436
Phoronix: Linus Torvalds Comments On The Russian Linux Maintainers Being Delisted
(www.phoronix.com)
Huh. Lot of people Russian' to conclusions in this thread.
Sorry.
this post was submitted on 23 Oct 2024
436 points (97.6% liked)
Linux
48366 readers
1040 users here now
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
Rules
- Posts must be relevant to operating systems running the Linux kernel. GNU/Linux or otherwise.
- No misinformation
- No NSFW content
- No hate speech, bigotry, etc
Related Communities
Community icon by Alpár-Etele Méder, licensed under CC BY 3.0
founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
The comments under the article are a special kind of braindead.
Always is with Phoronix comments.
You find everything there from "Gnome is satanist" all the way up to pro-genocide crap.
I really don't know what it is about the site that brings out the craziest souch.
For half a second there, I was like "yeah, so glad Lemmy is more rational than that site".
Few comments later, folks be talking about "Ukranian Nazis"...
load more comments
(13 replies)
load more comments
(3 replies)
Yeah. Why is everyone saying this is removing their contribution credits? It's just a list of active maintainers...
This is not an unusual comment section on Phoronix, to put it mildly.
load more comments
(1 replies)
Linus has never been the best communicator, but he usually speaks the truth. But this is just bonkers and wrong. Not everyone living in Russia has "ties with Russia" other than "they were born there". If this is about sanctions, he could have still just told them that. But instead he just disrespected contributors completely and then double down in it by being xenophobic.
It's really disappointing seeing Russian contributors being disrespected like this, the regime that rules Russia wasn't entirely their fault, and allegiance, nationality, and ethnicity are all clearly different things
Also, wouldn't a state sponsored Russian hacker pretend to be from the US or something anyway? No way they'd contribute code as a Russian, that'd just increase others' suspicion
I agree with Linus a lot too but I strongly disagree here. I hope he's just being made to say this because of government policies
And the most dangerous part here is the whole rethoric of "if you disagree, you are a Russian shill".
load more comments
(3 replies)
I don't understand how sanctions can impact free software, tbh, what's free about this? This leaves a weird taste, I have to admit.
load more comments
(2 replies)
load more comments
(5 replies)
so are we okay with banning development time donated to foss because of nationality?
are these people found to support heinous shit or is this just wartime shenanigans?
load more comments
(10 replies)
As a finn, I understand that there are probably legal reasons for doing this.
I just wish they would be transparent and share those reasons with us. The Linux kernel is certainly not the only free software project that is impacted, if this comes straight from EU/US sanctions. Maintainers of other projects have a lot of interest in what is happening.
Transparency is also important because if EU/US policy/sanctions are causing issues for free software projects, then that discussion needs to be public, so that there is a chance to amend the policies if necessary.
load more comments
(9 replies)
Free as in... obeys US foreign policy
I'm pretty sure not just the US wants Russia sanctioned to the oblivion. All of the Europe that borders Russia wants that. Now why would it be like that?
load more comments
(1 replies)
load more comments
(2 replies)
Everyone who disagrees with me is a paid russian troll of course. Nobody would oppose blacklisting people based on nothing but their nationality unless they were getting paid for it.
load more comments
(16 replies)
We're gonna start seeing large open source communities start to break into smaller ones because of sanctions from now aren't we?
You don't need sanctions. I've seen you petty fucks fork projects over a font.
load more comments
(4 replies)
load more comments
(17 replies)
Wow, some real clown behavior from Linus.
Some old folk are reminded of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Export_of_cryptography_from_the_United_States
load more comments
(25 replies)
Is there a specific reason for this?
Yes, the sanctions against Russia, as mentioned by Linus. The change also said the maintainers "can come back in the future if sufficient documentation is provided".
My guess is that the Linux Foundation must ensure that none of the people they work with are in any way associated with any organisation, person or activity on the sanctions list. And that they preemptively removed all maintainers that might risk violating the sanctions while they work with them to establish whether they might be covered by the sanctions or not.
Regardless of what you or they think of the sanctions, they are the law, and I don't think anyone wants the Linux Foundation to have to spend their money on lawyers and fines because they had a maintainer who also worked on a research project funded by a sanctioned entity. (If that is how it works, IANAL)
load more comments
(5 replies)
load more comments
(130 replies)
Man, I wish he'd leave the communication to someone else. He is so, so bad at it. And this isn't the first time
The way he attacks critics puts himself in a bad light. But much more importantly, I read this and am still unsure if he has administrative/legal reason, security reasons or political reasons...
If I'd work in Russian propaganda, I'd love this so much. Hope this will not cause disruption in the community.
load more comments
(1 replies)
the comments on the article started off pretty good but pretty quickly devolved into a cancerous combination of NAFO and Hasbara.
Shame to see this shit from torvalds
I'd really like to see the criteria for delisting people, though. As Russia is not the only one waging wars, there are worse countries out there. I guess it all boils down to Linus being from Finland.
Yeah the kernel might end up being forked if this shit keeps going. Sanctions affecting open source software like this was not something I expected...
load more comments
(1 replies)
load more comments
(7 replies)
Shit like this is why I use the most generic yankee cowboy aliases online.
view more: next ›