The creator of the freely available Linux operating system will join the Open Source Development Lab, a consortium designed to bring high-end features to the software.
Linus Torvalds, who will become an OSDL Fellow, will go to work full-time on future versions of Linux, such as its forthcoming 2.6 kernel, the OSDL said in a statement.
"It feels a bit strange to finally officially work on what I"ve been doing for the last twelve years, but with the upcoming 2.6.x release it makes sense to be able to concentrate fully on Linux," Torvalds said in a statement released by the consortium. "OSDL is the perfect setting for vendor-independent and neutral Linux development."
Torvalds will join OSDL on a leave from his position as a Transmeta technical fellow, where he has been working on research projects. Torvalds was originally hired to help the Santa Clara, Calif., chipmaker launch its Crusoe processor.
The transition for Torvalds comes at a tumultuous time for Linux. The operating system continues to ride a wave of popularity, especially among businesses, but it also has become embroiled in legal challenges from SCO Group. In the latest twist in the legal saga, SCO on Monday claimed in a $3 billion lawsuit against IBM that significant portions of the operating system use proprietary Unix code, violating SCO"s copyrights.