linux: Goodbye from a Linux community volunteer
lore.kernel.org

Official statement regarding recent Greg’ commit 6e90b675cf942e from Serge Semin

Hello Linux-kernel community,

I am sure you have already heard the news caused by the recent Greg’ commit 6e90b675cf942e (“MAINTAINERS: Remove some entries due to various compliance requirements.”). As you may have noticed the change concerned some of the Ru-related developers removal from the list of the official kernel maintainers, including me.

The community members rightly noted that the quite short commit log contained very vague terms with no explicit change justification. No matter how hard I tried to get more details about the reason, alas the senior maintainer I was discussing the matter with haven’t given an explanation to what compliance requirements that was. I won’t cite the exact emails text since it was a private messaging, but the key words are “sanctions”, “sorry”, “nothing I can do”, “talk to your (company) lawyer”… I can’t say for all the guys affected by the change, but my work for the community has been purely volunteer for more than a year now (and less than half of it had been payable before that). For that reason I have no any (company) lawyer to talk to, and honestly after the way the patch has been merged in I don’t really want to now. Silently, behind everyone’s back, bypassing the standard patch-review process, with no affected developers/subsystem notified - it’s indeed the worse way to do what has been done. No gratitude, no credits to the developers for all these years of the devoted work for the community. No matter the reason of the situation but haven’t we deserved more than that? Adding to the GREDITS file at least, no?..

I can’t believe the kernel senior maintainers didn’t consider that the patch wouldn’t go unnoticed, and the situation might get out of control with unpredictable results for the community, if not straight away then in the middle or long term perspective. I am sure there have been plenty ways to solve the problem less harmfully, but they decided to take the easiest path. Alas what’s done is done. A bifurcation point slightly initiated a year ago has just been fully implemented. The reason of the situation is obviously in the political ground which in this case surely shatters a basement the community has been built on in the first place. If so then God knows what might be next (who else might be sanctioned…), but the implemented move clearly sends a bad signal to the Linux community new comers, to the already working volunteers and hobbyists like me.

Thus even if it was still possible for me to send patches or perform some reviews, after what has been done my motivation to do that as a volunteer has simply vanished. (I might be doing a commercial upstreaming in future though). But before saying goodbye I’d like to express my gratitude to all the community members I have been lucky to work with during all these years.

  • GBU_28English
    3·
    3 hours ago

    Hmm in general this is an interesting comment, but claiming someone in Russia who doesn’t stand against Putin is “complicit” in the war is rough. Putin’s regime has a long track record of violence against political enemies. Including their family and associates. This is at a level most westerns can’t comprehend, as we’ve never experienced it. For them to stand up as you hope they would could possibly be the last public thing they ever do. I’ve commented on this platform that I think what Israel is doing is genocide, and that it is disgusting that the US hasn’t stopped arms shipments. But I can do that because I’m fortunate to live in a place where there isn’t going to be a knock on my door for my opinion.

    I do think it’s fair to note the salt from OP, and that is unfortunate. their direct line of argument between Russia and israel is also jink. As you say they are widely differnt conflicts. But it would be better they didn’t post at all, because I believe they can’t truly provide a response that would satisfy…their safety is in question if they do so.

    Be clear: I’m in no way apologizing for Russia. I also think sanctions against Russia, and the removal of Russian Linux contributors is a sound move.

    Edit edit I just learned about the contributor’s work at a Russian defense contractor. If that is true it significantly colors thier position and may make my point about silence for safety more fraught.