Linux 7.2 has completed the removal of the strncpy function from the kernel. The change ended a long-running cleanup effort involving more than 360 patches.
The merge window for Linux 7.2 closed on Friday with the final removal of strncpy from every subsystem. Kernel developers had worked on the project for six years.
The function is described in the kernel's own documentation as actively dangerous. Its elimination marks the end of a campaign that many had stopped expecting to finish.
The update affects all remaining uses of the C string-copy routine across drivers and other components.
