The developer of the open-source operating system Linux, Linus Torvalds, believes that the standard scope of code rules, now limited to 80 characters, should be abandoned. This should prevent code errors. Also, version 5.7 of the operating system has now been launched.
In a recent post on cleaning up the Linux kernel, the Linux guru questioned the 80 character rule standard for code. According to him, the standard is a thing of the past and should be abolished. The 80 character limit was once set so that large monitors show smaller windows when the column width is limited.
As the main reason for abolishing it, Torvalds reports that the 80 character limit causes a lot of code breaks. According to Torvalds, this is particularly bad and causes many recurring problems in the code.
No focus on niche sectors
In addition, he notices that the 80 character limit only solves problems for a limited group. He mainly focuses on developers who work with specific hardware that make it impossible to see more code in the width of an 80×25 terminal window. He does not find this relevant anymore.
From his point of view, developers with limited hardware should not make it difficult for everyone else that have the right (hardware) resources. According to Torvalds, monitors with an 80 character limitation are outdated. Developers with these screens should be satisfied with line-wrapping.
New 5.7 version of Linux
Torvalds’ comments ‘coincided’ with the introduction of Linux version 5.7. New features of the open-source OS include a Samsung-based exFAT driver. This driver should provide better support for SD cards. Furthermore, a fix has been added for the early 2020 Intel graphics bug CVE-2019-14615 and support for the latest Intel Tiger Lake processors. There is also a new driver for Apple that supports fast charging technology as well as Arm-devices. Apart from that, the OS has been thoroughly cleaned up again.
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