Linus Torvalds

Key Memories & Stories

• Linux Lunacy Geek Cruise (October 2002): Linus was an honored guest speaker on the "Linux Lunacy 2" cruise, captured in the Flickr Collection Trips/2002/02-10-LinuxLunacy2.
• Welcome to Portland Lunch & Git Portability (2005): Shortly after creating Git, Linus arrived in Portland and had a welcome lunch with me. After I asked him if Git ran on OpenBSD or macOS, Linus encouraged me to download and try it, leading to my becoming the primary "canary in the coal mine" for Git's non-Linux portability for over a decade. See Welcome to Portland Lunch and the Non-Linux Portability of Git.
• Google Tech Talks on Git (2007): In May 2007, Linus gave his famous Google Tech Talk explaining what Git was not (roasting older tools). Six months later, Google invited me to deliver the matching talk on what Git actually is conceptually, which became a viral success for early Git adoption. See Google Tech Talk on Git.
• The GNU/Linux Headlock: During a Geek Cruise party, Linus put me in a friendly, light headlock after I teased him about Richard Stallman's "GNU/Linux" co-opting campaign. See The GNU Linux Headlock.
• Pool Games & Go-Karts: After attending one of my famous OSCON parties, Linus invited me to his house to play pool on his home table. I won at 9-ball, while Linus dominated at 8-ball. Linus also invited me to go-karting nearby, where Linus raced under his famous leaderboard name "Tux Racer". See Pool and Go-Karts with Linus.