Linux kernel developer Cox withdraws for a year
Summary
In 2003 Alan Cox announced on the kernel mailing list a one-year withdrawal from Linux development starting in September. Cox’s employer Red Hat granted leave for an MBA course, and improving Cox’s Welsh was also on the agenda. Cox, often described as the second most important kernel developer, named successors for the areas concerned and, given the grown community, no longer felt like a “crucial cog”.
Ideas
- A central developer handed over responsibilities in an orderly way before a break.
- The kernel community was large enough to absorb the absence of a key person.
Insights
- A project is mature when it no longer depends on individual people.
- Orderly handovers are a sign of healthy open source structures.
Facts
- Cox was working for Red Hat at the time.
- The break was to begin in September 2003 and last a year.
References
Critique
- The report does not say which areas Cox was responsible for and who took them over.
Recommendations
- Document responsibilities so that they can be handed over during absences.
- For critical open source components, check how many active maintainers there are.
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