Torvalds gets tough on kernel coders

Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux and the maintainer of the development kernel, is cracking down on developers who add last-minute changes to the kernel.

The kernel development team recently set a policy that new features must be added to the next version of the kernel during the two weeks after the release of the previous version.

But James Bottomley, who currently maintains the code for SCSI support in the kernel, said Wednesday that he is finding it difficult to keep to the two-week merge window as contributors are leaving it to him to test whether their patches work with the rest of the system.

"That's a nice theory, except that it's my contributors who drop me in it by leaving their patch sets until you declare a kernel, dumping the integration testing on me in whatever time window is left," Bottomley wrote in a posting to the kernel mailing list.

Torvalds replied that Bottomley needs to get tough on his contributors.

"You tell them to stop it, and stop accepting their patches in that window, so that it's their code that gets delayed, not yours," he said in an e-mail.

Torvalds added that he plans to get tough on people who add things to the kernel too late.

"People always complain that I'm being too soft. Not so this time," Torvalds said.

"If people miss the merge window or start abusing it with hurried last-minute things that just cause problems for -rc1 (the first release candidate), I'll just refuse to merge, and laugh in their faces derisively when they whine plaintively at me, and tell them there's going to be a new opening soon enough," he said.

The latest release of the Linux kernel, version 2.6.14, was released almost a month late due to last-minute mistaken bug reports.

Ingrid Marson of ZDNet UK reported from London.

[Captain_Spock]

Linux is not "a nice theory" to me...

Heaven forbids that Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux and the maintainer of the development kernel, James Bottomley who currently maintains the code for SCSI support in the kernel et al - simultaneously experience a frontal lobotomy - what happens to the Linux Operating System and the OpenSources Community... since I am an OS/2 Warp Enthusiast this theoretical approach to Linux development is of minimal interest as an "Open OS/2 Warp" theoretical approach would; I suppose, generate a whole world of excitement within the computing industry in light of Microsoft's recently announced services push!

[Captain_Spock]

Besides...

... after years of financial and other support for the Linux development efforts the Windows Operating System (the half-brother of OS/2) as it is being reported commands over 90% of the world's desktop space, Microsoft's Windows OS is easier for the average user to install than Linux and produces a return on its investment to Microsoft. Not a very sound desktop computer business model it appears! Why not offer to "work" on the upgrade of the "OS/2 Kernel" for free also and increase the competitive pressure on the Windows "Desktop" Operating System!

[zaznet]

What do OS2 and MS Services have to do with Linux Kernel updates?

Nothing!

I'm not sure what kind of point you were trying to make. The best I can come up with is that you feel the Linux development would halt should Linus vanish from the scene for whatever reason. I doubt that would happen, he doesn't tend to create much of the code these days. Instead he just coordinates code being added to the kernel.

As for OS2, I doubt you will see it become Open Source any time soon. Though I would love to see that happen I think IBM has too many licensed portions of source code to make it happen even if they wildly wanted to.

[208774626618253979477959487856]

Go Linus GO!

Its time to get tough on these slackers :))
http://www.analogstereo.com/cassette_deck_alpine_mrd_m1000.htm

[nightveil]

Hmmm...

Sounds like Linus is starting to treat Linux like a business instead
of a hobby. Good on 'em.

[thenet411]

Cranky little brat...

Sounds like Linus lost his little blankie. While what he is doing is probably necessary, his rhetoric is making it sound like he is getting too big for his britches.

[R Me]

Just The Opposite

Sounds like to me that he is taking the cry baby developers blankets away and in a way telling them that the kernal is important in all its parts and thiers is not the most important.

[zaznet]

The developer impact

As stated by Linus, the next release won't be too far away. Any delay simply means a bit more stable kernel and more time for code contributors to kill bugs before throwing them into a release kernel. The downside is a couple extra weeks before support for the latest available patch code.

[System Tyrant]

One thing that never changes...

is the aragance of developers.

I like Linux and Open Source and I don't believe that Linus is an example of the spirit and community he helped create. However, I think he is trying to help make Linux the best it can be, but did he think it out. You have a community built on the idea of freedom and I think if you try to get tough on those guys (who are working for free) they are going to loose intrest in helping and just go away.

But, I don't know the whole story so it may be nothing like that at all.

[open-mind]

Crude and Unprofessional

Linus should try to be calm and classy like Steve Ballmer:

http://news.com.com/2100-1014-5846243.html?tag=tb

http://www.ntk.net/ballmer/mirrors.html

;-)