Several Linux Kernel Driver Maintainers Removed Due To Their Association To Russia

[caspiot]

Good. I'm grateful this has been done.

[avis]

People generally dislike ChatGPT and the likes but here is its take on the situation:

Assessment of the Situation


The removal of several Russian Linux kernel maintainers from the Linux kernel MAINTAINERS file, especially without an explicit rationale in the merge request, raises multiple questions about ethics, technical merit, and geopolitical factors.

1. Technical Impact: The Linux kernel development process is built on meritocracy and contribution quality, which are the core principles of the open-source community. Historically, maintainers are chosen based on their technical expertise, long-term contributions, and commitment to the project. Removing maintainers based solely on their nationality or geopolitical events undermines these values and risks reducing the diversity and technical strength of the project. If these maintainers have been critical to parts of the kernel, their removal could create gaps in the project's oversight and support.
2. Geopolitical Influence: While the reasons for the removal are not stated, the context (i.e., the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war) strongly suggests that it could be related to political or social pressure. The international tech community, like many industries, has seen sanctions, boycotts, and restrictions placed on Russia since the war began. If this decision is politically motivated, it could signal a shift in how open-source projects handle geopolitical issues, potentially setting a precedent for further actions based on external conflicts rather than technical considerations.
3. Justification: Whether or not the action is justified depends on one's viewpoint. From a purely technical perspective, removing contributors based on nationality or external conflicts is hard to justify. However, if there are concerns about security, compliance with sanctions, or project governance issues related to Russia’s involvement in the war, those may warrant a more nuanced approach. Unfortunately, the lack of clear reasoning in the merge request makes it difficult to assess the justification fully.
4. Should This Have Been Done Earlier?: If the motivation for removing the maintainers stems from compliance with sanctions or concerns over security (such as potential state-influenced contributions), there could have been an argument for earlier action. However, without an explicit rationale, it’s hard to determine if the delay was due to internal discussions, political neutrality, or hesitance to set a controversial precedent.
5. Potential Motives:
   • Legal and Compliance Reasons: Many countries and organizations are bound by sanctions, and in some cases, open-source projects might feel pressured to comply to avoid legal or financial repercussions.
   • Reputation Management: The Linux Foundation and other major organizations might seek to distance themselves from contributors associated with a country involved in a controversial war to avoid backlash.
   • Community Disagreements: Internal disagreements or pressure from other contributors or organizations might have influenced the decision, especially if they felt uncomfortable working alongside maintainers from Russia given the geopolitical context.

Conclusion


The removal of Russian maintainers without a clear explanation sets a concerning precedent in the open-source world, where contribution quality has traditionally been the main criterion for involvement. If this action is due to political or legal pressure, transparency should be prioritized so that the community can understand the reasons and discuss whether this aligns with the values of the project. While security and compliance are important, care must be taken to avoid politicizing open-source contributions unnecessarily.

Actually I couldn't have said it better.

[Quackdoc]

Regardless of why this is happening, pressure legal reasons from countries maintainers live in, or virtue signalling, this is dumb, and hurts linux. I hope this is reverted as soon as possible, and I do have to question just how this has come about with practically radio silence on the matter. though maybe I just missed the mail.

[mphuZ]

However, I'm not a fan of people being kicked out just based on nationality.

You're 2 years late.

The first bell rang when, according to all the rules of the free market, in the name of democracy and other things, the US government banned Android/Google services on Huawei devices.
Today, people are getting rid of on a national basis. What's the motive? Highly likely (Oh, not that..). Various compliance requirements

[StarterX4]

Russia very quickly became North Korea like in this sense, so it's completely not surprising. I.e. imagine North Korea having kernel maintainers? Same thing here. They probably see it as a matter of security. I.e. how are they to differentiate between fascist state controlling things or independent maintainers?

As if there was no bad actors in the west 🤷♂️
Just check the commits before pushing. Especially from those who are mildly suspicious. No need to ban anyone basing on their country.

imagine North Korea having kernel maintainers?

Would be interesting. I believe they would be pushing things just for their own hardware. If they had any.

[marccollin]

government politic is now done in the kernel linux...

Linux Kernel Driver Maintainers Removed Due To Their Association To israel is not done?

[avis]

so AI is smarter than you.

ADHD is not conducive to thinking broadly about such issues. And yep, I believe ChatGPT is smarter than the vast majority of people on this planet though scientists actually doubt if it it's intelligent at all. Let's not talk about AI in this topic. There are better avenues for that. Thank you.

[sverris]

If there is actual evidence that a certain kernel maintainer has been doing something fishy then kick him out, no problem.
However, I'm not a fan of people being kicked out just based on nationality.

Article sounds a bit strange to me. So far there seems to be no actual evidence that someone was kicked because of nationality.

[alexenv]

There are still Russian maintainers in the kernel and the commit message literally says that "They can come back in the future if sufficient documentation is provided.".

[mphuZ]

Then they cry about lack of maintainers...

I think the Berkeley Department of Gender & Women's will provide new ideological maintainers.