Yuwei Lin, coming from Taiwan, is currently a PhD student at Science and Technology Studies Unit (SATSU), the University of York, UK. Her PhD research investigates the engagement of hackers in the dynamic software innovation systems. Ms. Lin also writes column articles for Taiwan Linuxer magazine, which is the top Chinese magazine introducing Linux and its peripheral environment.

In recent years, enthusiastic users of Linux have built a Linux community that is deepening and extending over time. Members of this community are keen to exchange information, to adapt scripts, to engage with software problems, and to repair software weaknesses. Similar concerns can be found among computer hackers. Indeed, members of the Linux community also declare an association with hacking. For example, Linus Torvalds has indicated that he is a hacker in his recent books. Richard Stallman also has several articles discussing the role of hackers. Such people have played a key role in the development of open source software and Linux, so their manifestos are worth noting. The development and maturing of hacking practice and open-source software has led to what I would like to argue is a 'pan-hacker culture'.

Crucially, from a socio-economic perspective, this not only offers an alternative engagement with the world of software, but also offers a quite different model of software innovation, contrasting strongly with that found in conventional computing. This paper will analyse the evolution of the pan-hacker culture and its impact on the development of the Linux community. In addition, an investigation of the engagement of users in Linux-related innovation will be involved.