“Take away some entries resulting from numerous compliance necessities. They will come again sooner or later if enough documentation is supplied.”
That two-line remark, 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. “Numerous compliance necessities” was, on this case, sanctions towards Russia and Russian firms, stemming from that nation’s invasion of Ukraine.
This merge didn’t go unnoticed. Replies on the kernel mailing record requested about this “very obscure” 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 Overseas Belongings Management record 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 various messages questioning the legitimacy, suddenness, probably 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, plenty of Russian trolls out and about.” He wrote: “It is completely clear why the change was accomplished” and famous that “Russian troll factories” won’t revert it and that “the ‘numerous compliance necessities’ aren’t only a US factor.
