabilities are inevitable and that security is just one of many bugs.

Both agreed that users should keep their kernels up‑to‑date, though Linus acknowledged that some legacy kernels remain in use and receive occasional patches.

Rust in the Kernel

Linus expressed disappointment with the slow adoption of Rust, citing cultural resistance from long‑time C developers and the still‑immature Rust tooling.

He quoted himself: “The very slowly increased footprint of Rust has been a bit frustrating… many old‑time kernel developers are so used to C and really don’t know Rust.”

Views on Cloud, Kubernetes, and AI

Linus admitted he is not particularly interested in cloud or Kubernetes, stating that his focus remains the kernel.

Regarding AI, he is cautiously optimistic: he hopes AI tools will eventually assist with code review and vulnerability detection, but he remains skeptical of the current hype.

“I’ve been talking to people working on AI that understands kernel code. I hope that in a few years we’ll have tools that can learn good coding patterns and flag suspicious code.”

He also noted that AI’s involvement has encouraged companies like NVIDIA to contribute more to kernel development.

Closing Remarks

Dirk revealed he used ChatGPT to generate a list of questions for the interview. Linus concluded by emphasizing his pragmatic, hands‑on engineering mindset and his belief that the kernel will continue to evolve one or two releases at a time.