Linus Torvalds calls RISC-V code from Google engineer 'garbage' and says it 'makes the world actively a worse place to live' — Linux honcho puts dev on notice for late submissions, too - Tom's Hardware

Abstract

Linux creator Linus Torvalds issued a scathing criticism of RISC-V code submitted by a Google engineer, famously calling the contribution "garbage" and deeply flawed in terms of engineering quality. The condemnation centered on the poor standards of the code intended for the Linux kernel's RISC-V architecture support. Furthermore, Torvalds placed the developer on notice concerning chronically late code submissions, emphasizing strict adherence to process and quality.

Report

Key Highlights

• Linux creator Linus Torvalds publicly and harshly criticized RISC-V-related code submitted to the Linux kernel.
• The submission originated from an engineer working at Google.
• Torvalds utilized extreme language, calling the code "garbage" and suggesting it actively degrades the development environment due to its poor quality.
• The controversy also involved a firm warning regarding the engineer’s practice of consistently late code submissions, addressing both quality and process control.

Technical Details

• Architecture Focus: The criticized patches were intended to enhance or update support for the RISC-V instruction set architecture (ISA) within the core Linux kernel.
• Core Issue: The technical details revolve around non-adherence to established Linux kernel coding standards and best practices, resulting in code deemed inefficient, unstable, or poorly engineered, which Torvalds described as fundamentally broken.
• Context: The incident occurred during the ongoing effort to integrate stable and robust support for the emerging RISC-V architecture into the main kernel branch.

Implications

• Quality Control: The event serves as a significant public reminder that the Linux kernel maintains extremely high standards for code quality and that contributor affiliation (even from major entities like Google) does not grant immunity from scrutiny.
• RISC-V Maturity: As RISC-V adoption grows, the incident highlights the critical necessity for meticulous, high-quality kernel contributions to ensure its reliable and stable operation in production and enterprise environments.
• Open Source Governance: It reinforces Linus Torvalds’ pivotal role as the ultimate quality gatekeeper, prioritizing code integrity and timely process adherence above all else in the kernel development cycle.