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Linux guru up for top technology honour
'Keeper of the kernel' close to securing his place in the history books...

By Kate Hanaghan

Published: Wednesday 21 November 2001

Alan Cox, the man known as the 'keeper of the Linux 2.4 kernel', has been nominated for the Technology Review 100 - a list of pioneers in technology and business compiled by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

The final 100 individuals, who must all be under 35 years old, will be judged by a panel of industry figures to find an overall 'innovator of the year'.

Cox, kernel engineer at Linux vendor Red Hat, told silicon.com: "I think it's great. Not just for me, but for the Linux project and also for all the people who helped. Newton stood on the shoulders of giants, I've had an entire army to carry me."

Cox explained that the most rewarding area of his work has been "seeing what free software has made possible - particularly in poorer parts of the world where it is enabling governments and other groups to build self-sustainable IT infrastructure for education and to make their countries a better place".

But Cox is remaining humble about his chances. He said: "Given the kind of people who [have been nominated in the past] I'll be glad to even make the final list."

The final list will be published in June 2002. Next month Cox will hand over responsibility for the 2.4 kernel to Brazilian programmer Marcelo Tosatti.

More information about the list can be found at: http://www.technologyreview.com/magazine/tr100/2002.asp