The world’s most powerful software Linux, Android smartphones, ATMs, ‘spaceships, stock exchanges, data centers, supercomputers around the world, cloud computing, machine learning, artificial intelligence… all of these work on the basis of Linux. Telugu woman Shuah Khan is playing a key role in the design and management of this wonderful open software as a ‘Linux Foundation Fellow’. She has also made history as the first woman to achieve this feat. Let’s know about the unprecedented Shuah Khan.
Shuah Khan’s hometown is Ongole. Since her father was a government veterinary officer… Shuah Khan’s education took place in many places in the state. She studied in government schools in remote villages, Bapatla ABM and Sara Swathi Memorial Schools. She completed her tenth standard in Modukuru. She studied intermediate at Guntur Women’s College. She received a bachelor’s degree in electronics and communication engineering from Andhra University College of Engineering. She proudly says that she grew up studying in government educational institutions.
Shuah Khan After working in India for a few years… She completed her masters in computer science from Colorado State University, USA in 1988. After her first job in the Bay Area, she worked at ‘Lucent AT&T Bell Labs’… She served at Hewlett Packard (HP) for thirteen years. It was during this time that she developed a direct connection with Linux. She got the opportunity to directly collaborate with Linux developers in a project to integrate HP hardware with Linux. She entered the open source field in 2007. She became an independent Linux contributor from 2011. She then worked at Samsung Glow for five years. She joined the Linux Foundation as a member of the Foundation in 2014 as the administrator of the K-Self Test, which was initiated by the Linux Foundation’s Technical Advisory Board.
The maintenance of the Linux kernel, which runs Linux, is associated with sensitive and security issues. A small mistake in the kernel code can lead to a major threat. Therefore, its maintenance and security are in the hands of only three people. This three-member team, along with developers from around the world… reviews kernel code updates submitted by companies according to their commercial interests… and oversees programs that benefit everyone who relies on Linux. Please read other posts also.
The ‘Linux Foundation’ was formed to provide salaries and legal protection to this team. This three-member team is called ‘Linux Foundation Fellows’. Major corporations that benefit from Linux join the foundation as members and… play a decisive role in the development of the kernel, providing financial and technical support. Thus, they do not have a monopoly on the Linux kernel… but only provide resources to review its development and security. That is, the Linux Foundation acts as an intermediary between kernel developers and corporate organizations. However, this foundation does not interfere in kernel affairs.
Linux Foundation Fellow… The highest honor in the open-source world. This membership is awarded in recognition of long-term service to the open source community, valuable software code, and leadership. The significance of this status is understood by the fact that only three people have received this fellow status in the Linux journey that began in 1991. All three of them work full-time directly on the development of the Linux kernel through the ‘Liners Foundation’. Shuah Khan is the first woman to be a Linux Foundation Fellow. More information about Shuah Khan is available online.
Shuah Khan has been a Linux Foundation Fellow since 2019, responsible for maintaining the quality of the Linux kernel. As a Linux kernel maintainer, she oversees subsystems such as the Linux Self-Test framework and the USB over IP driver, which are widely used in cloud computing. She was instrumental in creating the K-SELP test, which allows developers to ensure that their changes do not break the kernel, and in efforts to merge Android drivers into mainline Linux. Based on these, she was selected as a Linux Foundation Fellow based on her services to the open source community. “As part of my daily work, I review the code written by developers. Does it fit in with the existing system? Will it break the kernel? Does it meet the quality standards? I take decisions based on things like that. It is a role like a technical judge,” says Shuah Khan
Shuah Khan is also interested in nurturing young developers. She founded and leads the ‘Linux Foundation Membership Program’. Through this program, hundreds of new developers are being brought into the development of the kernel. There is an opportunity to participate remotely in this program. A stipend is also provided. Shuah is taking the initiative to make women play a more crucial role in the kernel community.
Talking about her experiences in the mentorship program, Shuah Khan said, “Some students are submitting code created by artificial intelligence. But during the code review, the original thinking and understanding behind it is lacking among the students. That is why after studying the basics in depth first… the necessary technology.