Aging Linux Kernel Community Is Looking For Younger Participants

Lemeowski writes "Time has been good to Linux and the kernel community, with the level of participation and volume of activity reaching unprecedented levels. But as core Linux kernel developers grow older, there's a very real concern about ensuring younger generations are getting involved. In this post, Open Access supporter Luis Ibanez shares some exciting stats about recent releases of the Linux kernel, but also warns that 'Maintaining the vitality of this large community does not happen spontaneously. On the contrary, it requires dedication and attention by community members on how to bring new contributors on board, and how to train them and integrate them alongside the well-established developers.'"

Comments

Re:The real problem is in not hiring junior anybod

[Microlith]

The "everything in the kernel project" model means that every fix to every driver is dependent upon the upstream maintainers taking the changes. That's a maintenance nightmare.

Linus was in his early 20s and in college when he created the first version of the kernel.

It it does underscore how those opportunities to create haven't been extended to future 15 year olds in the same manner.

Actually, those opportunities exist for every kid with access to a PC.

If you want to talk about not extending opportunities, talk about devices like iPads that are displacing general purpose PCs. That is how you actively deny such opportunities.

The last two companies I've worked for flat out refuse to hire junior staff and train them.

Fire your management. It's the only way. That said, kernel developers are a distinctly different sort from the average "systems administrator." I did that in the late-90s, early 2000s as a summer job and quickly learned that it wasn't what I wanted to do.