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By Zayden R., August 5, 2026
Linux kernel maintainers have removed old drivers for Moxa Intellio and IPWireless hardware in response to AI-generated noise, freeing up over 5,800 lines of code in upcoming versions.
In a move to streamline the Linux kernel, maintainers have decided to remove the aging Moxa Intellio and IPWireless drivers. This decision comes as a response to the increasing noise generated by AI/LLM coding agents, which have been sending in reports and patches for these obsolete drivers. The Moxa Intellio driver, originally dating back to 1999, supported multi-port serial cards but has seen no known active usage in modern systems. Greg Kroah-Hartman, a prominent figure in the Linux community, submitted the patch for its removal, noting that even the company behind the hardware no longer requires it. "Let's drop it," he stated, emphasizing the unnecessary distraction posed by AI agents critiquing outdated code.
The removal of the Moxa driver clears nearly 2.2k lines from the source tree, a welcome cleanup for developers focused on more relevant components. Additionally, the IPWireless driver, which supported certain 3G UTMS PCMCIA cards, is also being excised from the kernel with the upcoming Linux 7.3 cycle. This driver has been inactive since at least 2011, and its removal, aided by GPT-5.6 Codex, eliminates an additional 3.6k lines of code.
For engineers, this cleanup reflects a broader trend of retiring unused legacy code in the face of modern development challenges. While some may lament the loss of historical hardware support, the practical impact on current systems is minimal. Should there be a resurgence of interest or need, these drivers could potentially be reintroduced in a more contemporary form. Until then, the focus remains on maintaining a leaner, more efficient kernel, free from the distractions of AI-generated noise.
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