Just a side note: sudo is largely maintained by just one dude
https://github.com/sudo-project/sudo/graphs/contributorsalso worth mentioning: Lennart Poettering
"Poettering is known for having controversial technical and architectural positions regarding the Linux ecosystem"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lennart_Poettering
His positions are mostly controversial because he challenges the way things have been done for a long time. Whenever he presents some new idea/architecture my first reaction is often confusion. Why would he change something that has worked so well for such a long time? But then I take the time to read up on the reasoning behind his ideas and then things start to make sense. Even when something isn't exactly broken, there is still room for better solutions.
He's controversial because numerous times his ego has so severely clouded his judgemental that he refuses to see egregious bugs in his programs for what they are. Just one example:
https://github.com/systemd/systemd/issues/6237#issuecomment-...The "people hate him because he makes new stuff" narrative is just more ego-protecting cope. Many developers of other new systems are widely respected and appreciated because their stuff works and they stay humble. Wireguard and Pipewire devs don't get hate poured on them in HN discussions because their shit works, solves problems people have, and because they know how to deal with people.
> Just one example:
https://github.com/systemd/systemd/issues/6237#issuecomment-...
1. He gave a clear reason why it is how it is
2. He realizes it is/might be frustrating
3. even `adduser` will not allow it by default
4. The issue that it still runs the unit even with config errors has been addressed: https://github.com/systemd/systemd/commit/bb28e68477a3a39796... (~2 weeks after the issue was opened)
His reason, although clear, is also plainly wrong. Such usernames although bizarre may be encountered by SystemD so it shouldn't break when it sees them. Computer programs, particularly important ones, should be conservative in what they emit and liberal with what they accept and that means not breaking when they encounter weird but technically permissible usernames. His response should have been "Golly, that's a weird username, I didn't think that was possible" and then fix the bug.