Ubuntu Linux Losing CTO

The very first person that I ever spoke with about Ubuntu was Matt Zimmerman.

Zimmerman happily helped a hapless journo (me) in IRC no less, when I first started to write about Ubuntu back in 2005. Ubuntu didn't have real PR at the time, but Zimmerman was there as CTO answering my questions without a PR/marketing filter, with exceptional clarity.

Last year (even with Ubuntu having real PR), I had lunch with Zimmerman in Boston, where we chatted about Unity and the future of Ubuntu.

Zimmerman is now leaving Ubuntu.

I for one am sad to see him go. Zimmerman has helped to lead Ubuntu's platform engineering efforts since the project's inception. He has been the voice of technical reason that has kept the project on track and delivering on its regular and predictable release cycle.

"Seven years on, the time is right for me to move on from this role, where I enjoy so much support from my colleagues, and take a risk on something new," Zimmerman blogged. "I intend to remain involved in the Ubuntu community, retaining my elected position on the governing Technical Board, and perhaps to make the occasional technical contribution as a volunteer."
 

It's unclear to me who will take Zimmerman's role, but the Ubuntu community is not short of talented, capable people.