Linus Torvalds FURIOUS ‘Stop Doing These Horrible Things’

Linus Torvalds pushed back on two Linux kernel patch series. The first involved a VFS audit optimization that treated PWD and root paths differently, which Torvalds criticized as a design hack that leaked audit-specific broken behavior into core file system code. He proposed an alternative 'borrow' model for audit references. The maintainer agreed and withdrew the patch. The second involved adding a Kconfig option for triggering kernel panic on RCU stalls, which Torvalds rejected as unnecessary Kconfig bloat that worsens the user-facing kernel configuration experience. He argued sysctl or boot parameters already cover the use case. The developer acknowledged the mistake and the option was dropped. Both threads illustrate Torvalds' role as final gatekeeper enforcing deep design principles over technically functional but architecturally messy patches.