Linus Torvalds, the founder of Linux, has declined a code submission for the RISC-V architecture from Google engineer Palmer Dabbelt, labeling it as "unacceptable". This was reported by Tom's Hardware. The request for inclusion in the Linux 6.17 kernel was made on August 8, but Torvalds sharply criticized both its quality and timing.

In his comments, Torvalds emphasized that he had requested submissions to be sent in advance due to a planned trip, adding, "If you can’t adhere to this rule, at least make your submission of high quality". He pointed out that the code contained changes to general header files that were unrelated to RISC-V and referred to them as "things that should never be sent, especially during the merge window's closure".

Torvalds further stated that the submitted code "makes the world a worse place" and warned the developer: "No late submissions and no garbage outside the RISC-V tree". He advised preparing contributions for the Linux 6.18 version in advance and without unnecessary elements.

The community's reaction to Torvalds' stern tone has been mixed. Some find his straightforwardness effective, while others emphasize the importance of constructive dialogue. Despite the criticism, Torvalds provided specific examples of errors, allowing his comments to be seen not just as an emotional reaction but also as a technical assessment.