Re: linux: Goodbye from a Linux community volunteer

Jiaxun Yang
2024-10-24T11:02:23Z

在2024年10月24日十月 上午5:27，Serge Semin写道：
> Hello Linux-kernel community,
>
> I am sure you have already heard the news caused by the recent Greg' commit
> 6e90b675cf942e ("MAINTAINERS: Remove some entries due to various compliance
> requirements."). As you may have noticed the change concerned some of the
> Ru-related developers removal from the list of the official kernel maintainers,
> including me.
>
> The community members rightly noted that the _quite_ short commit log contained
> very vague terms with no explicit change justification. No matter how hard I
> tried to get more details about the reason, alas the senior maintainer I was
> discussing the matter with haven't given an explanation to what compliance
> requirements that was. I won't cite the exact emails text since it was a private
> messaging, but the key words are "sanctions", "sorry", "nothing I can do", "talk
> to your (company) lawyer"... I can't say for all the guys affected by the
> change, but my work for the community has been purely _volunteer_ for more than
> a year now (and less than half of it had been payable before that). For that
> reason I have no any (company) lawyer to talk to, and honestly after the way the
> patch has been merged in I don't really want to now. Silently, behind everyone's
> back, _bypassing_ the standard patch-review process, with no affected
> developers/subsystem notified - it's indeed the worse way to do what has been
> done. No gratitude, no credits to the developers for all these years of the
> devoted work for the community. No matter the reason of the situation but
> haven't we deserved more than that? Adding to the GREDITS file at least, no?..
>
> I can't believe the kernel senior maintainers didn't consider that the
> patch
> wouldn't go unnoticed, and the situation might get out of control with
> unpredictable results for the community, if not straight away then in
> the middle
> or long term perspective. I am sure there have been plenty ways to
> solve the
> problem less harmfully, but they decided to take the easiest path. Alas
> what's
> done is done. A bifurcation point slightly initiated a year ago has
> just been
> fully implemented. The reason of the situation is obviously in the
> political
> ground which in this case surely shatters a basement the community has
> been built
> on in the first place. If so then God knows what might be next (who
> else might
> be sanctioned...), but the implemented move clearly sends a bad signal
> to the
> Linux community new comers, to the already working volunteers and
> hobbyists like
> me.

Hi Serge,

I was shocked by the way senior maintainers handle that patch when people put it
under my radar. Then I scroll down it and see all those familiar names including
Sergey Shtylyov and you...

This is certainly not the way things should be done. Even if legal requirements
necessitate the action, there are far better ways to handle it. Instead, the most
absurd and shameful option has been chosen.

It's deeply disappointing to me that, when doubts were raised about the process,
Linus resorted to personal attacks rather than addressing our concerns. As a hobbyist
driven by the ideals of free software, with Linus as a role model, I now find myself
questioning my own beliefs.

Where are we going? Where should we go?

>
[...]
>
> Paul, Thomas, Arnd, Jiaxun, we met several times in the mailing list during my
> MIPS P5600 patches and just generic MIPS patches review. It was always a
> pleasure to discuss the matters with such brilliant experts in the field. Alas
> I've spent too much time working on the patches for another subsystems and
> failed to submit all the MIPS-related bits. Sorry I didn't keep my promise, but
> as you can see the circumstances have suddenly drawn its own deadline.

Thank you, Serge. It's always a pleasure working with you. Your professionalism has
been truly impressive, and our discussions were consistently constructive. I
especially appreciate how your bug reports and review comments are always backed by
detailed reasoning, it really stood out to me.

You'll be missed. I'll see what I can do here for your work on MIPS.

>
[...]
>
> Hope we'll meet someday in more pleasant circumstances and drink a
> couple or more beers together. But now it's time to say good bye.
> Sorry for a long-read text. I wish good luck on your Linux-way.

I'm happy to have a pint with you if we can meet someday.

For now, take care.

Thanks
>
> Best Regards,
> -Serge(y)

--
- Jiaxun