A Fiery Warning from the Linux Maestro

Linus Torvalds, the legendary creator of Linux, is not known for holding back his opinions, especially when it comes to the quality of kernel contributions. Recently, he issued a stern warning to his fellow kernel developers while preparing for the upcoming merge window for version 6.17. With various family commitments scattered across the globe, including a wedding and significant birthday celebrations, Torvalds made it clear: the timeline would be tight, and he expected nothing but the best.

A Risky Move by Meta's Palmer Dabbelt

Despite the warning, Palmer Dabbelt, a software engineer at Meta, chose to submit a set of RISC-V patches late. Acknowledging his timing, he realized he might be crossing a line, but he likely didn't anticipate the furious backlash that followed.

Torvalds' Unfiltered Fury

Torvalds took to the Linux Kernel Mailing List (LKML) to unleash his displeasure: "This is garbage and it came in too late. I asked for early pull requests because I'm traveling, and if you can't follow that rule, at least make the pull requests good." His comments escalated sharply from there.

Attacking Subpar Code Design

His critique didn’t just stop at the timing; he lashed out at the patch’s substance. He expressed frustration over the inclusion of nonsensical additions that weren’t specific to RISC-V but were instead slotted into generic header files. Torvalds lamented the implications of such coding decisions, warning, "This adds various garbage that isn't RISC-V specific to generic header files. This is stuff that nobody should ever send me. It's useless garbage that makes any user incomprehensible and actively worse than not using that stupid 'helper.'"

Torvalds Stresses the Bigger Picture

Not one to mince words, Torvalds emphasized that such carelessness in coding could harm not only the RISC-V community but Linux users at large: "You just made things WORSE... You're on notice: no more late pull requests, and no more garbage outside the RISC-V tree." His message was clear—quality control is paramount.

The New, Softer Torvalds?

Interestingly, this episode reveals a different side to Torvalds. Known for his past outbursts that often included cursing and harsh criticisms, he embarked on a journey of self-improvement in 2018. After taking a break to reflect on his behavior, he returned with a focus on fostering a more respectful dialogue among developers. Yet, his high standards remain intact, underscoring his relentless dedication to perfection.

What Lies Ahead for RISC-V Contributions?

As the dust settles from this latest controversy, it’s clear that Dabbelt's late submission will require re-evaluation. Future RISC-V contributions will need to meet Torvalds' stringent criteria to even see the light of day. The message is loud and clear: best prepare early, and leave the 'garbage' behind if you hope to contribute meaningfully.