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Several Linux Kernel Driver Maintainers Removed Due To Their Association To Russia

Quietly merged into this week's Linux 6.12-rc4 kernel was a patch that removes a number of kernel maintainers from being noted in the official MAINTAINERS file that recognizes all of the driver and subsystem maintainers.

Sent out last week by Linux's second-in-command Greg Kroah-Hartman was the patch dropping a dozen maintainers from the kernel. In response on the Linux kernel mailing list it was asked by others what are the "compliance requirements" and "sufficient documentation" needed... The patch was merged into Linux 6.12 Git over the weekend ahead of 6.12-rc4 and simply noted as "MAINTAINERS file updates" without elaborating on the removal or any new rules/restrictions on kernel development.

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