So here’s the thing. The author thinks that Greg K-H is under some sort of obligation to respond to the patch they submitted. But that’s just not how free software works.

Greg K-H is a fully autonomous human being and he doesn’t work for the author of tfa. It sucks that we live in a world where nation states try to put exploits into the linux kernel and other foss projects but we very much do live in that world. It sucks that that means the author doesn’t get to contribute to the Linux kernel because their government (who they presumably have little control over) are very active in doing that, but that too is a fact of life.

Either way Greg K-H doesn’t owe you or me or the author anything and people need to stop being so entitled about free software.

> So here’s the thing ...

That was very much not the thing. He's raising an interesting point, if true. Namely that sanctioned countries could severely damage the progress of Linux by supplying good patches.

Greg K-H is one of the original author of OHCI implementation, and the current USB subsystem maintainer. Another USB subsystem maintainer told me he won't merge the code without Greg's approval (he's OK with my code and reviewed it, as you can see in the mail list).

This is not the first case anyway.

>author doesn’t get to contribute to the Linux kernel because their government

I guess you're missing the point: nobody has asked me anything. The whole assumption that I'm Russian, from Russia, and a possibly designated, comes from using my .ru email.

I used to have .cn and .be domains as well during my life, should have been Chinese or Belgian to send kernel patches :D