Fundamentals 2 min read

Linus Torvalds Criticizes Google Contributor Over Inode Design

Linus Torvalds unleashed a rare, scathing rebuke on the Linux kernel mailing list, denouncing Google contributor Steven Rostedt’s inode‑related patch as “garbage code” and arguing that the legacy practice of treating inodes as mandatory unique identifiers is outdated and should be abandoned.

Java Tech Enthusiast
Java Tech Enthusiast
Java Tech Enthusiast
Linus Torvalds Criticizes Google Contributor Over Inode Design

Linus Torvalds posted one of his most forceful messages on the Linux kernel mailing list, harshly rebuking Google kernel contributor Steven Rostedt for his inode‑related proposal.

The debate centered on whether inodes should remain a unique identifier for files and directories. Linus argued that inodes are an outdated concept and should no longer be treated as a mandatory unique descriptor.

Rostedt advocated for assigning a unique number to each inode, but Linus responded that the kernel should move away from this legacy design, calling the submitted patch “garbage code.”

For the full discussion see: Linux Kernel Mailing List .

KernelLinuxOpenSourceinodeSoftwareEngineering
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