Available Quote by Linus Torvalds
“The Linux kernel is under the GPL version 2. Not anything else. Some individual files are licensable under v3, but not the kernel in general. And quite frankly, I don't see that changing. I think it's insane to require people to make their private signing keys available, for example. I wouldn't do it. So I don't think the GPL v3 conversion is going to happen for the kernel, since I personally don't want to convert any of my code. You think v2 or later is the default. It's not. The _default_ is to not allow conversion. Conversion isn't going to happen.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Linus Torvalds on GPL licensing, 2005
The Linux kernel remains under GPL v2; changing to v3 is unlikely because the community resists mandatory key sharing.
In simple terms: Linux stays GPL v2, not v3.
Key Takeaway
Respect community norms when choosing licenses.
Themes
software
open source
licensing
Mood
pragmatic
defensive
Type
technical
policy
When to use this quote
- kernel development
- legal compliance
- open source contributions
- policy discussions
Key Concepts
GPL philosophy
community governance
software freedom
Questions to Reflect On
- Should open source projects prioritize freedom over control?
- How do licensing choices affect collaboration?
A Different Perspective
Legal constraints may limit flexibility.
