VirtualBox SF Driver Ejected From The Linux 5.4 Kernel

[phoronix]

Phoronix: VirtualBox SF Driver Ejected From The Linux 5.4 Kernel

Merged to the mainline Linux kernel last week was a driver providing VirtualBox guest shared folder support with the driver up to now being out-of-tree but important for sharing files between the host and guest VM(s). While the driver was part of Linux 5.4-rc7, Linus Torvalds decided to delete this driver on Tuesday...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=VirtualBox-SF-Ejected-Linux-5.4

[smirky]

I was expecting a rant, but it turned out that it was just not pushed properly, at the right merge cycle. Oh well

[Sonadow]

I was expecting a rant

He would have so totally done that, were it still < 2015.

[cl333r]

I was expecting a rant, but it turned out that it was just not pushed properly, at the right merge cycle. Oh well

Me too, too bad Linus isn't like Alex Jones.

[Mike Frett]

Me too, too bad Linus isn't like Alex Jones.

Yeah. Linus isn't batsh*t crazy.

[slacka]

As much as I want this feature ASAP, Linus made the right call here.

[karolherbst]

Me too, too bad Linus isn't like Alex Jones.

s/too bad/but luckily/

[caligula]

Hm, so is this driver even compatible with the userspace part of the stack?

[NotMine999]

Who pushed this code to the kernel so late? Greg KH pull yet another stunt? Did a longtime Redhat Linux developer try to pull a fast one?

I wish whoever pushed this code to Linus would realize that Linux kernel development is not the place for: "It compiles this time! Ok, send it to Linus to merge it!"

You would think that the people responsible for pushing code to Linus understand the basics of kernel development:

• New code for the kernel goes through a review & approval process that can be time-consuming, but it's supposed to encourage better code quality.
• New code is supposed to be merged into a development tree with other new code in that major section of Linux, just to see how it all plays together.
• New code for the kernel should be pushed when the kernel "merge window" opens. Sometimes Linus allows later merges during RC0 and RC1, and sometimes not.
• Once new code has been merged during the "merge window", then it needs to be tested in the kernel with bugs supposedly getting fixed through multiple RC rounds.
• The new kernel is released when Linus is satisfied.

Hey! I don't write code for the kernel, but I think I understand the development process based on years of watching how it is supposed to work.

[NathanG]

Right call in a non ranting way, good call!