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Linus Torvalds Removes The Bcachefs Code From The Linux Kernel
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this post was submitted on 30 Sep 2025
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Good 👍
Why?
The developer of bcachefs, Kent Overstreet, has repeatedly failed to abide by the expectations of kernel release schedules, particularly the rc (release candidate) stage, which is supposed to freeze new features until next release.
Kent has open-air arguments with Linus Torvalds about not being able to develop the way he wants to, Linus Torvalds does not like wasting time discussing it with Kent.
IMO, Kent created this situation himself. He'll be happier developing outside upstream anyway.
It should be noted that while some folks have commented that bcachefs was not ready for upstream, several kernel devs have a lot of respect for the technical quality of Kent's work, so I think the argument of whether bcachefs is good or not good is separate from Kent's behaviour as a kernel contributor.
Additionally, Kent got most of his kernel changes needed for bcachefs merged already, so a dkms should be easier to manage now.
So if I’m reading this correctly, the program can operate fine as an external module because the kernel itself supports it well with those changes?
To be more clear, before he got his code mainlined, you needed to run h8s full fork of the kernel, with changes made not just to the cache code itself, but also to other parts.
Not all of his changes went in though; but the differences got sorted out enough that the vast majority of his newer changes were driver only.
That said, he was still ruffling feathers about wanting some fast moving kernel changes.
Thanks for the detailed explanation!
Not an expert though, but have been watching bcachefs for .. what feels like a decade.
Hey, BCA chefs are hard to fully master so I get it.
Problem is if it isn't in the kernel it well be used by a lot less people.
It was nowhere close to be mature enough to be in the kernel. The developer is nowhere close to be mature enough to be involved in the kernel. It's better for everybody if it is developed separately and maybe integrated again at a later stage when the file system and tooling are considered stable and changes are smaller and less sensitive. CacheFS being in the kernel might mislead people to rely on a filesystem that is still experimental and under heavy development. Personally I am looking forward to see it mature because I'd love to run it on my file storage home server when it is stable enough.
I have been relying on the filesystem. It is excellent. It is mature enough.
Sadly, the lead dev for bcachefs is not mature enough.
I agree, on both statements.
It is easily stable enough for experimental use.
Not really why op said, though. It's stable enough for ~~exeprimental~~ use
It's marked as experimental, hence the "experimental"
what independently verifiable condition(s) will satisfy these requirements?
That the developer himself finds it absolutely necessary to push new code outside the window for upcoming versions of the kernel is a pretty good indication.
That is a personality issue, not a code emergency.
There were two dozen patches submitted for 6.17 that were never merged. What has the fall-out been? Where are all the stories about data loss? I am sure they would hit the front page.
The file system can improve but it is already fine.
The fallout for people knowingly risking their data beta testing a filesystem that is still in experimental and some users running into issues and possibly corruption?
There are no stories because it is not a story when a test environment for finding bugs fails and the bugs get fixed. Nobody with data they can not lose are putting it on bcachefs because why would they.
Thanks for running a test environment though. Please take backups of anything important, just in case.
True, but it is an indication that the developer cannot follow a common rules. Simply Torvalds was tired of how he behaved.
And so ? A patch can be submitted but never merged, for whatever reason. Problem is: these two dozen patches were submitted during the -RC cycle ?
Good. Now it it the developer that need to improve his attitude to work in teams.