Alan Cox is a British programmer who became well-known among Linux enthusiasts for his contributions to the Linux kernel and for embodying the stereotype of the long-haired, bearded hacker-wizard often associated with programmer culture.

Cox first encountered Linux while working at Swansea University, where he installed an early version of the operating system. In a real-world environment with multiple networked computers and significant data traffic, Cox noticed numerous bugs. He fixed these by rewriting much of the networking code. From that point onward, he dedicated himself to the development of the Linux kernel.

For a significant period, Cox was considered the "second-in-command" of the Linux project, naturally behind Linus Torvalds. Despite his prominent status, in 2009, he had a disagreement with Torvalds and stepped down from his responsibilities within the project.

Cox worked at Red Hat for a decade and later at Intel until 2013, when he left everything to care for his ill wife, Telsa Gwynne, who passed away in 2015.