Featured image: Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux.
A total of 11 Russian developers have been removed from the list of people who contributed to the programming of Linux Kernel, which is one of the most fundamental and emblematic free software operating systems, because these individuals are sanctioned by the US Department of the Treasury and US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and work for Russian companies.
“Some entries have been removed due to compliance with different requirements. They may reappear in the future if sufficient documentation is provided,” stated Greg Kroah-Hartman. With this brief statement, one of the main programmers of the Linux Kernel source code ran a “patch” that removed 11 programmers from the “MAINTAINERS” file, which is a list of people who have collaborated in the development of one of the main components of the free software world, considered an honor and a privilege in the world of programmers.
The 11 developers, apparently, are Russian or work for Russian companies. When the statement says that “different requirements must be met” they are referring to sanctions issued by the United States against Russia and Russian companies, as a result of the conflict with Ukraine.
Linux Kernel is the core for numerous free software operating systems, including the famous Debian, Ubuntu, or LinuxMint and derivative systems such as Android (which powers hundreds of millions of phones and tablets around the world) and Chromebook. Created 33 years ago by the Finnish programmer Linus Torvalds, Linux is part of the open-source revolution, a true rebellion of the programmers of the 1990s against the monopoly created by the multinational company Microsoft and many other defenders of so-called “proprietary software”.
On the OFAC list of the Treasury Department
James Bottomley, Linux developer, reported that “we (speaking on behalf of the Linux maintainers) received advice from the lawyers of the Linux Foundation. Employees of companies on the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control’s (OFAC) Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) list will have their collaborations ‘subject to restrictions’ and “cannot be listed in the MAINTAINERS file.”
In other words, those on the Treasury Department’s OFAC list or those who work for companies on that list cannot be listed as Linux maintainers. That is the same list used to sanction countries such as Venezuela, Iran, Nicaragua, or Cuba, and the list includes political leaders such as Diosdado Cabello and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
ARS Technica, a well-known technology news website, explains that “most of the programmers who were removed from the MAINTAINERS file work on developing drivers for hardware from Acer, Cirrus, and, in particular, Baikal, a chipmaker that attempted to develop Russian-designed ARM processors and filed for bankruptcy in 2023. The company is sanctioned by the United States.”
European Countries Are Cracking Down on Russian Tech Developers Under US Orders
Aftermath
One of the removed Russian developers, Serge Semin, whose GitHub profile indicates that he worked for the sanctioned Russian tech firm Baikal, wrote a lengthy farewell note to the Linux Kernel list, describing himself as a “volunteer and hobbyist.” He noted that in his seven years supporting the Linux community, he submitted 518 patches, reviewed another 253, and tested 80.
For now, all contributions submitted by these individuals will remain in the Linux source code. Another developer replied that it is unclear whether he will be allowed to submit new patches and contributions to Linux Kernel.
A patch is a piece of source code submitted by a programmer to fix a problem or add a new feature to Linux Kernel. Hardware drivers are programs that allow a specific device (a printer, microphone, monitor, etc.) to work properly with Linux.
Because of the way that free software works, many programmers often contribute to solving problems in the source code of applications, just as there are people who do the same on Wikipedia by writing or improving articles in their spare time. In both cases, this is voluntary work. Workers often participate in exchange for recognition and to gain experience within the community. In other cases, companies send drivers and contributions to Linux out of self-interest so that their devices work properly within any operating system that uses Linux.
Russia proposes independent Linux developer community
The Russian government responded by referring to the exclusion of Russian programmers as “an act of discrimination” and has pledged to establish an independent development community for the open-source operating system.
“We will strengthen cooperation and establish dialogue with those countries that are willing to work with us,” Russia’s Ministry of Digital Technologies wrote in a statement sent to local media, adding that they plan to build their own “alternative structure.”
The goal is to bring together developers from countries that are open to working with them on this project. “It is important to create conditions for cooperation which can help develop a unique product,” the ministry representative added. Leaders within the Linux project have not publicly commented on the Russian statement.
“Currently, there is no information on whether Russia is in talks with other countries, but my speculation is that they might approach the BRICS members before any others,” said Sourav Rudra, a columnist for the website ItsFoss.com, a well-known source for programming news.
Vladimir Slinko, an expert at the US-sanctioned Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky, said in an interview with Russian outlet RBK that it will be difficult for Russian companies that have previously contributed to Linux, as their changes might not be accepted. He also fears that in the future, patches from Russian developers might be viewed with suspicion, further complicating Russian contributions to the Linux Kernel.
Linus Torvalds responds aggressively… again
The response from Linux creator Linus Torvalds has been controversial and aggressive but hardly surprising. “There are a lot of Russian trolls everywhere,” he wrote in a message, referring to “trolls” as provocateurs or people paid to stir up trouble. He wrote: “It is completely clear why the change was made” and noted that “Russian troll factories” will not reverse it. He also stated that “the ‘various compliance requirements’ are not just a US thing.”
Torvalds refused to reverse the changes and re-include the eleven Russian programmers: “Use the mush you call brains. I am Finnish. Do you think I am going to support Russian aggression? Apparently, it is not just a lack of real news, it is also a lack of knowledge of history,” Torvalds wrote before signing off. He later wrote that he “will not discuss legal issues with random people on the internet,” who he suspects “are paid actors and/or have been irritated by them.”
Many Finnish people have a grudge against Russia for past events, particularly the Winter War and the Continuation War of 1939 between the two countries, as well as World War II, in which the Finnish fought on the side of the Nazi Axis. After losing, Finland ceded more than 10% of its territory to Russia. Finland is currently a member of NATO.
Torvalds, for his part, has always been less than exemplary in the way he writes and handles himself on mailing lists, where in the past, he has mistreated other programmers for not doing things the way he tells them or for not following the rules. “Kill yourself, the world will be a better place” or “this is not a cock-sucking contest” are characteristic comments from the creator of Linux, who, in 2018, had to step aside and stop writing for several months due to the strong criticism he received for mistreatment of others.
Free software emerged as an alternative to the large capitalist software companies, which denied programmers and users the right to review the source code of applications and forced users to pay for the slightest change. However, the fact that the free software world depends so much on US companies has always been a cause for discussion, because they must comply with the laws of this country.
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/BR/SL
