Re: [Ksummit-discuss] [MAINTAINER TOPIC] Succession Planning: Is It time to Throw Linus Under a Bus?

[Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org>]

On Thu, Sep 6, 2018 at 2:13 PM James Bottomley
<James.Bottomley@hansenpartnership.com> wrote:
>
> However, I really think for an orderly succession plan, you need to be
> part of it rather than having a palace coup which could end up being
> really messy and divisive.  I suspect people treated your proposal last
> year as more of a joke last year because they didn't think you were
> serious.  If you're really serious about doing this, let's try to come
> up with the succession process in Edinburgh in October and see if we
> can run a Maintainer Summit with the new Leadership in Vancouver in
> November.

So I do want to make it clear that it's not like I am all that serious
about it, because I'm perfectly happy to continue to do what I've been
doing for the past almost three decades.

It's not like *I* care about the bus scenario, pretty much by definition.

Honestly, I think the real issue is when *others* have serious and
practical proposals.

In many ways I think that is the real issue: people who feel like
there would be advantages to new models.

The advantages could range from just the "I'd really prefer to work
with somebody else" to more of a "look, Linus isn't getting any
younger, so to make for a smooth transition we should start moving
towards xyz, because then in <N >years we'll be ready".

Regardless, I don't think _my_ opinions matter all that much on this,
and I honestly think some people might be more willing to speak their
mind without me in the room.

And guys, it's not like my ego is all that fragile.  I think people do
know that.  So the only thing I *do* want to be serious about is that
if people actually come up with something that they honestly agree is
better, you don't need to worry about me throwing some hissy-fit, and
"take my ball and go home".

That said, I think we all might have some very real doubts about how
practical it's going to be, and getting people to actually agree on
anything.

What I do *not* want to see is some random flailing discussion while
we're all in the same room. Because I can think of more productive
things to do in Edinburgh, and most of them involve drinking.

So I think people should have some real suggestions before-hand, not
some "let's leave it to an open discussion for the summit itself".

                  Linus