# Hans Petter Selasky

> FreeBSD kernel developer

**Wikidata**: [Q121140918](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q121140918)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/hans-petter-selasky

## Summary
Hans Petter Selasky was a Norwegian programmer and software maintainer best known as a FreeBSD kernel developer. He worked on open-source operating system development and served as an IT consultant; his public presence included a personal website and a GitHub account (hselasky).

## Biography
- Born: 1982-05-15
- Nationality: Norway
- Known for: FreeBSD kernel development and software maintenance
- Employer(s): FreeBSD Project (as a kernel developer / contributor); independent IT consultant (occupation listed)
- Field(s): operating system kernel development, open-source software, IT consulting

## Contributions
Hans Petter Selasky was an active contributor to the FreeBSD project, identified publicly as a FreeBSD kernel developer and software maintainer. He maintained and contributed code to the FreeBSD kernel as part of the open-source FreeBSD community; his work was part of the ongoing development and stability efforts for that operating system. Selasky maintained a public software presence on GitHub under the username "hselasky," where he published and managed code related to his projects. He also maintained a personal website (https://www.selasky.org/) that served as a hub for his professional and technical work. Selasky appeared in the program for the Linux Audio Conference in 2015, and he is associated with contributions recorded under ResearchGate (contributions id 81999086). After his death on 2023-06-23, the FreeBSD community and others published remembrances, including an "In Memoriam" notice published 2023-07-20. His public identifiers include ISNI 0000000479949082, VIAF 174149294391780522491, and BIBSYS id 6092221.

## FAQs
### Q: Who was Hans Petter Selasky?
A: He was a Norwegian programmer and software maintainer best known as a FreeBSD kernel developer and an IT consultant.

### Q: When did Hans Petter Selasky live?
A: He was born on 15 May 1982 and died on 23 June 2023.

### Q: How did Hans Petter Selasky die?
A: His death was an accidental traffic collision; the manner of death is recorded as accidental.

### Q: Where can I find his work online?
A: His public website is https://www.selasky.org/ and his GitHub username is hselasky.

## Why They Matter
As an active FreeBSD kernel developer and maintainer, Hans Petter Selasky contributed to the development and upkeep of a major open-source operating system. Kernel developers play a central role in ensuring system reliability, hardware support, security updates, and performance improvements; as such, Selasky’s contributions supported the day-to-day operation and long-term maintenance of FreeBSD for users and downstream projects. His public code repositories and personal website provided access to his technical work, enabling reuse, review, and collaboration by other developers. Participation in community events (for example, appearing in the Linux Audio Conference program in 2015) shows engagement beyond code—sharing expertise with peers in related open-source and technical communities. The posthumous "In Memoriam" notice and community remembrances indicate he was a recognized member of the FreeBSD community whose absence is noted by peers. Without contributors like Selasky, the collective effort that sustains large open-source systems would be diminished, slowing fixes, new features, and cross-project collaboration.

## Notable For
- Recognized FreeBSD kernel developer and software maintainer within the FreeBSD community.
- Public code and project presence on GitHub under the username "hselasky."
- Maintained a professional website at https://www.selasky.org/ documenting his work.
- Appeared in the Linux Audio Conference program (2015) and listed as a piano player in related program materials.
- Identified in library and authority records: ISNI 0000000479949082; VIAF 174149294391780522491; BIBSYS id 6092221.

## Body

### Personal and identity data
- Full names / aliases:
  - Hans Petter William Sirevåg Selasky
  - Hans Petter Sirevaag Selasky
  - Hans Petter Sirevåg Selasky
- Given names: Hans, Petter, William
- Family name: Selasky
- Sex/Gender: male
- Languages: Norwegian, English
- Instrument: piano (listed in conference materials)
- Identifiers:
  - ISNI: 0000000479949082
  - VIAF: 174149294391780522491
  - BIBSYS id: 6092221
  - ResearchGate contributions id: 81999086
  - GitHub username: hselasky
- Website: https://www.selasky.org/ (English)

### Professional roles and occupations
- Occupation entries record him as a programmer, software maintainer, and IT consultant.
- Best-known role: FreeBSD kernel developer (listed as Wikidata description).
- Fields of activity included operating system kernel development, open-source software contributions, and IT consulting.

### Public contributions and presence
- FreeBSD: Identified as a kernel developer and maintainer contributing to the FreeBSD project. His work formed part of the community-maintained open-source operating system codebase.
- GitHub: Public code and repositories under the username "hselasky" for publishing and maintaining software.
- Website: Maintained a personal/professional website (selasky.org) used to present projects and information.
- Conference appearance: Listed in the Linux Audio Conference program (2015), with instrument listed as piano.

### Death and community recognition
- Death date: 23 June 2023.
- Death place: Lillesand, Norway.
- Cause/manner: traffic collision; accidental death.
- Community response: An "In Memoriam" notice and announcements were published in the FreeBSD community (example publication dated 20 July 2023, authored by Drew Gallatin).

### Miscellaneous records
- No formal education information is available in the provided material.
- No specific patented inventions, company founding, or individual paper titles are listed in the provided material.

## References

1. [In Memoriam: Hans Petter William Sirevåg Selasky. 2023](https://lists.freebsd.org/archives/freebsd-announce/2023-July/000076.html)
2. [Source](https://www.selasky.org/hans_petter/index_Obj5_00.html)
3. [Source](https://lac.linuxaudio.org/2015/speakers?uid=57)