Linux kernel development has seen its share of drama over the years, with heated debates and last-minute patch submissions stirring controversy. Recently, a set of RISC-V patches for the upcoming Linux 6.17 merge window hit a rough patch when Linus Torvalds rejected them due to timing and quality concerns.
The main issue was a helper function added in the patches, which Linus found confusing and made the code harder to read. He prefers simple and clear code instead. Additionally, some changes were made outside of the RISC-V parts, which Linus considered “garbage” and not relevant to the general Linux codebase.
RISC-V maintainer Palmer Dabbelt apologized for the late patches and promised to send them earlier in the future while keeping unrelated changes out. Linus gave Palmer another chance, suggesting he try again for the next release if the patches come in early and clean.
For those interested in learning more about this discussion, a mailing list thread related to these RISC-V patches can be found online. This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of timely and high-quality code submissions in maintaining the integrity of the Linux kernel.
Source: https://news.itsfoss.com/linux-kernel-risc-v-patches-dropped