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Mourning Dan Williams
Quoting: Mourning Dan Williams [LWN.net] —
I have just received the shocking news that Dan Williams, a longtime, high-profile kernel developer, has passed away. I knew him primarily through his long service on the Linux Foundation Technical Advisory Board; he was always a strong, thoughtful, and intelligent presence. Dan will be deeply missed.
There is a support effort underway for Dan's family as they come to terms with this loss.
An update
An article in German said he was 54 and died unexpectedly. He was active this year and involved in Linus-under-the-bus discussions. Not too long beforehand Corbet stepped down. Williams spoke of scenarios where Torvalds dies:
This has also shown that other developers have access to the kernel's main development branch and can quickly take over development management if necessary. However, should these individuals not be able or willing to do so, the organizer of the last Kernel Maintainer Summit will henceforth be responsible for convening a meeting to decide on the further course of action. To this end, they will invite at least the participants of the last summit and the members of the Linux Foundation's Technical Advisory Board (TAB); however, all of them can bring others on board.The driving force behind the text with the new procedure was Dan Williams, who has been one of the central Linux developers for years and is also a member of the TAB. He had addressed the succession plan in December at the last Maintainer Summit and had since drafted the text.
More links today:
Wife of Dan Williams Has Explained Mental Factors Leading to His Death
Earlier This Year Dan Williams Prepared for Scenario Where Linus Torvalds Dies
By Dave Hansen and Thomas Gleixner:
His engagement as a member and chairman of the Linux Foundation Technical Advisory Board is a testimony for this. He significantly contributed to the interpretation of the Code of Conduct and the actual implementation in practice, to the Kernel Contribution Maturity model and the documentation of Inclusive Terminology.