Russian Ministry Proposes a Separate Linux Community in Response to Maintainer Removals

International sanctions and compliance regulations have led to the removal of Russian maintainers from the Linux kernel, prompting a significant reaction from the Russian Ministry of Digital Transformation. The Ministry's proposed solution: the creation of a distinct Linux community.

This new community would unite developers from nations willing to collaborate with Russia, aiming to develop a unique Linux distribution. The Ministry frames this as a means to bolster international cooperation, foster dialogue, and counter what it perceives as discriminatory actions against Russian developers.

This initiative, however, has garnered a mixed reception within the open-source community, raising concerns about feasibility, potential impact, and long-term implications.

Table of Contents

- Russia's Proposal to Fork the Linux Kernel

• Doubts Raised About the Proposal's Feasibility
• Geopolitics and the Open-Source Landscape

Russia's Proposal to Fork the Linux Kernel

The ambition of creating a separate Linux community presents considerable challenges. Effectively, this entails forking the existing Linux kernel—a demanding undertaking requiring substantial resources and expertise.

Ivan Panchenko, co-founder of Postgres Professional, emphasizes the need for strong Russian leadership within such a community. However, he also acknowledges the limitations of Russia's current pool of highly skilled developers capable of sustaining kernel maintenance.

Panchenko suggests a multinational collaborative approach would be more effective, lending greater weight and credibility to the project. He cites China, with its notable strides in operating system development, as a potential partner, although he questions China's willingness to share its advancements.

Doubts Raised About the Proposal's Feasibility

Sergey Kravtsov, a Russian developer, expresses skepticism, deeming the Ministry's proposal overly ambitious. He anticipates resistance from the main Linux branch to changes proposed by a Russian-led community, effectively leaving the international community in control of the kernel's development.

Despite these challenges, Kravtsov identifies a potential benefit: valuable skill development for Russian developers. Even if their contributions aren't integrated into the main branch, the practical experience gained would be significant for their professional growth within the Linux kernel development field.

Geopolitics and the Open-Source Landscape

The Ministry's proposal highlights the increasing tension between national interests and the collaborative nature of open-source software development. It raises crucial questions about the future of open source in a world increasingly influenced by geopolitical factors.

Key questions emerge:

• Could we witness a fragmentation of open-source communities along national lines?
• How will adherence to international sanctions impact the inclusivity of open-source projects?
• Is the emergence of a successful, independent Linux ecosystem viable, and what would be its impact on the global Linux community?

These questions remain unanswered, and their resolution will significantly shape the trajectory of open-source software development in the years ahead.

Resource:

• Linus Torvalds' decision to remove Russian maintainers from Linux has prompted the Russian Ministry of Digital Development to propose a sovereign Linux community.

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