Google engineer's RISC-V code criticized as 'garbage' by Linus Torvalds, who also accuses the submission of making the world a worse place to live; Torvalds additionally expresses dissatisfaction with the engineer's tardiness in submissions.
In a recent development, Linus Torvalds, the creator and lead developer of Linux, has publicly rejected a RISC-V code contribution from a Google engineer. The rejection was due to two main issues: the late timing of the submission and poor code quality.
The RISC-V code, submitted as a pull request for inclusion in the Linux 6.17 kernel on Friday, arrived right before the merge window closed. This disrupted the development schedule and integration testing, as Torvalds was traveling and had requested early pull requests.
The code's quality was another point of contention. Torvalds called the code "garbage" and said it "actively makes the world a worse place to live." A particular helper function added to convert two unsigned 16-bit integers to a 32-bit integer was deemed "useless garbage" by Torvalds. He argued that it made the code harder to read and was unnecessary.
Moreover, this helper function and some other changes were placed in generic header files outside the RISC-V-specific codebase. This went against kernel development principles, as it introduced RISC-V specific logic into generic areas accessible to all architectures. Torvalds emphasized that this was unacceptable and that such "garbage" code should never be submitted—especially not late in the merge window.
Torvalds' response was not just a personal critique of the code’s quality but also a firm reminder about the importance of punctual, well-structured contributions in kernel development. He warned the developer to stop submitting late pull requests and to stop adding "garbage" outside the RISC-V tree.
The developer, Palmer Dabbelt, has since apologized for the late submission and promised to improve timing and ensure unrelated changes stay out next time.
The incident has sparked mixed reactions on social media. Some users argue that Torvalds' direct and unfiltered approach can be an efficient way to communicate, backed by reasoning and constructive comments. Others, however, believe that charm can be more effective than harshness, as suggested by the Italian proverb "Il mele catta più mosche, che non fà l'aceto."
For those interested in up-to-date tech news, Tom's Hardware offers a newsletter and can be followed on Google News for updates in their feeds. Torvalds has already advised the Google engineer to submit code early for Linux kernel 6.18.
Despite the public rejection, Torvalds did not attack anyone involved personally in his public broadcast. He focused on the issues at hand and provided examples of where the RISC-V pull request went astray. The phrase "random turd files" was used in a headline due to Torvalds' criticism of the RISC-V code, highlighting the need for high-quality, timely contributions in the Linux kernel development process.
Technology plays a crucial role inLinus Torvalds' critique of a RISC-V code contribution, as late and poorly written code can disrupt the development schedule, introduce unnecessary complications, and go against kernel development principles. High-quality, timely contributions are essential for a smooth and efficient Linux kernel development process.
