Behold, a Linux maintainer openly admitting to attempting to sabotage the entire Rust for Linux project:
https://lwn.net/ml/all/[email protected]/
The good news is this doesn’t affect drm/asahi, our GPU driver. The bad news is it does affect all the other drivers we’re (re)writing in Rust, two so far with a third one coming.
Another choice quote, calling R4L “cancer”: https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/[email protected]/
Personally, I would consider this grounds for removal of Christoph from the Linux project on Code of Conduct violation grounds, but sadly I doubt much will happen other than draining a lot of people’s energy and will to continue the project until Linus says “fuck you” or something.
As for how to move forward, if I were one of the Rust maintainers, I would just merge the patch (which does not touch code formally maintained by the dissenter). Either Linus takes the pull, and whatever Christoph says is irrelevant, or he doesn’t, and R4L dies. Everything else is a waste of everyone’s time and energy.
Edit: Sent in my 2 cents: https://lore.kernel.org/rust-for-linux/[email protected]/T/#m1944b6d485070970e359bbc7baa71b04c86a30af
…look man, I’m going to say this as simply as possible because you keep mischaracterizing or misunderstanding a lot of what I say. I’m not making any claims about kernel policy, full stop. I never did.
I’m not saying his behavior is justified in regards to calling rust a cancer, I’m just saying that he is making a legitimate technical complaint, regardless of his motives…and EVEN if he wasn’t, name calling is unproductive.
C is high level ASM, Linus has said that as a quote, I personally agree with it having written both, it’s an opinion, not a statement of fact, you can disagree all you like but the fact that some kernel maintainers share the opinion is a valid point to bring up in this conversation about multiple languages causing a divide. I will find the source for his quote if that will satisfy you.
Lastly, the point I’m trying and failing to make is the kernel is 1% ASM, rust when fully brought into the kernel will comprise far more than 1%, additionally it is FAR more different to C than ASM is regardless of your opinions on the C is high level ASM statement. It WILL create a language barrier, the question is how significant will that be. The ASM is a small minority of kernel code, rust won’t be.