The mind behind Linux | Linus Torvalds | TED

Summary

In this TED Talk, Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux, shares his journey from a solitary programmer to the head of a vast open-source community. He discusses the humble beginnings of Linux, which started as a personal project and grew into a global phenomenon without an initial vision for collaboration. Torvalds emphasizes the importance of simplicity, quiet focus, and the gradual evolution of the Linux community. He also introduces Git, another project born out of the need to manage large-scale software development efficiently. Torvalds downplays his role as a visionary, preferring to focus on solving immediate problems and celebrating the diverse contributions of the open-source community.

Takeaways

• 🌐 Linus Torvalds created Linux, software that now powers a significant portion of the internet and is present in every Android device.
• 🏠 Despite the global impact of his work, Torvalds works alone from a modest home office, emphasizing the importance of a calm and quiet environment for his programming.
• 🐱 His preference for a peaceful workspace is so strong that he prioritizes the purring of his cat over the noise of computer fans.
• 🤝 Torvalds did not initially intend for Linux to be a collaborative project, but the open-source community's contributions transformed it into a global phenomenon.
• 👨‍💻 He values the feedback and ideas from others, even more than their code contributions, which he sees as a form of validation and improvement for his work.
• 🔧 Torvalds developed Git, a version control system, to manage the massive scale of Linux's development with thousands of contributors.
• 👓 He identifies as more of a practical engineer than a visionary, focusing on solving immediate problems rather than dreaming big.
• 🤝 Open source allows people with different skills and interests to collaborate effectively, even if they don't necessarily get along personally.
• 💼 Torvalds is comfortable with companies making profits from his open-source work, recognizing the trade-offs and benefits of the open-source model.
• 🔑 Good 'taste' in coding, for Torvalds, means having an instinct for the right way to structure and write code, which is more important than just technical skill.

Q & A

What was Chris Anderson's initial impression of Linus Torvalds' software headquarters?

Chris Anderson was shocked by the simplicity of Linus Torvalds' software headquarters, as he expected something more impressive given the widespread use of Linux in millions of computers and Android devices.

Why did Linus Torvalds stop using the walking desk in his office?

Linus Torvalds mentioned that the walking desk was the most interesting part of his office, but he stopped using it because he prefers to work in a quiet environment without external stimulation.

What does Linus Torvalds consider important in his work environment?

Linus Torvalds values a quiet and calm work environment. He prefers a computer that is completely silent and a color scheme on his walls that is non-stimulating, similar to what is used in mental institutions for its calming effect.

How does Linus Torvalds describe his initial approach to working on Linux?

Linus Torvalds started working on Linux alone, in his house, and often in his bathrobe. He did not initially start it as a collaborative project but rather as a personal project that he enjoyed working on.

What was Linus Torvalds' reaction to the idea of open source when he first encountered it?

Initially, Linus Torvalds was worried about commercial interests coming in and taking advantage of his work. However, he eventually decided to adopt the open-source methodology after considering it for a while.

How did Linus Torvalds' perspective on open source change over time?

Linus Torvalds' perspective on open source evolved from not being on his radar initially to becoming a crucial part of his work process. He found value in the feedback and ideas from others, which led him to embrace the open-source community.

What was the primary motivation behind Linus Torvalds creating Git?

Linus Torvalds created Git to manage the increasing scale of Linux development. As the number of contributors grew, he needed a system to efficiently handle the collaboration and code maintenance.

How does Linus Torvalds view his role in the open-source community?

Linus Torvalds sees himself as an engineer rather than a visionary. He focuses on solving immediate problems and improving the technology at hand, rather than having a grand vision for the future.

What does Linus Torvalds think about the commercial success of companies using his software?

Linus Torvalds is not upset about the commercial success of companies using his software. He believes that the open-source nature of Linux allowed it to become what it is today, and he is content with the choices he made.

How does Linus Torvalds define 'good taste' in coding?

Linus Torvalds defines 'good taste' in coding as the ability to see the big patterns and instinctively knowing the right way to do things. It involves simplifying code to eliminate special cases and making it more efficient and elegant.

What is Linus Torvalds' stance on the comparison between being a visionary like Tesla and a practical engineer like Edison?

Linus Torvalds identifies more with Edison than Tesla. He appreciates the practical, hard work and problem-solving approach that Edison represents, rather than the visionary and idea-driven approach of Tesla.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 The Humble Beginnings of Linux

Chris Anderson interviews Linus Torvalds, highlighting the surprising simplicity of the Linux headquarters, which contrasts with the global impact of the software. Torvalds discusses his preference for a quiet, non-distracting work environment and the importance of a silent computer. He clarifies that Linux was initially a personal project, not intended as a collaborative open-source endeavor. The conversation reveals Torvalds' initial reluctance and eventual embrace of the open-source community, which played a crucial role in Linux's development and success.

05:03

🤖 The Evolution of Open Source and Community

Linus Torvalds shares his experience with the open-source community, emphasizing the value of feedback and ideas from others, which was more significant to him than the code contributions. He admits to not being a 'people person' but appreciates the engagement and comments from others on his work. The discussion turns to the gradual growth of Linux's community, with Torvalds noting the transition from a personal project to a global phenomenon was not marked by any singular 'eureka' moment. The conversation also touches on Torvalds' second major project, Git, which was created to manage the large-scale collaboration on Linux.

10:05

🧠 The Traits Behind a Tech Titan

The conversation delves into Torvalds' personality traits, particularly his stubbornness, which he sees as essential in sticking to tasks rather than being easily distracted. He discusses his introverted nature and preference for focused work over social interaction. Torvalds also addresses the conflicts that arose from his direct communication style, acknowledging the hurt it may have caused while defending the importance of maintaining the quality of the Linux project. He stresses the diversity within the open-source community, allowing different types of people to contribute effectively.

15:05

🛠️ The Craftsmanship of Code

Torvalds discusses the concept of 'taste' in coding, using an example to illustrate the difference between a simplistic and a refined approach to solving a problem. He emphasizes the importance of recognizing and eliminating special cases to create cleaner, more efficient code. The summary also includes his self-assessment as more of an engineer than a visionary, preferring to focus on immediate, tangible improvements rather than grand, long-term visions. He identifies with the practicality of Edison over the visionary status of Tesla.

20:05

🌐 The Broader Impact and Future of Open Source

In the final part, Torvalds reflects on the success of open-source software, including Linux and its commercial exploitation, to which he shows no resentment. He believes in the open-source philosophy and its potential beyond coding, such as in science and politics. He acknowledges the challenges of applying open-source principles in areas where objectivity is less clear-cut. The interview concludes with a tribute to Torvalds for his contributions to technology and his candid self-disclosure during the TED talk.

Keywords

💡Linux

Linux is an open-source operating system that was created by Linus Torvalds. It is widely used in various computing platforms, including servers, mainframes, and supercomputers. In the video, Torvalds discusses the humble beginnings of Linux, which started as a personal project and grew into a foundational component of the internet and Android devices, highlighting the power of open-source development.

💡Open Source

Open source refers to a type of software whose source code is made available to the public, allowing anyone to view, use, modify, and distribute the software. The video emphasizes the significance of the open-source model in the development of Linux, where Torvalds initially made the source code available without expecting it to become a collaborative project, but it eventually led to a global community contributing to its success.

💡Android Devices

Android is an operating system based on the Linux kernel, primarily used in mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. The script mentions that Linux is present in every Android device, indicating the pervasive influence of Linux in the technology ecosystem and the reach of open-source software in consumer electronics.

💡Empire

In the context of the video, 'empire' is used metaphorically to describe the vast and influential reach of Linux and Torvalds' work. It suggests that despite not having a traditional corporate headquarters, the impact of his creation is as significant as a large technological empire.

💡Walking Desk

A walking desk is a type of workstation that allows users to walk or move while working, promoting physical activity during sedentary tasks. Torvalds mentions the walking desk in his office, symbolizing his preference for a minimalist and distraction-free work environment, which contrasts with the grandeur often associated with technology empires.

💡Git

Git is a version control system used in software development to manage and keep track of code changes. It was created by Torvalds to handle the large-scale collaboration on the Linux kernel. The video discusses Git as a solution to the challenge of coordinating contributions from thousands of developers, showcasing Torvalds' practical approach to solving real-world problems in software development.

💡Community

The Linux community refers to the group of individuals who contribute to the development and maintenance of the Linux operating system. The video highlights the importance of community in the success of Linux, evolving from a personal project to a collaborative effort involving thousands of people, underscoring the collective nature of open-source projects.

💡Visionary

A visionary is someone who has the ability to anticipate future developments and inspire others with their innovative ideas. While the video's theme revolves around visionary thinking, Torvalds identifies himself more as an engineer focused on solving immediate problems rather than having grand visions for the future, emphasizing the practical and incremental nature of his work.

💡Taste

In the context of the video, 'taste' refers to the ability to make aesthetic or quality judgments in coding, recognizing elegant and efficient solutions. Torvalds discusses 'good taste' in code as a desirable quality in developers, indicating that beyond technical skills, an intuitive sense for quality and elegance is important in software development.

💡Stubbornness

Stubbornness, as mentioned in the video, is Torvalds' tendency to persist with his decisions and maintain his focus on specific goals, even in the face of opposition. It is portrayed as a key characteristic that has helped him maintain the quality and direction of Linux's development, despite conflicts with others.

💡Silicon Valley

Silicon Valley is a region known for its high-tech innovation and venture capital, often associated with rapid job changes and a culture of constant innovation. Torvalds contrasts his long-term commitment to a single company in Silicon Valley with the more transient nature of the region's workforce, highlighting his unique approach to career and project development.

Highlights

Linux is widely used in millions of computers and powers much of the Internet.

Linux's creator, Linus Torvalds, works from a simple home office with a focus on minimal external stimulation.

Torvalds emphasizes the importance of a calm and quiet work environment for his productivity.

He initially developed Linux as a personal project without the intention of it becoming open source.

The open source community's feedback and contributions were crucial in the development of Linux.

Torvalds was introduced to open source licensing by a friend at the University of Helsinki.

He was initially concerned about commercial interests but decided to embrace open source.

The growth of Linux from a personal project to a global phenomenon was gradual for Torvalds.

Git, Torvalds' second major project, was created to manage the large-scale collaboration on Linux.

Torvalds values the ability to work alone and prefers deep focus over constant collaboration.

He identifies as more of an engineer than a visionary, focusing on solving immediate problems.

Torvalds discusses the importance of 'taste' in coding and the ability to simplify complex problems.

He compares himself to Edison rather than Tesla, valuing practicality and persistence over grand visions.

Torvalds is comfortable with companies making billions from his software due to the open source model.

He believes open source works well in coding because of its clear-cut nature, unlike other fields.

Torvalds sees potential for open source principles to expand beyond software into other areas like science.

Transcripts

Chris Anderson: This is such a strange thing.

Your software, Linux, is in millions of computers,

it probably powers much of the Internet.

And I think that there are, like,

a billion and a half active Android devices out there.

Your software is in every single one of them.

It's kind of amazing.

You must have some amazing software headquarters driving all this.

That's what I thought -- and I was shocked when I saw a picture of it.

I mean, this is --

this is the Linux world headquarters.

(Laughter)

(Applause)

Linus Torvalds: It really doesn't look like much.

And I have to say,

the most interesting part in this picture,

that people mostly react to,

is the walking desk.

It is the most interesting part in my office

and I'm not actually using it anymore.

And I think the two things are related.

The way I work is ...

I want to not have external stimulation.

You can kind of see, on the walls are this light green.

I'm told that at mental institutions they use that on the walls.

(Laughter)

It's like a calming color,

it's not something that really stimulates you.

What you can't see is the computer here, you only see the screen,

but the main thing I worry about in my computer is --

it doesn't have to be big and powerful, although I like that --

it really has to be completely silent.

I know people who work for Google

and they have their own small data center at home,

and I don't do that.

My office is the most boring office you'll ever see.

And I sit there alone in the quiet.

If the cat comes up,

it sits in my lap.

And I want to hear the cat purring,

not the sound of the fans in the computer.

CA: So this is astonishing,

because working this way,

you're able to run this vast technology empire --

it is an empire --

so that's an amazing testament to the power of open source.

Tell us how you got to understand open source

and how it lead to the development of Linux.

LT: I mean, I still work alone.

Really -- I work alone in my house,

often in my bathrobe.

When a photographer shows up, I dress up,

so I have clothes on.

(Laughter)

And that's how I've always worked.

I mean, this was how I started Linux, too.

I did not start Linux as a collaborative project.

I started it as one in a series of many projects

I had done at the time for myself,

partly because I needed the end result,

but even more because I just enjoyed programming.

So it was about the end of the journey,

which, 25 years later, we still have not reached.

But it was really about the fact that I was looking for a project on my own

and there was no open source, really, on my radar at all.

And what happened is ...

the project grows and becomes something you want to show off to people.

Really, this is more of a, "Wow, look at what I did!"

And trust me -- it was not that great back then.

I made it publicly available,

and it wasn't even open source at that point.

At that point it was source that was open, but there was no intention

behind using the kind of open-source methodology that we think of today

to improve it.

It was more like,

"Look, I've been working on this for half a year,

I'd love to have comments."

And other people approached me.

At the University of Helsinki,

I had a friend who was one of the open source --

it was called mainly "free software" back then --

and he actually introduced me to the notion that, hey,

you can use these open-source licenses that had been around.

And I thought about it for a while.

I was actually worried about the whole commercial interests coming in.

I mean, that's one of the worries I think most people who start out have,

is that they worry about somebody taking advantage of their work, right?

And I decided, "What the hell?"

And --

CA: And then at some point,

someone contributed some code that you thought,

"Wow, that really is interesting, I would not have thought of that.

This could actually improve this."

LT: It didn't even start by people contributing code,

it was more that people started contributing ideas.

And just the fact that somebody else takes a look at your project --

and I'm sure it's true of other things, too,

but it's definitely true in code --

is that somebody else takes an interest in your code,

looks at it enough to actually give you feedback

and give you ideas.

That was a huge thing for me.

I was 21 at the time, so I was young,

but I had already programmed for half my life, basically.

And every project before that had been completely personal

and it was a revelation when people just started commenting,

started giving feedback on your code.

And even before they started giving code back,

that was, I think, one of the big moments where I said,

"I love other people!"

Don't get me wrong --

I'm actually not a people person.

(Laughter)

I don't really love other people --

(Laughter)

But I love computers,

I love interacting with other people on email,

because it kind of gives you that buffer.

But I do love other people who comment and get involved in my project.

And it made it so much more.

CA: So was there a moment when you saw what was being built

and it suddenly started taking off,

and you thought, "Wait a sec, this actually could be something huge,

not just a personal project that I'm getting nice feedback on,

but a kind of explosive development in the whole technology world"?

LT: Not really.

I mean, the big point for me, really, was not when it was becoming huge,

it was when it was becoming little.

The big point for me was not being alone

and having 10, maybe 100 people being involved --

that was a big point.

Then everything else was very gradual.

Going from 100 people to a million people is not a big deal -- to me.

Well, I mean, maybe it is if you're --

(Laughter)

If you want to sell your result then it's a huge deal --

don't get me wrong.

But if you're interested in the technology

and you're interested in the project,

the big part was getting the community.

Then the community grew gradually.

And there's actually not a single point where I went like,

"Wow, that just took off!" because it --

I mean -- it took a long time, relatively.

CA: So all the technologists that I talk to really credit you

with massively changing their work.

And it's not just Linux,

it's this thing called Git,

which is this management system for software development.

Tell us briefly about that and your role in that.

LT: So one of the issues we had,

and this took a while to start to appear,

is when you ...

When you grow from having 10 people or 100 people working on a project

to having 10,000 people, which --

I mean, right now we're in the situation where just on the kernel,

we have 1,000 people involved in every single release

and that's every two months, roughly two or three months.

Some of those people don't do a lot.

There's a lot of people who make small, small changes.

But to maintain this,

the scale changes how you have to maintain it.

And we went through a lot of pain.

And there are whole projects that do only source-code maintenance.

CVS is the one that used to be the most commonly used,

and I hated CVS with a passion and refused to touch it

and tried something else that was radical and interesting

and everybody else hated.

CA: (Laughs)

LT: And we were in this bad spot,

where we had thousands of people who wanted to participate,

but in many ways, I was the kind of break point,

where I could not scale to the point

where I could work with thousands of people.

So Git is my second big project,

which was only created for me to maintain my first big project.

And this is literally how I work.

I don't code for --

well, I do code for fun --

but I want to code for something meaningful

so every single project I've ever done has been something I needed

and --

CA: So really, both Linux and Git kind of arose

almost as an unintended consequence

of your desire not to have to work with too many people.

LT: Absolutely. Yes.

(Laughter)

CA: That's amazing. LT: Yeah.

(Applause)

And yet, you're the man who's transformed technology

not just once but twice,

and we have to try and understand why it is.

You've given us some clues, but ...

Here's a picture of you as a kid, with a Rubik's Cube.

You mentioned that you've been programming since you were like 10 or 11,

half your life.

Were you this sort of computer genius, you know, übernerd,

were you the star at school who could do everything?

What were you like as a kid?

LT: Yeah, I think I was the prototypical nerd.

I mean, I was ...

I was not a people person back then.

That's my younger brother.

I was clearly more interested in the Rubik's Cube

than my younger brother.

(Laughter)

My younger sister, who's not in the picture,

when we had family meetings --

and it's not a huge family, but I have, like, a couple of cousins --

she would prep me beforehand.

Like, before I stepped into the room she would say,

"OK. That's so-and-so ..."

Because I was not --

I was a geek.

I was into computers,

I was into math,

I was into physics.

I was good at that.

I don't think I was particularly exceptional.

Apparently, my sister said

that my biggest exceptional quality was that I would not let go.

CA: OK, so let's go there, because that's interesting.

You would not let go.

So that's not about being a geek and being smart,

that's about being ... stubborn?

LT: That's about being stubborn.

That's about, like,

just starting something

and not saying, "OK, I'm done, let's do something else --

Look: shiny!"

And I notice that in many other parts in my life, too.

I lived in Silicon Valley for seven years.

And I worked for the same company, in Silicon Valley,

for the whole time.

That is unheard of.

That's not how Silicon Valley works.

The whole point of Silicon Valley is that people jump between jobs

to kind of mix up the pot.

And that's not the kind of person I am.

CA: But during the actual development of Linux itself,

that stubbornness sometimes brought you in conflict with other people.

Talk about that a bit.

Was that essential to sort of maintain the quality of what was being built?

How would you describe what happened?

LT: I don't know if it's essential.

Going back to the "I'm not a people person," --

sometimes I'm also ...

shall we say,

"myopic" when it comes to other people's feelings,

and that sometimes makes you say things that hurt other people.

And I'm not proud of that.

(Applause)

But, at the same time, it's --

I get people who tell me that I should be nice.

And then when I try to explain to them that maybe you're nice,

maybe you should be more aggressive,

they see that as me being not nice.

(Laughter)

What I'm trying to say is we are different.

I'm not a people person;

it's not something I'm particularly proud of,

but it's part of me.

And one of the things I really like about open source

is it really allows different people to work together.

We don't have to like each other --

and sometimes we really don't like each other.

Really -- I mean, there are very, very heated arguments.

But you can, actually, you can find things that --

you don't even agree to disagree,

it's just that you're interested in really different things.

And coming back to the point where I said earlier

that I was afraid of commercial people taking advantage of your work,

it turned out, and very quickly turned out,

that those commercial people were lovely, lovely people.

And they did all the things that I was not at all interested in doing,

and they had completely different goals.

And they used open source in ways that I just did not want to go.

But because it was open source they could do it,

and it actually works really beautifully together.

And I actually think it works the same way.

You need to have the people-people, the communicators,

the warm and friendly people

who like --

(Laughter)

really want to hug you and get you into the community.

But that's not everybody.

And that's not me.

I care about the technology.

There are people who care about the UI.

I can't do UI to save my life.

I mean, if I was stranded on an island

and the only way to get off that island was the make a pretty UI,

I'd die there.

(Laughter)

So there's different kinds of people,

and I'm not making excuses, I'm trying to explain.

CA: Now, when we talked last week,

you talked about some other trait that you have,

which I found really interesting.

It's this idea called taste.

And I've just got a couple of images here.

I think this is an example of not particularly good taste in code,

and this one is better taste,

which one can immediately see.

What is the difference between these two?

LT: So this is --

How many people here actually have coded?

CA: Oh my goodness.

LT: So I guarantee you,

everybody who raised their hand,

they have done what's called a singly-linked list.

And it's taught --

This, the first not very good taste approach,

is basically how it's taught to be done when you start out coding.

And you don't have to understand the code.

The most interesting part to me

is the last if statement.

Because what happens in a singly-linked list --

this is trying to remove an existing entry from a list --

and there's a difference between if it's the first entry

or whether it's an entry in the middle.

Because if it's the first entry,

you have to change the pointer to the first entry.

If it's in the middle,

you have to change the pointer of a previous entry.

So they're two completely different cases.

CA: And that's better.

LT: And this is better.

It does not have the if statement.

And it doesn't really matter --

I don't want you understand why it doesn't have the if statement,

but I want you to understand

that sometimes you can see a problem in a different way

and rewrite it so that a special case goes away

and becomes the normal case.

And that's good code.

But this is simple code.

This is CS 101.

This is not important -- although, details are important.

To me, the sign of people I really want to work with

is that they have good taste, which is how ...

I sent you this stupid example

that is not relevant because it's too small.

Good taste is much bigger than this.

Good taste is about really seeing the big patterns

and kind of instinctively knowing what's the right way to do things.

CA: OK, so we're putting the pieces together here now.

You have taste,

in a way that's meaningful to software people.

You're --

(Laughter)

LT: I think it was meaningful to some people here.

CA: You're a very smart computer coder,

and you're hellish stubborn.

But there must be something else.

I mean, you've changed the future.

You must have the ability of these grand visions of the future.

You're a visionary, right?

LT: I've actually felt slightly uncomfortable at TED

for the last two days,

because there's a lot of vision going on, right?

And I am not a visionary.

I do not have a five-year plan.

I'm an engineer.

And I think it's really --

I mean -- I'm perfectly happy with all the people

who are walking around and just staring at the clouds

and looking at the stars and saying, "I want to go there."

But I'm looking at the ground,

and I want to fix the pothole that's right in front of me

before I fall in.

This is the kind of person I am.

(Cheers)

(Applause)

CA: So you spoke to me last week about these two guys.

Who are they and how do you relate to them?

LT: Well, so this is kind of cliché in technology,

the whole Tesla versus Edison,

where Tesla is seen as the visionary scientist and crazy idea man.

And people love Tesla.

I mean, there are people who name their companies after him.

(Laughter)

The other person there is Edison,

who is actually often vilified for being kind of pedestrian

and is --

I mean, his most famous quote is,

"Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration."

And I'm in the Edison camp,

even if people don't always like him.

Because if you actually compare the two,

Tesla has kind of this mind grab these days,

but who actually changed the world?

Edison may not have been a nice person,

he did a lot of things --

he was maybe not so intellectual,

not so visionary.

But I think I'm more of an Edison than a Tesla.

CA: So our theme at TED this week is dreams --

big, bold, audacious dreams.

You're really the antidote to that.

LT: I'm trying to dial it down a bit, yes.

CA: That's good.

(Laughter)

We embrace you, we embrace you.

Companies like Google and many others have made, arguably,

like, billions of dollars out of your software.

Does that piss you off?

LT: No.

No, it doesn't piss me off for several reasons.

And one of them is, I'm doing fine.

I'm really doing fine.

But the other reason is --

I mean, without doing the whole open source and really letting go thing,

Linux would never have been what it is.

And it's brought experiences I don't really enjoy, public talking,

but at the same time, this is an experience.

Trust me.

So there's a lot of things going on that make me a very happy man

and thinking I did the right choices.

CA: Is the open source idea --

this is, I think we'll end here --

is the open source idea fully realized now in the world,

or is there more that it could go,

are there more things that it could do?

LT: So, I'm of two minds there.

I think one reason open source works so well in code

is that at the end of the day,

code tends to be somewhat black and white.

There's often a fairly good way to decide,

this is done correctly and this is not done well.

Code either works or it doesn't,

which means that there's less room for arguments.

And we have arguments despite this, right?

In many other areas --

I mean, people have talked about open politics and things like that --

and it's really hard sometimes to say

that, yes, you can apply the same principles in some other areas

just because the black and white turns into not just gray,

but different colors.

So, obviously open source in science is making a comeback.

Science was there first.

But then science ended up being pretty closed,

with very expensive journals and some of that going on.

And open source is making a comeback in science,

with things like arXiv and open journals.

Wikipedia changed the world, too.

So there are other examples,

I'm sure there are more to come.

CA: But you're not a visionary,

and so it's not up to you to name them.

LT: No.

(Laughter)

It's up to you guys to make them, right?

CA: Exactly.

Linus Torvalds,

thank you for Linux, thank you for the Internet,

thank you for all those Android phones.

Thank you for coming here to TED and revealing so much of yourself.

LT: Thank you.

(Applause)