With Linux 7.1 ISDN, ham radio, and other old network code was removed in lightening the kernel source tree by around 138 thousand lines of code. Some additional Linux networking code cleaning is expected for Linux 7.2 with the ISA and PCMCIA hardware around ARCnet set to be removed...
The continuous evolution of the Linux kernel inherently involves periodic clean-up of deprecated or unused code, with older hardware support being a frequent target.
This item is not important for a strategic reader as it pertains to routine software maintenance and impacts only legacy, non-strategic hardware.
This change primarily results in a smaller Linux kernel codebase and reduced maintenance overhead, with no impact on modern or future computing infrastructure.
- · Linux kernel developers
- · Users of ancient ISA/PCMCIA ARCnet hardware
The Linux kernel source tree becomes slightly smaller and more efficient.
No significant second-order effects are anticipated as the affected hardware is obsolete.
This cleaning process enables developers to focus on more relevant, modern technologies without the burden of maintaining legacy code.
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