461

Plans to remove ipv4 from the linux kernel. (lemmy.dbzer0.com)

submitted 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) by irelephant@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/linux@programming.dev

71 comments fedilink hide all child comments

transcript

A ^fake^ email. It reads: From: Linus Torvalds torvalds@linux-foundation.org To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: [RFC] Remove IPv4 support from kernel, effective next merge window Date: Sat, 15 Aug 2025 10:42:00 -0700 Message-ID: 20250815-drop-ipv4@linux-foundation.org

Hey folks,

After yet another deeply technical and entirely calm discussion about HRT (High-Resolution Timers) that somehow devolved into 200+ replies, personal insults, and at least one GIF of a raccoon, I have decided it’s time to take drastic measures.

Effective next merge window, we will be removing IPv4 support from the kernel. This will both (a) resolve the maintainers’ scheduling disputes, and (b) force the world into the IPV6 utopia we were promised back in 1998.

If you need IPv4 after this point, you can either:

run an ancient kernel from before the change (good luck with the bugs), or rewrite your applications to use IPv6 and learn to love colons in your addresses. Yes, I realize this will break roughly *everything *. No, I don’t care. I have already switched all my machines to IPv6-only, except for the toaster, which unfortunately still insists on using a 192. 168. x. x address. The toaster will be replaced.

If you disagree with this decision, I suggest you take it up with the HRT maintainers. But please keep it civil this time. (Or at least keep the raccoon GIFs under 1MB.)

Linus

top 50 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[-] herseycokguzelolacak@lemmy.ml 29 points 14 hours ago

ipv4 does not deserve the hate it gets. The congestion caused by the small number of ipv4 addresses is actually really good for privacy, and makes ip based tracking very difficult.

[-] Scoopta@programming.dev 2 points 2 hours ago

That's why IPv6 has privacy extensions which periodically rotate your address

[-] BlackLaZoR@lemmy.world 5 points 10 hours ago

Good one

[-] myotheraccount@lemmy.world 6 points 12 hours ago

The internet is just a fad anyway

[-] SaharaMaleikuhm@feddit.org 13 points 15 hours ago

HRT maintainers? So trans people?

[-] Agent641@lemmy.world 7 points 14 hours ago

For the hyper text TRANS port layer (the socks)

[-] SailorMoss@sh.itjust.works 3 points 3 hours ago

Ahh… so the Unix socks people. Glad we could clear up that ambiguity.

[-] LordCrom@lemmy.world 5 points 13 hours ago

Maybe we drop ethernet all together and go back to tokenring?

[-] anton@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 10 hours ago

wrong layer

[-] fubarx@lemmy.world 33 points 20 hours ago

On this day of global reconciliation, they should split the difference and go for ipv5.

[-] nonentity@sh.itjust.works 13 points 16 hours ago

You mean IPvV?

I prefer the combination of IPv4 and IPv6 as a Dual Stack, call it IPvX.

[-] Sir_Simon_Spamalot@lemmy.world 7 points 16 hours ago

IPvX = IPvIV + IPvVI

[-] faintwhenfree@lemmus.org 2 points 13 hours ago

Mind = blown

[-] rmuk@feddit.uk 1 points 4 hours ago

i = (1÷Md)×blow

[-] FauxLiving@lemmy.world 3 points 17 hours ago

That's how we got the Ellipse of Hormuz

[-] 667@lemmy.radio 2 points 13 hours ago

Only in non-Euclidean geometry.

[-] FauxLiving@lemmy.world 1 points 4 hours ago

On the complex plane.

[-] apftwb@lemmy.world 134 points 1 day ago

I forgot what day it was.

[-] lectricleopard@lemmy.world 47 points 1 day ago

Me too. This is the only one that fooled me at first today. Ill take it. If you have to make a joke about ip addresses and the kernel to fool me, then I guess I'm still pretty sharp.

[-] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 72 points 1 day ago

Now that's some April Fools trolling done right.

[-] Scoopta@programming.dev 49 points 1 day ago

Honestly, I get this is a joke...but it unironically wouldn't impact me, I run single stack v6, so let's do it. I'll grab some popcorn

[-] nucleative@lemmy.world 18 points 22 hours ago

Isn't like 50% of the internet broken for you if you're only running IPv6? It seems like so many websites , especially small ones, still aren't setting up v6 addresses

[-] Scoopta@programming.dev 22 points 22 hours ago

Small ones are actually often better than big ones. I have a love hate relationship with cloudflare, they contribute to internet centralization but it IPv6 enables so many sites transparently and they only let you turn it off if you're an enterprise customer. So some guy using free cloudflare has IPv6 but not discord, ironic. That being said I have NAT64+DNS64 which lets me access the remaining legacy v4 services without having v4 on my network or devices. Although according to my firewall stats over 90% of my traffic is v6 native, the remainder is NAT64. Honestly the only services I use on a regular basis which don't work if I disable NAT64, discord, steam, and my bank. Everything else I use is v6 native, YT, Crunchyroll, lemmy (this instance), even steam downloads (just not login ironically).

[-] moonshadow@slrpnk.net 4 points 20 hours ago

I tried to do this but am too old, too dumb, or a little bit of both. Shine on my dude, if there's any resources you found particularly helpful I'd love to see them. Got as far as getting an address from my isp but couldn't even ping it x(

load more comments (2 replies)

[-] irelephant@lemmy.dbzer0.com 84 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Not really.

Source: https://rivals.space/@deuxnise/115032302416832519 Originally posted here

[-] irelephant@lemmy.dbzer0.com 39 points 1 day ago

uhhh, don't look too close at the dates in the email.

[-] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 25 points 1 day ago

Based and v6 pilled.

[-] carotte@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 points 22 hours ago

the only truth when it comes to which type of hrt is better is this:

any hrt >>>>> no hrt

[-] lvxferre@mander.xyz 32 points 23 hours ago

Just in case you guys want to fight each other like kernel devs, and need some raccoon GIFs for that.
GIF is pronounced /ɣi:f/ by the way.

[-] mushroommunk@lemmy.today 55 points 1 day ago

God I fucking wish. I hate ipv6 but I hate this split world even more. Nothing but headaches.

[-] Janx@piefed.social 35 points 1 day ago

It may be inevitable, but if you wonder why ipv6 has been slow to adopt, it's because no one want to type in 32 alphanumeric digits for every single device, every time...

[-] djsaskdja@reddthat.com 30 points 1 day ago

Just give OpenClaw unrestricted access to your system and make the AI do it. /s

[-] vividspecter@aussie.zone 12 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago)

it’s because no one want to type in 32 alphanumeric digits for every single device, every time…

Use DNS; I almost never type in an IP manually. You can also make short IPv6 addresses that are just the prefix and a bunch of zeros using '::' followed by one (or more) characters.

Something like:

2001:0DB8::1

[-] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 6 points 20 hours ago

2001:db8::1

Fixed it for you

[-] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 5 points 20 hours ago

If you are typing 32 chars for a IPv6 address you are doing it wrong

[-] The_Decryptor@aussie.zone 1 points 15 hours ago

Yeah, we have mDNS for a reason.

Or even just link the DHCPv6 server to the DNS, that's the default config in most cases anyway.

[-] mushroommunk@lemmy.today 10 points 1 day ago

I mean I did say I hate ipv6...

But seriously, I think it has more to do with it's slightly different, easier for ISPs to just add another NAT layer or whatever instead of learn the minor differences.

load more comments (2 replies)

[-] fallaciousBasis@lemmy.world 2 points 13 hours ago

Aproofoools

[-] Labna@lemmy.world 4 points 16 hours ago

I was hoping they drop TCP/IP scam finally... But no. The only network protocole you need is rina.
Many have already make the step, learn about it right now to be ready for the futur.

[-] SteveTech@aussie.zone 12 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago)

Damn, you didn't even need to fake it, it's already happening: https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/20260401074509.1897527-1-dwmw2@infradead.org/

Sure it's still just a joke, but there is a follow up:

The date notwithstanding, I do actually think we should do most of this for real.

[-] renegadespork@lemmy.jelliefrontier.net 35 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

High Resolution Timers aren't even the most controversial HRT.

load more comments (1 replies)

[-] Crackhappy@lemmy.world 24 points 1 day ago

Finally some welcome news. I'm tired of simple easy to understand addressing.

[-] InnerScientist@lemmy.world 21 points 1 day ago

Also, DNS is now depricated and will be removed in the merge window after the ipv4 removal. This will fix 90% of all networking problems.

load more comments (1 replies)

load more comments (2 replies)

[-] trackball_fetish@lemmy.wtf 6 points 19 hours ago

Nice try nerd

[-] Jankatarch@lemmy.world 15 points 1 day ago

HRT :3

[-] birdwing@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

blåhaj :3

[-] rc__buggy@sh.itjust.works 16 points 1 day ago

I really gotta see this racoon gif

[-] LiveLM@lemmy.zip 10 points 1 day ago

If we magically got rid of IPv4, I do wonder if the world would decay to a state of utter chaos like the tabloids were touting for Y2K

load more comments (1 replies)

load more comments

this post was submitted on 01 Apr 2026

461 points (94.2% liked)

Linux

13076 readers

734 users here now

A community for everything relating to the GNU/Linux operating system (except the memes!)

Also, check out:

Original icon base courtesy of lewing@isc.tamu.edu and The GIMP

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

Ategon@programming.dev

anzo@programming.dev

dwraf_of_ignorance@programming.dev