this post was submitted on 24 Oct 2024

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Goodbye from a Linux community volunteer (lore.kernel.org)

submitted 1 day ago by 0x4E4F@infosec.pub to c/linux@lemmy.ml

147 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Official statement regarding recent Greg' commit 6e90b675cf942e from Serge Semin

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.

Thus even if it was still possible for me to send patches or perform some reviews, after what has been done my motivation to do that as a volunteer has simply vanished. (I might be doing a commercial upstreaming in future though). But before saying goodbye I'd like to express my gratitude to all the community members I have been lucky to work with during all these years.

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[–] Peck@lemmy.world 1 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

I hope that this will cause Russia and aligned countries to switch and invest into one of BSD variants. Probably won't happen, but there is hope.

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[–] kbal@fedia.io 153 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Later in that thread:

Please accept all of our apologies for the way this was handled. A summary of the legal advice the kernel is operating under is

If your company is on the U.S. OFAC SDN lists, subject to an OFAC sanctions program, or owned/controlled by a company on the list, our ability to collaborate with you will be subject to restrictions, and you cannot be in the MAINTAINERS file.

Anyone who wishes to can query the list here: https://sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov/

[–] schizo@forum.uncomfortable.business 113 points 1 day ago (15 children)

Which is exactly what anyone who wasn't wanting to just snort some concentrated outrage knew was the case.

And you can argue as to if OFAC list should apply to things like this or not, but the problem is that the enforcement options for OFAC violations include 'stomp you into the ground until you're powder', most people are just going to comply.

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[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 20 points 1 day ago (9 children)

But folks who work for US companies building weapons for Israel are totes okay?

It's honestly fucking wild that an internationally developed open source project has to play by the US government's rules when the US government is out here helping commit genocide right the fuck now.

Like, look in the fucking mirror on this why don't you.

Maybe the better rule is that if you work for a company that produces weaponry for war you shouldn't be allowed to contribute, period.

[–] SplashJackson@lemmy.ca 1 points 12 hours ago

You want the World Bank to bail out your economy post-pandemic, you gotta accede to some tough demands

[–] Orygin@sh.itjust.works 48 points 1 day ago

Wow, I didn't know that being a Linux/open source contributor meant you don't have to follow your country's laws.

It's developed internationally but devs still reside somewhere and have to abide by the rules at that place. Linux in this case being represented by an US entity means they have to follow the gov's sanctions. If you want more or less of those, that's where (the government) you act.

[–] 0x4E4F@infosec.pub 8 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Maybe the better rule is that if you work for a company that produces weaponry for war you shouldn't be allowed to contribute, period.

This is something I can actually get behind on.

But, you see, there is just one teeency weeency tiny problem with that. They spend trucks of cash on whatever they deem will give them what they want, including funding organizations that they profit from.

[–] kbal@fedia.io 25 points 1 day ago (15 children)

You may be amazed to learn that there aren't many international sanctions against the USA at this time, but I imagine you could probably get into legal trouble for collaborating with Americans if you're in, I don't know, North Korea maybe.

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[–] Omega_Jimes@lemmy.ca 59 points 1 day ago (3 children)

It sucks if well meaning people are caught up in this, but it also sucks if you're living in the aggressor state of an ongoing war.

[–] x00z@lemmy.world 6 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

These people allegedly work for companies that work for the Russian war machine. They will regain privileges if they don't work for them. So if they find a moral job, they'll be treated morally.

[–] whodoctor11@lemmy.ml -2 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago) (1 children)

No. These people have a .ru mail address. This is the only reason.

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[–] matcha_addict@lemy.lol 28 points 1 day ago (11 children)

So shouldn't this also include the US and the many countries (most of Western Europe, plus others) involved in coalitions bombing the middle east and elsewhere?

[–] Omega_Jimes@lemmy.ca 15 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Yes, if the issue was a moral one. This issue, however, is a legal one.

[–] TheOubliette@lemmy.ml 12 points 22 hours ago

Then it isn't about living in an aggressor state, is it?

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[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 26 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Yeah must suck to live in Israel.

[–] nialv7@lemmy.world 8 points 20 hours ago

Not as much as living in Palestine or Ukraine.

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[–] Korkki@lemmy.world 43 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Are they legally bound to follow any sanction list in their dealings? If so Linux foundation should consider move out of the US jurisdiction, because the santion load is just going to increase and more countries will be included.

If they are just doing this because of a political fad and partaking "the current thing" then they are just voluntarily digging their own and the linux foundation's grave.

[–] freeman@sh.itjust.works 7 points 18 hours ago

Linus chose to move to the US as well to become a US citizen.

To be fair he never claimed to be an idealist.

Also he is anti Russian himself as he made clear in his first comment in the thread. So being forced to remove them is probably a bonus for him.

[–] 0x4E4F@infosec.pub 14 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

because the santion load is just going to increase and more countries will be included.

Not to mention more stupid shit, like not being able to visit the US if your wife is Russian, cuz.. you know, she might be a spy.

If they are just doing this because of a political fad and partaking "the current thing" then they are just voluntarily digging their own and the linux foundation's grave.

My 2 cents. Nobody is asking them to do anything... yet... and they probably never will, but... they're scared shitless and they would rather comply, even for things no one is asking of them yet and is dubious whether or not they're even covered by the sanctions, than show some backbone.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone -1 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago) (1 children)

Here's an idea: don't invade sovereign nations unprovoked.

(Can't wait for the inevitable "whatabout America?!" reply. Yes, America is shit too and we deserved to be punished for Iraq... Unfortunately there wasn't really any international authority that could do it)

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[–] nialv7@lemmy.world 3 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago) (1 children)

Where should they move to? Countries that aren't sanctioning Russia right now are likely to be... problematic? in other ways. But I am also pretty ignorant about which countries are on that list, and I would like to know more.

Maybe they need to become pirates on international water...

[–] vfreire85@lemmy.ml 1 points 10 hours ago

there are a number of countries that are neutral and unlikely to sanction anyone else, though one might argue about their democratic credentials, with a minor or major stretch. brazil, mexico, chile, colombia, costa rica, uruguay (just to name a few in latin america), andorra, malta, san marino, india, south africa...

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