A sizzling potato: Linus Torvalds is sick and uninterested in attempting to “repair” Linux to work on Intel’s defective processors. In his view, Linux is not damaged, so why ought to he (and different FOSS builders) repair something? Intel is the one with the issues. He vented his ire in a thread not too long ago.
Linux Creator Linus Torvalds not too long ago expressed frustration with change proposals to the Linux kernel which are solely “required” as a result of defective {hardware}. Phoronix notes that Torvalds ranted on the Linux kernel mailing checklist over the past week, saying that buggy {hardware} shouldn’t be Linux’s drawback, suggesting kernel builders simply say “no” and see what the “{hardware} individuals” say.
“I feel this time we push again on the {hardware} individuals and inform them it is *THEIR* rattling drawback, and if they cannot even be bothered to say yay-or-nay, we simply sit tight,” Torvalds stated. “As a result of dammit, let’s put the onus on the place the blame lies, and never simply take any random shit from dangerous {hardware} and say ‘oh, however it *may* be an issue’ [sic].”
He is additionally sad about kernel commits that deal with theoretical vulnerabilities, particularly these which are tough to implement and have by no means been seen within the wild.
“Actually, I am fairly rattling fed up with buggy {hardware} and utterly theoretical assaults which have by no means really proven themselves for use in apply,” he stated.
Linus Torvalds Rising Annoyed By Buggy {Hardware} & Theoretical CPU Assaultshttps://t.co/2rvIc14F4D
– Phoronix (@phoronix) October 21, 2024
A part of the issue is that addressing {hardware} faults on the OS stage complicates issues for builders and creates potential compatibility issues with different fault-free {hardware}. An instance can be proposed kernel adjustments that won’t work with Linear Handle Masking (LAM) on Arrow Lake and Lunar Lake processors, which is what obtained Torvalds fired up within the first place. This characteristic permits person house to retailer metadata in some bits of pointers.
In keeping with Intel Engineer Kirill Shitemov, Intel is changing LAM with LASS (Linear Handle Area Separation), which is safer because it prevents hackers from accessing digital deal with areas throughout person/kernel mode. Shitemov indicated that there was alleged to be a patch that disabled LAM till LASS was prepared for implementation, however the repair “by no means obtained utilized for some motive.”
Since earlier this 12 months, Intel’s thirteenth and 14th-gen points have brought about complications on many ranges with customers, builders, and inside Intel. The corporate has addressed the issues with advisable BIOS settings and microcode to various levels of success. Couple that with the long-running difficulty of Spectre/Meltdown vulnerabilities, which maintain making headlines even six years after their discovery.
The issue, as Torvalds sees it, is that Intel can afford to pay its engineers to deal with its {hardware} points. In the meantime, FOSS builders are unpaid volunteers who’re below rising stress to get Linux engaged on dangerous {hardware} whereas preserving it bug-free on good {hardware}. So, his frustration is comprehensible. In fact, Torvalds has by no means shied away from telling {hardware} OEMs the place they will go.
