Want to learn Linux from legends? This mentorship pairs you with top developers

The Linux Foundation offers many Linux and open-source classes. Many of these courses provide helpful certifications for Linux/open-source job hunters. What you may not know, though, is that Shuah Khan, the renowned Linux kernel developer and Linux Foundation Fellow, directs the elite-level Linux Kernel Mentorship Program (LKMP).

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Khan’s involvement with the Linux kernel dates back to 2011 when she started working on integrating Android code into the Linux kernel. Her experience in this complex environment highlighted the need for structured guidance for newcomers. Recognizing the challenges faced by aspiring developers, Khan spearheaded the LKMP to provide a supportive pathway into the Linux kernel community.

Linux is looking for younger developers

The idea of encouraging young people to jump into open-source technology didn’t start with the Linux Foundation. No, the credit for this approach goes to Google’s Summer of Code, which dates back to 2005. 

That said, Linux has needed a way to bring fresh blood into the developer community for over a decade. It’s not like C or Rust programmers grow on trees. Even back in 2010, the Linux kernel developers were well aware, as Andrew Morton, a top Linux kernel developer, said, “We’re getting older, and we’re getting more tired.” 

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This problem has persisted. Linux is still looking for younger developers. On the other hand, as Linux’s creator, Linus Torvalds, admitted at Open Source Summit Europe in Vienna, Austria, last year, Linux maintainers are getting older, and people burn out and go away: “But that’s kind of normal. What is not normal is that people actually stay around for decades. That’s the unusual thing, and I think that’s a good sign.”

LKMP offers structured remote learning

Be that as it may, the Linux kernel still needs newcomers, and that’s where LKMP comes in. In 2019, Khan explained: “We identified three reasons for starting the program: diversity, community health, and sustainability. You have to inject new talent and bring in people, new developers that can take over at some point from the aging maintainer population and step into these important roles. So, we felt that the best approach at the time would be having these developers trained by maintainer experts in those areas.” 

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This strategy has worked well. Today, LKMP offers a structured remote learning opportunity, pairing mentees with experienced kernel developers and maintainers. The program is designed to help participants become contributors to the Linux kernel, focusing on bug fixing and development. The initiative includes three 12-week full-time and two 24-week part-time positions annually, providing flexibility for diverse schedules. This is very much a hands-on program. 

Since its inception, the LKMP has been highly successful, with many graduates becoming active contributors to the Linux kernel. The program’s success can be measured by the number of maintainers it has produced, with several mentees becoming committers. These committers edit the patches and place them into the codebase when they’re good enough. Linux and all open-source projects need all the committers they can get. 

At the 2025 Linux Foundation Members Summit in Napa, CA, in a presentation on the LKMP, Khan said: “The younger generation wants to come in and learn and learn from experts in the community, which is fantastic. After they graduate, I hear from them that they’ve been hired by Nvidia or that they got a research admission into a university they’d been wanting to get into. That’s great to see. Because we want to provide opportunities for the younger generation, not only for them to come into our open-source projects, but also career opportunities for them.” 

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The 2024 program had just 53 graduates

LKMP doesn’t involve huge programs. Khan said, for example, that the 2024 program had 53 graduates. That low number is because the mentees work closely with their monitors. This isn’t a lecture class. Students get their hands dirty working on code with top Linux kernel developers, such as Khan and Linux kernel stable maintainer Greg Kroah-Hartman. 

The LKMP’s impact extends beyond the Linux kernel. The program has served as a model for other mentorship initiatives within the Linux Foundation. These mentorships include Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), Hyperledger, and RISC-V initiatives. These programs offer similar opportunities for aspiring developers to engage with various open-source projects, fostering a broader mentorship culture and community growth.

Interested in applying? 

Typically, the mentorship program applications open for approximately four weeks. The spring mentorships are open in mid-January, the summer ones in mid-April, and the fall mentorships open for admission in mid-July. 

You must be at least 18 years old to be eligible for these programs. Depending on the project, you’ll need some prerequisites. For example, with Linux, you need to know your way around the C programming language.

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You’ll find out if you’ve been approved for the program about two weeks before the term begins. As a mentee, you’re not paid. However, some projects may offer stipends or other incentives to support mentees.

These programs are not for everyone, but if you want to get a rocket start into your Linux kernel or open-source project career, I can’t imagine a better way to do it.