1.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0 2 3Linux kernel project continuity 4=============================== 5 6The Linux kernel development project is widely distributed, with over 7100 maintainers each working to keep changes moving through their own 8repositories. The final step, though, is a centralized one where changes 9are pulled into the mainline repository. That is normally done by Linus 10Torvalds but, as was demonstrated by the 4.19 release in 2018, there are 11others who can do that work when the need arises. 12 13Should the maintainers of that repository become unwilling or unable to 14do that work going forward (including facilitating a transition), the 15project will need to find one or more replacements without delay. The 16process by which that will be done is listed below. $ORGANIZER is the 17last Maintainer Summit organizer or the current Linux Foundation (LF) 18Technical Advisory Board (TAB) Chair as a backup. 19 20- Within 72 hours, $ORGANIZER will open a discussion with the invitees 21 of the most recently concluded Maintainers Summit. A meeting of those 22 invitees and the TAB, either online or in-person, will be set as soon 23 as possible in a way that maximizes the number of people who can 24 participate. 25 26- If there has been no Maintainers Summit in the last 15 months, the set of 27 invitees for this meeting will be determined by the TAB. 28 29- The invitees to this meeting may bring in other maintainers as needed. 30 31- This meeting, chaired by $ORGANIZER, will consider options for the 32 ongoing management of the top-level kernel repository consistent with 33 the expectation that it maximizes the long term health of the project 34 and its community. 35 36- Within two weeks, a representative of this group will communicate to the 37 broader community, using the ksummit@lists.linux.dev mailing list, what 38 the next steps will be. 39 40The Linux Foundation, as guided by the TAB, will take the steps 41necessary to support and implement this plan. 42