> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://itsfoss.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# What Happens to Linux After Linus Torvalds? We Finally Have the Answer to This Uncomfortable Question
- URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-continuity-plan/
- Published: 2026-01-29T14:43:03.000Z
- Updated: 2026-01-29T14:43:03.000Z
- Description: They finally set this in stone.
- Author: Sourav Rudra
- Tags: News

Well, folks, there's now a strategy in place to manage the [Linux kernel](https://www.kernel.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) project if Linus Torvalds or any of the other key maintainers aren't able to carry out their duties. In a document titled "[*Linux kernel project continuity*](https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=102606402f4f5943266160e263c450fdfe4dd981&ref=itsfoss.com)," a clear process for what happens next has been laid out.

If, for whatever reason, progress on the [torvalds/linux.git](https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/?ref=itsfoss.com) repository is affected, **someone has to get things moving within 72 hours**. This person could either be the one who organized the most recent [Maintainer Summit](https://events.linuxfoundation.org/kubecon-cloudnativecon-north-america/features-add-ons/maintainer-summit/?ref=itsfoss.com) or the chair of the Linux Foundation's [Technical Advisory Board](https://www.linuxfoundation.org/about/leadership?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=LINUX%20TECHNICAL%20ADVISORY%20BOARD) (TAB).

They will be tasked with pulling together the people who were invited to the last summit, along with members of the TAB. If there hasn't been a summit in the past 15 months, the TAB decides who should be invited to the meeting.

![this picture shows a wall of green text that is the linux kernel project continuity document](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/linux-kernel-project-continuity-document.png)

The group can then bring in other maintainers if they need help with some specific area of expertise. They will have to figure out a way to manage the top-level kernel repository (*linked above*) going forward while staying in line with the project's and the community's expectations.

Once they have convened and worked out the necessary steps, **they have a two-week period to let the Linux community know what's happening**.

This whole thing came together after the 2025 Linux Kernel Maintainer Summit in Tokyo. [Dan Williams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/djbw/?ref=itsfoss.com), who's a kernel maintainer and works at Intel, drafted the document based on discussions there.

**In a post-Linus era**, many expect the job of leading Linux to fall on [Greg Kroah-Hartman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg%5FKroah-Hartman?ref=itsfoss.com), one of the most trusted kernel maintainers after Torvalds. Not to mention, this is the first formal succession process in the project's 30+ year history, and Linus himself signed the commit that made it official.

---

**Suggested Read 📖:** [*Linux Kernel Bugs Hide for 2+ Years on Average*](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-bugs-arent-found-for-years/)

[Linux Kernel Bugs Hide for 2+ Years on AverageStudy of 20 years of kernel history finds bugs hide for 2+ years on average, some for decades.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-249.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-kernel-bugs-menace.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-bugs-arent-found-for-years/)