12 ms·

Linux 4.19

210 points by arto 8y ago

pjf 8y ago
See summary at https://kernelnewbies.org/Linux_4.19 https://kernelnewbies.org/Linux_4.19
- heybrendan 8y ago
  Linux Kernel Newbies is certainly a great resource. The more interesting component this cycle is the fact that the release notes were written by Greg KH--worth the read in my opinion.
  - unmole 8y ago
    > The more interesting component this cycle is the fact that the release notes were written by Greg KH That is because Greg handled this release cycle to let Linus take time off. Linus will be back for 4.20.
- codetrotter 8y ago
  From the page: > Add EROFS (Enhanced Read-Only File System), a lightweight read-only file system with modern designs for scenarios which need high-performance read-only requirements, eg. firmwares in mobile phone or LIVECDs and > It is a experimental project, under the staging directory, and still expects to make changes to the on-disk layout. I see it's included in the 4.19 branch of the Raspberry Pi fork of the kernel as well. https://github.com/raspberrypi/linux/tree/rpi-4.19.y/drivers/staging/erofs https://github.com/raspberrypi/linux/tree/rpi-4.19.y/drivers... There is no public, open source mkfs utility/integration for it yet far as I can tell, but it seems from the original public announcement of EROFS on LKML that it will be released eventually. > the open source of erofs-mkfs is _still_ in progress, it will be released as soon as the internal process ends. https://lkml.org/lkml/2018/5/31/306 https://lkml.org/lkml/2018/5/31/306
  - davemp 8y ago
    That's really nice. I remember having to use Read-Only on a few Raspberry Pi projects because they have a tendency to corrupt SD cards. Getting a free storage performance boost would really improve usability for my past use cases.
    - Fnoord 8y ago
      I recommend only writing when it is necessary, so e.g. you might want to log to /dev/null or tmpfs (I chose the latter but it adds up in RAM). Also, disable swap if at all feasible. On top of that I recommend industrial grade SD cards using (a)MLC. They might be a bit more expensive but it is worth the stability. I learned this from these posts (among others in the same thread 'Raspberry Pi microSD card performance comparison') [1] [2] [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16776344 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16776344 [2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16777238 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16777238
      - davemp 8y ago
        Thanks for the links, they were good reads. Coincidentally, for those projects I did end up mounting to a tmpfs, syncing configs from a server, and writing them to a SPI flash chip with FEC. Fun to know that others suggest the same! I was just thinking along the lines of performance improvement for the absolute garbage SD card speeds. I just remember how flipping long it would take to load a program off those things.
mishurov 8y ago
THANK YOU BASED TORVALDS
intsunny 8y ago
I think the code of conduct stuff worked out well in the end, especially as cooler heads prevailed. In the `code-of-conduct-interpretation.rst` document they write: ``` The initial Code of Conduct Committee consists of volunteer members of the TAB, as well as a professional mediator acting as a neutral third party. The first task of the committee is to establish documented processes, which will be made public. ``` ``` Any decisions by the committee will be brought to the TAB, for implementation of enforcement with the relevant maintainers if needed. A decision by the Code of Conduct Committee can be overturned by the TAB by a two-thirds vote. ``` Ultimately this tempers the worries of many about the C-o-C resulting in a tool used by those with politically charged agendas.
- valvar 8y ago
  Is it a worry, rather than simply being crass, when the author of the CoC herself has said that it is indeed a political document[1]? [1] https://twitter.com/CoralineAda/status/1041465346656530432 https://twitter.com/CoralineAda/status/1041465346656530432
  - metildaa 8y ago
    The CoC being a political document is expected, it is laying the boundaries that define acceptable behavior, an inherently political task. On that ssamw tangent, the GPL series of license is inherently political. I personally like the political ideology espoused, but some do not despite how other licenses leave these developers with many users and proprietary forks, buf no added code, docs or community.
    - valvar 8y ago
      That is neither here nor there. The GPL is ideological in a way that sits well and has done so for a very long time with, I assume, pretty much the entire Linux community. This also seems to have been the case with the previous CoC, as well as the CoC:s that a lot of other communities use. A CoC does not need to be inherently partisan and divisive. The Contributor Covenant is, though.
    - 8y ago
jedberg 8y ago
I've read a few things about the latest happenings with regards to Linus and the kernel, but I feel like I'm missing something here. Can someone summarize for me, or point me at a good summary? Edit: Who is Greg KH and why is this significant and what is the relationship between Greg KH and Linus (and the community)?
- vbezhenar 8y ago
  Corporate money broke honest hacker. RIP Linux.
- stevewillows 8y ago
  re: your edit -- >Greg Kroah-Hartman is a major Linux kernel developer. As of April 2013 he is the Linux kernel maintainer for the -stable branch, the staging subsystem, USB, driver core, debugfs, kref, kobject, and the sysfs kernel subsystems, Userspace I/O, and TTY layer. >https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Kroah-Hartman https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Kroah-Hartman
- vatueil 8y ago
  Regarding Linus, he spoke to the BBC and explained in his own words his position: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-45664640 https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-45664640 This ZDNet article summarizes some of the points Linus made, if you want the short version: https://www.zdnet.com/article/linus-torvalds-answers-5-questions-in-bbc-letter/ https://www.zdnet.com/article/linus-torvalds-answers-5-quest...
  - 0xfeeddeadbeef 8y ago
    Haha, I found a possible Freudian slip in the article: "Code of Conflict (CoC)". Yes, it says "Conflict", which is unintentionally true, as it indeed caused more conflict than not. [1] [1] Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20181011105751/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-45664640 https://web.archive.org/web/20181011105751/https://www.bbc.c...
    - thrower123 8y ago
comesee 8y ago
CoC assumes contributions are primarily due to the conduct of the community and not the intellect/interest of the contributor. The quality of a community isn't primarily measured by its conduct but rather its accomplishments.
- Ragnarork 8y ago
  >CoC assumes contributions are primarily due to the conduct of the community and not the intellect/interest of the contributor No. That you choose to read into that this way doesn't make it factual. I'd even argue that someone that doesn't behave accordingly (with a sane CoC) doesn't show that much "interest" in a certain way. A contribution shouldn't be accepted on the sole basis that a person actually respected the CoC, and it's never been the goal of this. But it's another condition now. > The quality of a community isn't primarily measured by its conduct but rather its accomplishments Measuring the two is a possibility. That you don't, yourself, include the conduct of a community in your measure of its quality is your choice and yours only. I'm curious as to what led to this broadly wrong evaluation of the situation. What lead you to believe that?
  - comesee 8y ago
    >> CoC assumes contributions are primarily due to the conduct of the community and not the intellect/interest of the contributor > No. Yes. If that weren't the case there would be no need for a CoC. Kroah-Hartman's justification for the CoC is the longevity of the project, but the longevity of the project is not affected in any significant way by the conduct of its contributors. Evidence of that is the current success of Linux, which had no CoC for 20 years. Adding the CoC condition will have no noticeable positive effect on the longevity of the project: Linux isn't going anywhere, CoC notwithstanding. >> The quality of a community isn't primarily measured by its conduct but rather its accomplishments > Measuring the two is a possibility. That you don't, yourself, include the conduct of a community in your measure of its quality is your choice and yours only. It's not my choice, it's the truth. Community conduct is not a requirement for a successful project but accomplishments are. Never have seen a project with good conduct but no accomplishments succeed, but I've seen many projects with bad conduct and many accomplishments succeed. >> I'm curious as to what led to this broadly wrong evaluation of the situation. What lead you to believe that? You're the one who is wrong, as shown in my trivial counter examples. Simple logic and evidence are the tools I use to evaluate situations accurately.
rwmj 8y ago
The first version which boots on RISC-V hardware (and QEMU) out of the box. Previous versions needed out of tree patches[1] for essential IRQ and device driver support. Excellent work by many people getting these upstream. [1] https://github.com/riscv/riscv-linux https://github.com/riscv/riscv-linux
- rwmj 8y ago
  I'm afraid to say there's a small correction after I went to the RISC-V BoF tonight[1]. This kernel only boots on QEMU (which I had tested), but still requires a small number of driver patches to boot on the HiFive Unleashed board - I did not get around to testing this because our boards are all consumed building Fedora and it's not very convenient to reboot them. They are expecting these extra drivers will be upstream in 4.20. [1] https://osseu18.sched.com/event/Fwx7/bof-risc-v-sw-ecosystem-status-and-needs-atish-patra-western-digital-olof-johansson-palmer-dabbelt-paul-walmsley-risc-v https://osseu18.sched.com/event/Fwx7/bof-risc-v-sw-ecosystem...
metildaa 8y ago
Linus may have been sincere in his writing, people saw him as this verbally abusive boogeyman who would tear people apart, which led him to become that type of person more and more. The embrace and extend going on over in Redmond right now is threatening though, what better time to use your clout and power over a competitors org (that your a member of now) than when you have forked what depended on their software, extended it to work on your platform, and now want to take the wind out of their sails. The recent reaction from Valve is telling, I think Gabe is fearful about the current state of affairs. We really don't know all the pieces of this puzzle though, so best to watch our backs. Avoid vendor lock-in, its the devil.
- remar 8y ago
  Can you provide more context re: "The recent reaction from Valve is telling, I think Gabe is fearful about the current state of affairs" ?
  - quantummkv 8y ago
    I think it's a reference to steam proton, a compatibility layer they built to run windows games on linux.
  - metildaa 8y ago
    Microsoft could lock out 3rd party app stores like Steam, and already has on certain versions of Windows. Valve is trying to protect themselves from irrelevancy, they have all their eggs in the Windows basket, while consoles and mobile are owned by companies that are massive comparatively.
- jedberg 8y ago
  > The embrace and extend going on over in Redmond right now is threatening though, what better time to use your clout and power over a competitors org (that your a member of now) than when you have forked what depended on their software, extended it to work on your platform, and now want to take the wind out of their sails. Can you explain that a bit more? Are you saying Microsoft is using their clout to change the linux kernel to their benefit and the detriment of others? How so?
vectorEQ 8y ago
someone tell that guy BSD exists >.> linux rules the world :')... most ppl never heard of it tbfh... long way to go. this the new happy clappy marketing face for linux? next we know it will be a synchonicity engine create purley for personal cloud SaaS w/e the fk that means. linux kernel is a big mess of things. and making some kind of desperate mgmt pivot wont clean that up
- ChrisSD 8y ago
  If you seriously think BSD has anywhere near the same mind share as Linux then I don't know what to tell you. "Taken over the world" might be hyperbolic if read literally but such slight hyperbole is common in regular English. For example, I might say that Linux is used "everywhere". Of course this isn't true if read extremely literally but my meaning should be clear: you don't have to go far to find something that uses LInux. Websites (and web infrastructure for that matter), smartphones, DVD players, etc.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
hu3 8y ago
The guy managed to write more about himself than the patch. Is this the new format? I thought I was reading a Medium blog post.
- Maakuth 8y ago
  It's the first time that he's the one to sign off the release rather than Linus, so it's appropriate to explain a bit.
codeaken 8y ago
I feel really worried about the Kernel project now that they have let Identity Politics breach their walls. These kind of things have a tendency to split a community rather than unite it. The kernel project is surely one of the most successful software projects ever. Having survived for 20 years, why change a winning formula? I have always considered Linus un-political and more interested in getting sh*t done and getting it right above anything else, so why he would sign-off on this is a mystery to me.
- valvar 8y ago
  He has explained his reasoning in an interview [1]. >Because I may have my reservations about excessive political correctness, but honestly, I absolutely do not want to be seen as being in the same camp as the low-life scum on the internet that think it's OK to be a white nationalist Nazi, and have some truly nasty misogynistic, homophobic or transphobic behaviour. And those people were complaining about too much political correctness too, and in the process just making my public stance look bad. So, apparently, in order to not be associated with a political fringe position, one has to instead associate oneself with the polar opposite political fringe position. It's also the same line of reasoning that led Norwegian supermarkets to remove Counter-Strike and World of Warcraft from their shelves when they found out that Anders Behring Breivik had enjoyed those games. I assume that a true adherent to this philosophy would also eschew vegetarianism due to its associations with Adolf Hitler. [1] https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-45664640 https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-45664640
  - thomasfedb 8y ago
    Reductio ad Hitlerum, you lose!
    - valvar 8y ago
      Thank you for your well-formulated contribution to the discussion.
      - thomasfedb 8y ago
jf- 8y ago
I’m seeing a lot of people stating that they’re worried about this code of conduct. Since I’ve not read it or any commentary about it, can someone tell me why it’s so worrying? Is there a sincere fear that Linux will be damaged as a result? If so, how?
- orivej 8y ago
  Here is a good starting point to research the critique of this document: https://bugs.ruby-lang.org/issues/12004#note-6 https://bugs.ruby-lang.org/issues/12004#note-6 . Its point is particularly apt: > Given a choice between only two extremes, I'd far rather have Linus Torvalds telling me I'm an idiot and my code is shit, then exist in an offense taking culture where various forms of criticism are re-branded as "harassment." However, the Linux copy has cut one of the more malicious paragraphs: https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=c1d1ba844f01e747aa0272a4ee5c886024cd90eb https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/lin...
  - 0xfeeddeadbeef 8y ago
    I would like to extend this point: "I'd rather have Linus Torvalds telling me I'm an idiot and my code is shit, than ... releasing kernel with my shitty code and EVERYONE thinking that I'm an idiot".
    - TeMPOraL 8y ago
      > ... releasing kernel with my shitty code and EVERYONE thinking that I'm an idiot Or, "releasing kernel with my shitty code and ruining the day for a lot of people."
    - elcomet 8y ago
      But this is a false dichotomy. They could just refuse your code without calling you an idiot.
      - SmellyGeekBoy 8y ago
stevewillows 8y ago
Although it doesn't specifically mention it, this kernel supports Apple's Magic Trackpad 2, which is a real blessing. Original source: https://github.com/robotrovsky/Linux-Magic-Trackpad-2-Driver https://github.com/robotrovsky/Linux-Magic-Trackpad-2-Driver I've been using this since last night, and with some tweaking, it works really well.
- sridca 8y ago
  Awesome, I thought only 4.20 will have it. Have you tested it with Bluetooth?
  - stevewillows 8y ago
    I'm on 4.18.16-041816 Generic and just paired it with bluetooth, which is surprising to me. I typically keep it wired since Windows doesn't always play nice with the MT2.
    - sridca 8y ago
      Okay I'm on 4.18.14 and just tried plugging my MT2. It _basically_ works, but the trackpad feel is as bad that of my Thinkpad's. And none of the gestures, including two finger tap, works. EDIT: looking at dmesg, it is registered as `hid-generic`. So not using the new driver?
      - stevewillows 8y ago
        Dig through https://github.com/robotrovsky/Linux-Magic-Trackpad-2-Driver https://github.com/robotrovsky/Linux-Magic-Trackpad-2-Driver and make sure you install `mtrack` I found that I had to modify the 50-mtrack.conf and also the 90-magictrackpad.conf to get the two-finger tap for context menus. There's probably a better overall configuration, but I'm still fresh to this specific thing. When I get back to that system I can post some more detailed information.
- Fnoord 8y ago
  With haptic feedback support? That's amazing, I just bought one of these (as it is the best trackpad available by a long shot). Even Windows doesn't support this. I did find this one [1], but it doesn't seem to be signed so a shady source. [1] http://extramagic.forbootcamp.org/ http://extramagic.forbootcamp.org/
ChrisSD 8y ago
I think all this handwringing over the CoC would have more weight for me if: a) It came from major Linux contributors. b) It didn't assume a conspiracy to not only oust Linus but also get him to dance to their tune.
- wmil 8y ago
  It's not really a conspiracy theory. A "New Yorker" writer has publicly claimed credit for Torvalds' change of heart. There was a massive hit piece ready to go if he didn't accept the CoC and step down. https://www.itwire.com/open-source/84590-new-yorker-claims-credit-for-torvalds-apology-on-behaviour.html https://www.itwire.com/open-source/84590-new-yorker-claims-c...
  - ChrisSD 8y ago
    But the new yorker ran[0] the "hit piece" so why would that buy his cooperation? And it's not like articles calling out Linus are anything new. [0]: https://www.newyorker.com/science/elements/after-years-of-abusive-e-mails-the-creator-of-linux-steps-aside https://www.newyorker.com/science/elements/after-years-of-ab...
    - wmil 8y ago
      If he hadn't stepped aside it would have been paired with activists calling for him to be forced out and putting pressure on corporate partners to denounce him and take over control of kernel development.
- forgottenpass 8y ago
  You're using a line of argument that I see quite often in day to day stuff (outside the kernel) so I have to push back on this. >would have more weight for me if [...] It came from major Linux contributors. The group of people you would give the most weight to the opinion of are also the group under the most pressured not to voice dissent publicly. It isn't wrong to look to them or give large weight to their positions. The error is in assuming that we can know their position beyond their choice not to rock the boat. It might be very easy (they're in full agreement) or very tricky (blood boiling, but "not their hill to die on"). All we know is that they do not dissent to the level that they are willing to risk their involvement in the project at hand, or have a damaged reputation when they try to participate in another.
binaryapparatus 8y ago
It is very disturbing for me to see Greg KH being at the top and deciding what goes into Linux. There is history of agenda that doesn't align best with kernel user interests. Can't forget d-bus events very related to this person. I did switch to FreeBSD couple of years ago but I love linux and it is not easiest to observe all the latest events.
- cesarb 8y ago
  Greg KH already decides what goes into the "stable" Linux series (4.y.z, for instance 4.18.15), which is what most people actually use. Besides, he assumed after the 4.19 merge window, and he's handed the 4.20 merge window back to Linus; it's in the merge window that new features come in (after the merge window closes it's mostly only bugfixes), so it's still Linus who gets to decide.
  - binaryapparatus 8y ago
    Is stable different from latest? I am not sure how much independent decision space he has, otherwise we would have d-bus in stable long time ago. Maybe I don't know the process well enough but I would be surprised that Greg can merge something that isn't approved in latest. Fingers crossed it is only 4.19, I am kind of seeing this as a bigger event but I may be wrong.
    - ufo 8y ago
      Parent poster was referring to the "LTS" kernels: https://www.kernel.org/category/releases.html https://www.kernel.org/category/releases.html A good number of Linux distributions are based on an LTS release instead of a mainline release.
      - binaryapparatus 8y ago
        Yes, I am aware of that but are LTS kernels in any for different from the mainline kernel? Can LTS kernel contain code that is not approved and tested in mainline first? They are 'older' but they contain same feature set that is already approved by Linus, right?
mesutpiskin 8y ago
OpenCV 3.4.2 not capturing Picam on Raspberry Pi 3.
seanhunter 8y ago
Having someone else manage merges into the stable kernel branch isn't new. In the old kernel dev model (circa 2.x kernels) after the first few patches in a new stable kernel, Linus always used to delegate stable maintenance to someone else (Alan Cox) so he had more time to work on the experimental branch. So Alan would maintain 2.0 and Linus 2.1 for example.
binaryapparatus 8y ago
Related: https://lkml.org/lkml/2018/10/22/188 https://lkml.org/lkml/2018/10/22/188 Can't agree more.
shmerl 8y ago
Some important fixes in amdgpu for Vega there. It's finally waking up from sleep properly when using DisplayPort.
- Corrado 8y ago
  This was my biggest issue with 4.17 & 4.18. I just recently upgraded my system to a Ryzen 2400 and I have had quite a few issues. Keeping up with the latest kernel builds with ukuu has helped but it would be nice to have a stable kernel that works with my CPU/GPU. Hopefully, 4.19 will make it to stable tonight and I can upgrade tomorrow. :)
  - shmerl 8y ago
    I have Vega 56 and was bugged by it in 4.17/4.18 cycle. Finally 4.19-rc fixed it. But there are a few DisplayPort 1.2 related annoyances that still remain.

Linux 4.19

210 points by arto 8y ago

pjf 8y ago

See summary at https://kernelnewbies.org/Linux_4.19 https://kernelnewbies.org/Linux_4.19

heybrendan 8y ago
Linux Kernel Newbies is certainly a great resource. The more interesting component this cycle is the fact that the release notes were written by Greg KH--worth the read in my opinion.
- unmole 8y ago
  > The more interesting component this cycle is the fact that the release notes were written by Greg KH That is because Greg handled this release cycle to let Linus take time off. Linus will be back for 4.20.
codetrotter 8y ago
From the page: > Add EROFS (Enhanced Read-Only File System), a lightweight read-only file system with modern designs for scenarios which need high-performance read-only requirements, eg. firmwares in mobile phone or LIVECDs and > It is a experimental project, under the staging directory, and still expects to make changes to the on-disk layout. I see it's included in the 4.19 branch of the Raspberry Pi fork of the kernel as well. https://github.com/raspberrypi/linux/tree/rpi-4.19.y/drivers/staging/erofs https://github.com/raspberrypi/linux/tree/rpi-4.19.y/drivers... There is no public, open source mkfs utility/integration for it yet far as I can tell, but it seems from the original public announcement of EROFS on LKML that it will be released eventually. > the open source of erofs-mkfs is _still_ in progress, it will be released as soon as the internal process ends. https://lkml.org/lkml/2018/5/31/306 https://lkml.org/lkml/2018/5/31/306
- davemp 8y ago
  That's really nice. I remember having to use Read-Only on a few Raspberry Pi projects because they have a tendency to corrupt SD cards. Getting a free storage performance boost would really improve usability for my past use cases.
  - Fnoord 8y ago
    I recommend only writing when it is necessary, so e.g. you might want to log to /dev/null or tmpfs (I chose the latter but it adds up in RAM). Also, disable swap if at all feasible. On top of that I recommend industrial grade SD cards using (a)MLC. They might be a bit more expensive but it is worth the stability. I learned this from these posts (among others in the same thread 'Raspberry Pi microSD card performance comparison') [1] [2] [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16776344 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16776344 [2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16777238 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16777238
    - davemp 8y ago
      Thanks for the links, they were good reads. Coincidentally, for those projects I did end up mounting to a tmpfs, syncing configs from a server, and writing them to a SPI flash chip with FEC. Fun to know that others suggest the same! I was just thinking along the lines of performance improvement for the absolute garbage SD card speeds. I just remember how flipping long it would take to load a program off those things.

mishurov 8y ago

THANK YOU BASED TORVALDS

intsunny 8y ago

I think the code of conduct stuff worked out well in the end, especially as cooler heads prevailed. In the `code-of-conduct-interpretation.rst` document they write: ``` The initial Code of Conduct Committee consists of volunteer members of the TAB, as well as a professional mediator acting as a neutral third party. The first task of the committee is to establish documented processes, which will be made public. ``` ``` Any decisions by the committee will be brought to the TAB, for implementation of enforcement with the relevant maintainers if needed. A decision by the Code of Conduct Committee can be overturned by the TAB by a two-thirds vote. ``` Ultimately this tempers the worries of many about the C-o-C resulting in a tool used by those with politically charged agendas.

valvar 8y ago
Is it a worry, rather than simply being crass, when the author of the CoC herself has said that it is indeed a political document[1]? [1] https://twitter.com/CoralineAda/status/1041465346656530432 https://twitter.com/CoralineAda/status/1041465346656530432
- metildaa 8y ago
  The CoC being a political document is expected, it is laying the boundaries that define acceptable behavior, an inherently political task. On that ssamw tangent, the GPL series of license is inherently political. I personally like the political ideology espoused, but some do not despite how other licenses leave these developers with many users and proprietary forks, buf no added code, docs or community.
  - valvar 8y ago
    That is neither here nor there. The GPL is ideological in a way that sits well and has done so for a very long time with, I assume, pretty much the entire Linux community. This also seems to have been the case with the previous CoC, as well as the CoC:s that a lot of other communities use. A CoC does not need to be inherently partisan and divisive. The Contributor Covenant is, though.
  - 8y ago

jedberg 8y ago

I've read a few things about the latest happenings with regards to Linus and the kernel, but I feel like I'm missing something here. Can someone summarize for me, or point me at a good summary? Edit: Who is Greg KH and why is this significant and what is the relationship between Greg KH and Linus (and the community)?

vbezhenar 8y ago
Corporate money broke honest hacker. RIP Linux.
stevewillows 8y ago
re: your edit -- >Greg Kroah-Hartman is a major Linux kernel developer. As of April 2013 he is the Linux kernel maintainer for the -stable branch, the staging subsystem, USB, driver core, debugfs, kref, kobject, and the sysfs kernel subsystems, Userspace I/O, and TTY layer. >https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Kroah-Hartman https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Kroah-Hartman
vatueil 8y ago
Regarding Linus, he spoke to the BBC and explained in his own words his position: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-45664640 https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-45664640 This ZDNet article summarizes some of the points Linus made, if you want the short version: https://www.zdnet.com/article/linus-torvalds-answers-5-questions-in-bbc-letter/ https://www.zdnet.com/article/linus-torvalds-answers-5-quest...
- 0xfeeddeadbeef 8y ago
  Haha, I found a possible Freudian slip in the article: "Code of Conflict (CoC)". Yes, it says "Conflict", which is unintentionally true, as it indeed caused more conflict than not. [1] [1] Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20181011105751/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-45664640 https://web.archive.org/web/20181011105751/https://www.bbc.c...
  - thrower123 8y ago

comesee 8y ago

CoC assumes contributions are primarily due to the conduct of the community and not the intellect/interest of the contributor. The quality of a community isn't primarily measured by its conduct but rather its accomplishments.

Ragnarork 8y ago
>CoC assumes contributions are primarily due to the conduct of the community and not the intellect/interest of the contributor No. That you choose to read into that this way doesn't make it factual. I'd even argue that someone that doesn't behave accordingly (with a sane CoC) doesn't show that much "interest" in a certain way. A contribution shouldn't be accepted on the sole basis that a person actually respected the CoC, and it's never been the goal of this. But it's another condition now. > The quality of a community isn't primarily measured by its conduct but rather its accomplishments Measuring the two is a possibility. That you don't, yourself, include the conduct of a community in your measure of its quality is your choice and yours only. I'm curious as to what led to this broadly wrong evaluation of the situation. What lead you to believe that?
- comesee 8y ago
  >> CoC assumes contributions are primarily due to the conduct of the community and not the intellect/interest of the contributor > No. Yes. If that weren't the case there would be no need for a CoC. Kroah-Hartman's justification for the CoC is the longevity of the project, but the longevity of the project is not affected in any significant way by the conduct of its contributors. Evidence of that is the current success of Linux, which had no CoC for 20 years. Adding the CoC condition will have no noticeable positive effect on the longevity of the project: Linux isn't going anywhere, CoC notwithstanding. >> The quality of a community isn't primarily measured by its conduct but rather its accomplishments > Measuring the two is a possibility. That you don't, yourself, include the conduct of a community in your measure of its quality is your choice and yours only. It's not my choice, it's the truth. Community conduct is not a requirement for a successful project but accomplishments are. Never have seen a project with good conduct but no accomplishments succeed, but I've seen many projects with bad conduct and many accomplishments succeed. >> I'm curious as to what led to this broadly wrong evaluation of the situation. What lead you to believe that? You're the one who is wrong, as shown in my trivial counter examples. Simple logic and evidence are the tools I use to evaluate situations accurately.

rwmj 8y ago

The first version which boots on RISC-V hardware (and QEMU) out of the box. Previous versions needed out of tree patches[1] for essential IRQ and device driver support. Excellent work by many people getting these upstream. [1] https://github.com/riscv/riscv-linux https://github.com/riscv/riscv-linux

rwmj 8y ago
I'm afraid to say there's a small correction after I went to the RISC-V BoF tonight[1]. This kernel only boots on QEMU (which I had tested), but still requires a small number of driver patches to boot on the HiFive Unleashed board - I did not get around to testing this because our boards are all consumed building Fedora and it's not very convenient to reboot them. They are expecting these extra drivers will be upstream in 4.20. [1] https://osseu18.sched.com/event/Fwx7/bof-risc-v-sw-ecosystem-status-and-needs-atish-patra-western-digital-olof-johansson-palmer-dabbelt-paul-walmsley-risc-v https://osseu18.sched.com/event/Fwx7/bof-risc-v-sw-ecosystem...

metildaa 8y ago

Linus may have been sincere in his writing, people saw him as this verbally abusive boogeyman who would tear people apart, which led him to become that type of person more and more. The embrace and extend going on over in Redmond right now is threatening though, what better time to use your clout and power over a competitors org (that your a member of now) than when you have forked what depended on their software, extended it to work on your platform, and now want to take the wind out of their sails. The recent reaction from Valve is telling, I think Gabe is fearful about the current state of affairs. We really don't know all the pieces of this puzzle though, so best to watch our backs. Avoid vendor lock-in, its the devil.

remar 8y ago
Can you provide more context re: "The recent reaction from Valve is telling, I think Gabe is fearful about the current state of affairs" ?
- quantummkv 8y ago
  I think it's a reference to steam proton, a compatibility layer they built to run windows games on linux.
- metildaa 8y ago
  Microsoft could lock out 3rd party app stores like Steam, and already has on certain versions of Windows. Valve is trying to protect themselves from irrelevancy, they have all their eggs in the Windows basket, while consoles and mobile are owned by companies that are massive comparatively.
jedberg 8y ago
> The embrace and extend going on over in Redmond right now is threatening though, what better time to use your clout and power over a competitors org (that your a member of now) than when you have forked what depended on their software, extended it to work on your platform, and now want to take the wind out of their sails. Can you explain that a bit more? Are you saying Microsoft is using their clout to change the linux kernel to their benefit and the detriment of others? How so?

vectorEQ 8y ago

someone tell that guy BSD exists >.> linux rules the world :')... most ppl never heard of it tbfh... long way to go. this the new happy clappy marketing face for linux? next we know it will be a synchonicity engine create purley for personal cloud SaaS w/e the fk that means. linux kernel is a big mess of things. and making some kind of desperate mgmt pivot wont clean that up

ChrisSD 8y ago
If you seriously think BSD has anywhere near the same mind share as Linux then I don't know what to tell you. "Taken over the world" might be hyperbolic if read literally but such slight hyperbole is common in regular English. For example, I might say that Linux is used "everywhere". Of course this isn't true if read extremely literally but my meaning should be clear: you don't have to go far to find something that uses LInux. Websites (and web infrastructure for that matter), smartphones, DVD players, etc.

deleted 8y ago

[deleted]

hu3 8y ago

The guy managed to write more about himself than the patch. Is this the new format? I thought I was reading a Medium blog post.

Maakuth 8y ago
It's the first time that he's the one to sign off the release rather than Linus, so it's appropriate to explain a bit.

codeaken 8y ago

I feel really worried about the Kernel project now that they have let Identity Politics breach their walls. These kind of things have a tendency to split a community rather than unite it. The kernel project is surely one of the most successful software projects ever. Having survived for 20 years, why change a winning formula? I have always considered Linus un-political and more interested in getting sh*t done and getting it right above anything else, so why he would sign-off on this is a mystery to me.

valvar 8y ago
He has explained his reasoning in an interview [1]. >Because I may have my reservations about excessive political correctness, but honestly, I absolutely do not want to be seen as being in the same camp as the low-life scum on the internet that think it's OK to be a white nationalist Nazi, and have some truly nasty misogynistic, homophobic or transphobic behaviour. And those people were complaining about too much political correctness too, and in the process just making my public stance look bad. So, apparently, in order to not be associated with a political fringe position, one has to instead associate oneself with the polar opposite political fringe position. It's also the same line of reasoning that led Norwegian supermarkets to remove Counter-Strike and World of Warcraft from their shelves when they found out that Anders Behring Breivik had enjoyed those games. I assume that a true adherent to this philosophy would also eschew vegetarianism due to its associations with Adolf Hitler. [1] https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-45664640 https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-45664640
- thomasfedb 8y ago
  Reductio ad Hitlerum, you lose!
  - valvar 8y ago
    Thank you for your well-formulated contribution to the discussion.
    - thomasfedb 8y ago

jf- 8y ago

I’m seeing a lot of people stating that they’re worried about this code of conduct. Since I’ve not read it or any commentary about it, can someone tell me why it’s so worrying? Is there a sincere fear that Linux will be damaged as a result? If so, how?

orivej 8y ago
Here is a good starting point to research the critique of this document: https://bugs.ruby-lang.org/issues/12004#note-6 https://bugs.ruby-lang.org/issues/12004#note-6 . Its point is particularly apt: > Given a choice between only two extremes, I'd far rather have Linus Torvalds telling me I'm an idiot and my code is shit, then exist in an offense taking culture where various forms of criticism are re-branded as "harassment." However, the Linux copy has cut one of the more malicious paragraphs: https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=c1d1ba844f01e747aa0272a4ee5c886024cd90eb https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/lin...
- 0xfeeddeadbeef 8y ago
  I would like to extend this point: "I'd rather have Linus Torvalds telling me I'm an idiot and my code is shit, than ... releasing kernel with my shitty code and EVERYONE thinking that I'm an idiot".
  - TeMPOraL 8y ago
    > ... releasing kernel with my shitty code and EVERYONE thinking that I'm an idiot Or, "releasing kernel with my shitty code and ruining the day for a lot of people."
  - elcomet 8y ago
    But this is a false dichotomy. They could just refuse your code without calling you an idiot.
    - SmellyGeekBoy 8y ago

stevewillows 8y ago

Although it doesn't specifically mention it, this kernel supports Apple's Magic Trackpad 2, which is a real blessing. Original source: https://github.com/robotrovsky/Linux-Magic-Trackpad-2-Driver https://github.com/robotrovsky/Linux-Magic-Trackpad-2-Driver I've been using this since last night, and with some tweaking, it works really well.

sridca 8y ago
Awesome, I thought only 4.20 will have it. Have you tested it with Bluetooth?
- stevewillows 8y ago
  I'm on 4.18.16-041816 Generic and just paired it with bluetooth, which is surprising to me. I typically keep it wired since Windows doesn't always play nice with the MT2.
  - sridca 8y ago
    Okay I'm on 4.18.14 and just tried plugging my MT2. It _basically_ works, but the trackpad feel is as bad that of my Thinkpad's. And none of the gestures, including two finger tap, works. EDIT: looking at dmesg, it is registered as `hid-generic`. So not using the new driver?
    - stevewillows 8y ago
      Dig through https://github.com/robotrovsky/Linux-Magic-Trackpad-2-Driver https://github.com/robotrovsky/Linux-Magic-Trackpad-2-Driver and make sure you install `mtrack` I found that I had to modify the 50-mtrack.conf and also the 90-magictrackpad.conf to get the two-finger tap for context menus. There's probably a better overall configuration, but I'm still fresh to this specific thing. When I get back to that system I can post some more detailed information.
Fnoord 8y ago
With haptic feedback support? That's amazing, I just bought one of these (as it is the best trackpad available by a long shot). Even Windows doesn't support this. I did find this one [1], but it doesn't seem to be signed so a shady source. [1] http://extramagic.forbootcamp.org/ http://extramagic.forbootcamp.org/

ChrisSD 8y ago

I think all this handwringing over the CoC would have more weight for me if: a) It came from major Linux contributors. b) It didn't assume a conspiracy to not only oust Linus but also get him to dance to their tune.

wmil 8y ago
It's not really a conspiracy theory. A "New Yorker" writer has publicly claimed credit for Torvalds' change of heart. There was a massive hit piece ready to go if he didn't accept the CoC and step down. https://www.itwire.com/open-source/84590-new-yorker-claims-credit-for-torvalds-apology-on-behaviour.html https://www.itwire.com/open-source/84590-new-yorker-claims-c...
- ChrisSD 8y ago
  But the new yorker ran[0] the "hit piece" so why would that buy his cooperation? And it's not like articles calling out Linus are anything new. [0]: https://www.newyorker.com/science/elements/after-years-of-abusive-e-mails-the-creator-of-linux-steps-aside https://www.newyorker.com/science/elements/after-years-of-ab...
  - wmil 8y ago
    If he hadn't stepped aside it would have been paired with activists calling for him to be forced out and putting pressure on corporate partners to denounce him and take over control of kernel development.
forgottenpass 8y ago
You're using a line of argument that I see quite often in day to day stuff (outside the kernel) so I have to push back on this. >would have more weight for me if [...] It came from major Linux contributors. The group of people you would give the most weight to the opinion of are also the group under the most pressured not to voice dissent publicly. It isn't wrong to look to them or give large weight to their positions. The error is in assuming that we can know their position beyond their choice not to rock the boat. It might be very easy (they're in full agreement) or very tricky (blood boiling, but "not their hill to die on"). All we know is that they do not dissent to the level that they are willing to risk their involvement in the project at hand, or have a damaged reputation when they try to participate in another.

binaryapparatus 8y ago

It is very disturbing for me to see Greg KH being at the top and deciding what goes into Linux. There is history of agenda that doesn't align best with kernel user interests. Can't forget d-bus events very related to this person. I did switch to FreeBSD couple of years ago but I love linux and it is not easiest to observe all the latest events.

cesarb 8y ago
Greg KH already decides what goes into the "stable" Linux series (4.y.z, for instance 4.18.15), which is what most people actually use. Besides, he assumed after the 4.19 merge window, and he's handed the 4.20 merge window back to Linus; it's in the merge window that new features come in (after the merge window closes it's mostly only bugfixes), so it's still Linus who gets to decide.
- binaryapparatus 8y ago
  Is stable different from latest? I am not sure how much independent decision space he has, otherwise we would have d-bus in stable long time ago. Maybe I don't know the process well enough but I would be surprised that Greg can merge something that isn't approved in latest. Fingers crossed it is only 4.19, I am kind of seeing this as a bigger event but I may be wrong.
  - ufo 8y ago
    Parent poster was referring to the "LTS" kernels: https://www.kernel.org/category/releases.html https://www.kernel.org/category/releases.html A good number of Linux distributions are based on an LTS release instead of a mainline release.
    - binaryapparatus 8y ago
      Yes, I am aware of that but are LTS kernels in any for different from the mainline kernel? Can LTS kernel contain code that is not approved and tested in mainline first? They are 'older' but they contain same feature set that is already approved by Linus, right?

mesutpiskin 8y ago

OpenCV 3.4.2 not capturing Picam on Raspberry Pi 3.

seanhunter 8y ago

Having someone else manage merges into the stable kernel branch isn't new. In the old kernel dev model (circa 2.x kernels) after the first few patches in a new stable kernel, Linus always used to delegate stable maintenance to someone else (Alan Cox) so he had more time to work on the experimental branch. So Alan would maintain 2.0 and Linus 2.1 for example.

binaryapparatus 8y ago

Related: https://lkml.org/lkml/2018/10/22/188 https://lkml.org/lkml/2018/10/22/188 Can't agree more.

shmerl 8y ago

Some important fixes in amdgpu for Vega there. It's finally waking up from sleep properly when using DisplayPort.

Corrado 8y ago
This was my biggest issue with 4.17 & 4.18. I just recently upgraded my system to a Ryzen 2400 and I have had quite a few issues. Keeping up with the latest kernel builds with ukuu has helped but it would be nice to have a stable kernel that works with my CPU/GPU. Hopefully, 4.19 will make it to stable tonight and I can upgrade tomorrow. :)
- shmerl 8y ago
  I have Vega 56 and was bugged by it in 4.17/4.18 cycle. Finally 4.19-rc fixed it. But there are a few DisplayPort 1.2 related annoyances that still remain.