this post was submitted on 07 Feb 2025
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Following arguments on the Linux kernel mailing list the past few days over some Linux kernel maintainers being against the notion of Rust code in the mainline Linux kernel and trying to avoid it and very passionate views over the Linux kernel development process, Asahi Linux lead developer Hector Martin has removed himself from being an upstream maintainer of the ARM Apple code.

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[–] [email protected] 78 points 1 month ago (2 children)

It's really a bummer seeing how much childish drama is in the Linux dev community.

I am not nearly a good enough dev to contribute to the Linux kernel, but I am working my way towards that point currently at night after my kids are in bed. Be the change and what not.

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Unsurprising. You don't have to follow Hector Martin on social media for very long to learn that he's a petulant, indignant, self-righteous drama queen.

[–] [email protected] 58 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

I'm not going to deny that he can act aggressively, but his point is still valid. The anti-Rust sentiments of some maintainers has slowed down the upstreaming of Rust into the kernel. It doesn't make sense to waste people's time by letting R4L limp along in its current state.

R4L either needs to be given the go-ahead to get things upstreamed, to the dismay of some Linux maintainers who don't like Rust, or R4L should be killed and removed from the kernel so we can stop wasting people's time.

Personally, I think killing R4L would be a major mistake. Android's Linux fork with Rust support has been a major success for Google and significantly cut down on vulnerabilities. And the drivers for Apple's M chips has been surprisingly robust given how new they are and for being reverse engineered.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Sounds a lot like Linus Torvalds back in the day, just saying...

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[–] [email protected] 24 points 1 month ago

It seems a lot of new developers want to do some things differently; old guard devs can either make some compromises, or accept that fewer new devs will want to be part of upstream.

[–] [email protected] 103 points 1 month ago (3 children)

The anti Rust bullshit is gonna kill Linux's growth.

[–] [email protected] 46 points 1 month ago (1 children)

it seemed like the innocent(ish) holy wars of the past like emacs vs vi; but it's taken on a whole new destructive trajectory of its own and the old guard would rather see Linux ossify into irrelevancy rather than letting the next generation take over.

it reminds me of an old quote from a general to the effect of: if 5 americans survive a nuclear war and 4 russian survive; then we've won and it was worth it.

either that or it's like the technological equivalent of the the democratic leadership w disaffected democratic voters leading to defeat in this last election or an elderly driver whose grown children are trying to take away their keys before things get worse; all are refusing to acknowledge the writing on the wall because they think they still got it, but they don't.

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[–] [email protected] -4 points 1 month ago

Unless those old farts die first

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 month ago
[–] [email protected] 65 points 1 month ago

This news along with the news of WiFi driver maintainer stepping down, feels like there won't be any new blood in Linux kernel development except for corporate funded developers.

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