Torvalds dumps Kernel.org for Github after breach

Linus Torvalds has released the most current build of Linux 3.1 via Github, rather than use kernel.org, which is still experiencing downtime.

Torvalds said in a post to LKLM.org that the move was simply a way to put the new code out there, rather than an indictment of the situation at kernel.org, which is still suffering after attackers gained root access to its servers using the Phalanx self-injecting rootkit.

The intrusion wasn’t detected for 17 days and is thought to have infected the systems of senior team members, with users being advised to change their passwords and update SSH keys.

“Master.kernel.org is still down, and there really hasn't been a ton of development going on, so I considered just skipping a week,” Torvalds said.

“But hey, the whole point (well, *one* of the points) of distributed development is that no single place is really any different from any other, so since I did a github account for my divelog thing, why not see how well it holds up to me just putting my whole kernel repo there too?”

Some users may be confused by the new setup, he said, but those who want to check can confirm his signed tags on the site before downloading. That said, there hasn’t been much development on the kernel itself, although dive logs are getting a brush up.

Meanwhile, kernel.org is doing a complete check for any stray malware that may be left on systems around the world, and a full investigation into what happened is ongoing. Torvalds didn’t rule out going back to kernel.org for distribution once the problems are sorted.