Linus Torvalds is famously averse to presenting prepared talks, but the wider community is always interested in what he has to say about the condition of the Linux kernel. So, for some time now, his appearances have been in the form of an informal conversation with Dirk Hohndel. At the 2025 Open Source Summit Japan, the pair followed that tradition for the 29th time. Topics covered include the state of the development process, what Torvalds actually does, and how machine-learning tools might fit into the kernel project.

Hohndel began by noting that Torvalds is now a video star. He was referring to the “Linus x Linus” video that was published at the beginning of December, which is rapidly approaching four-million views. Torvalds said that he enjoys being able to “do these strange things” on occasion. He hastened to add that once was enough, though