VFS maintainers set new Linux file-system upstreaming guidelines
Updated
Updated · Phoronix · May 4
VFS maintainers set new Linux file-system upstreaming guidelines
10 articles · Updated · Phoronix · May 4
The draft, queued in the vfs-7.2.misc tree ahead of the Linux 7.2 merge window, follows proposals for FTRFS and VMUFAT as mainline Linux carries about 69 file-systems.
It prioritises adoption, testability, user-space tools, documentation and maintainer commitment, while urging developers to extend existing file-systems or use FUSE for niche cases where possible.
The rules also warn that unmaintained, unresponsive or untestable file-systems may be deprecated and eventually removed, reflecting concern over the long-term maintenance burden on kernel VFS developers.
Which of Linux's 69 file-systems are now at risk of removal under the new maintenance guidelines?
Is the FUSE framework ready to handle next-generation, high-performance file-systems as kernel inclusion becomes harder?
Will stricter kernel rules stifle file-system innovation by favoring corporate projects over novel, niche ideas?