Linus Torvalds Criticizes Google Contributor Over Inode Usage
Linus Torvalds blasted a Google contributor’s proposal to make all file and directory inodes identical, calling the idea outdated, labeling the pull request as garbage, and urging that the inode concept be abandoned in favor of modern file‑system designs that no longer rely on unique identifiers.
Linus Torvalds recently posted one of his most forceful messages on the Linux kernel mailing list, harshly criticizing a Google contributor’s suggestion to make all inodes for files and directories identical.
He argued that inodes are an outdated concept and should no longer be treated as unique identifiers, stating that modern file systems have evolved beyond the 1970s design.
Google engineer Steven Rostedt proposed assigning unique numbers to inodes, but Linus responded that the inode mechanism should be abandoned to avoid unnecessary complexity.
When Rostedt submitted a pull request, Linus labeled the code as “garbage” and warned against copying functions without understanding their purpose.
Reference: https://lkml.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/2401.3/04208.html
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