“Take away some entries attributable to numerous compliance necessities. They’ll come again sooner or later if enough documentation is offered.”
That two-line comment, submitted by main Linux kernel maintainer Greg Kroah-Hartman, accompanied a patch that eliminated a couple of dozen names from the kernle’s MAINTAINERS file. “Some entries” notably had both Russian names or .ru e mail addresses. “Varied compliance necessities” was, on this case, sanctions in opposition to Russia and Russian firms, stemming from that nation’s invasion of Ukraine.
This merge didn’t go unnoticed. Replies on the kernel mailing listing requested about this “very imprecise” patch. Kernel developer James Bottomley wrote that “we” (seemingly talking for Linux maintainers) had “precise recommendation” from Linux Basis counsel. Workers of firms on the Treasury Division’s Workplace of International Belongings Management listing of Specifically Designated Nationals and Blocked Individuals (OFAC SDN), or linked to them, may have their collaborations “topic to restrictions,” and “can’t be within the MAINTAINERS file.” “Enough documentation” would imply proof that somebody doesn’t work for an OFAC SDN entity, Bottomley wrote.
There adopted quite a lot of messages questioning the legitimacy, suddenness, doubtlessly US-forced, and non-reviewed nature of the commit, together with broader questions concerning the separation of open supply code from worldwide politics. Linux creator Linus Torvalds entered the thread with, “Okay, a number of Russian trolls out and about.” He wrote: “It is solely clear why the change was executed” and famous that “Russian troll factories” is not going to revert it and that “the ‘numerous compliance necessities’ should not only a US factor.
