Void Linux Maintainer Orphans 100+ Packages Over AI Policy Dispute

Void Linux contributor Andrea Brancaleoni last week submitted a Void package update for Go 1.27.1. As a follow-up to it, yesterday was this commit he posted referring to the results comparing the Go 1.26 to 1.27 package upgrade impact.

Another Void Linux maintainer then asked what was used in generating this text for comparison, to which Brancaleoni noted was GLM-5.3-Flash + OpenCode.

But the Void Linux project does have a contributing policy over AI usage that reads:

"In this section, "AI" refers to generative artificial intelligence tools, including Large Language Models and similar technologies.

All contributions are expected to be made by humans. AI tools may be used for research and learning, but all content in contributions must originate from and be understood by the contributor. This includes code, documentation, issues, security reports, pull request descriptions, and comments in all Void Linux community spaces.

ALL usage of AI tools MUST be disclosed.

Do not bring AI review tools into pull requests.

Usage of AI-powered human-language translation tools is acceptable to facilitate contributions across language barriers."

So technically the policy was broken by using AI to generate comments on comments for that Void Linux pull request. And the usage of AI tools wasn't disclosed upfront in that offending message.

Now in turn, Brancaleoni decided to disown maintained packages that he oversees. That has resulted in 113 of the Void Linux packages set to be orphaned.

The now orphaned packages include Adapta, Autodia, SFML, abootimg, alacritty, arpwatch, asus-kbd-backlight, backblaze-b2, bash-preexec, beep, binfmt-support, bitlbee-facebook, bitlbee-steam, cdm, clementine, crane, csound, daemonize, darkhttpd, dep, diff-pdf, docker-cli, docker-gc, docker-gen, dtc, embree, entr, etcd, fcron, flannel, flint, font-fontin, forego, freeplane, fscrypt, gede, gettext-stub, git-cola, gkill, glock, go-bindata, go-jira, hans, hivex, hopper, hostaliases, hugo, iio-sensor-proxy, indicator-doom-cpu, interbench, ispc, jbigkit, kaitai-struct-compiler, kubernetes, kvirc, libguestfs, libnfc, libpodofo0.9.7, logstalgia, massren, mbox, mfoc, mkinitcpio-nfs-utils, mksh, moby, motion, openresolv, packer, pd, perl-Template-Toolkit, pinktrace, podofo, python3-Arrow, python3-b2sdk, python3-pdm-backend, python3-xattr, racket, rakarrack, rancher-compose, rmlint, rng-tools, rocker, runit-swap, sassc, scanmem, schroot, sift, splix, sublime-text3, subtle, supermin, sydbox, tag, tbb, terraform, terragrunt, texmaker, thermald, trollock, ttf-ubuntu-font-family, urbanterror-data, urbanterror, usbredir, vagrant, vba-m, virt-manager, virtme, webcat, websocketd, wpa_actiond, xboxdrv, xcompmgr, and yoshimi.

That includes some notable packages such as Alacritty, binfmt-support, Clementine, various Docker packages, fscrypt, Kubernetes, various Python 3 packages, and Intel Thermald now set to be orphaned unless other Void Linux maintainers step up to maintain them over this AI policy dispute.