“I’m very proud of the fact that there’s actually a fair number of people still involved with the kernel that came in in 1991 — I mean, literally 30 years ago.” (Hohndel is one of them.)

The longevity of the Linux community is especially impressive in light of how few contributors there were back in 1991, Torvalds said: “I think that’s a testament to how good the community, on the whole, has been, and how much fun it’s been.”

Yes, fun — and Torvalds still considers that one of the building blocks of the Linux community; “just for fun,” he said, is part of what he still strives for.

It comes up when people talk about the possibility of writing some Linux kernel modules using Rust. “From a technical angle, does that make sense?” Torvalds asked. “Who knows. That’s not the point. The point is for a project to stay interesting — and to stay fun — you have to play with it.” //

The keynote conversation closed with Hohndel asking what they should do for the 50th anniversary of Linux, in the year 2041, when both of them will be in their 70s.

Characteristically Torvalds answered that, just like with the Linux kernel, he doesn’t make plans more than six months out. But the question did draw some reflection. “I’ve been very happy doing the kernel for 30 years,” Torvalds began thoughtfully.

“Somehow I don’t see myself doing kernel programming when I’m 70. But on the other hand, I didn’t see myself doing kernel programming when I was 50 either, a few years back. So… we’ll see.”