“Take away some entries because of numerous compliance necessities. They will come again sooner or later if adequate documentation is supplied.”
That two-line comment, submitted by main Linux kernel maintainer Greg Kroah-Hartman, accompanied a patch that eliminated a couple of dozen names from the kernle’s MAINTAINERS file. “Some entries” notably had both Russian names or .ru e-mail addresses. “Numerous compliance necessities” was, on this case, sanctions in opposition to Russia and Russian corporations, stemming from that nation’s invasion of Ukraine.
This merge didn’t go unnoticed. Replies on the kernel mailing record requested about this “very obscure” patch. Kernel developer James Bottomley wrote that “we” (seemingly talking for Linux maintainers) had “precise recommendation” from Linux Basis counsel. Workers of corporations on the Treasury Division’s Workplace of Overseas Belongings Management record of Specifically Designated Nationals and Blocked Individuals (OFAC SDN), or related to them, may have their collaborations “topic to restrictions,” and “can’t be within the MAINTAINERS file.” “Ample documentation” would imply proof that somebody doesn’t work for an OFAC SDN entity, Bottomley wrote.
There adopted a variety of messages questioning the legitimacy, suddenness, doubtlessly US-forced, and non-reviewed nature of the commit, together with broader questions in regards to the separation of open supply code from worldwide politics. Linux creator Linus Torvalds entered the thread with, “Okay, a lot of Russian trolls out and about.” He wrote: “It is fully clear why the change was accomplished” and famous that “Russian troll factories” is not going to revert it and that “the ‘numerous compliance necessities’ are usually not only a US factor.