HPFS is the latest file-system driver for the Linux kernel facing removal. The High Performance File-System (HPFS) was developed by IBM and Microsoft for OS/2.
Following the BFS removal in Linux 7.4 as the old UnixWare file-system for boot partitions, HPFS is now on deck for removal from the mainline Linux kernel. HPFS development began nearly 40 years ago for OS/2 and hasn't really been relevant for many years.
The HPFS Linux driver has been orphaned and unmaintained for quite a while with no active users believed. The HPFS driver also does not work for SMP kernel builds, PREEMPT kernel configurations, and other technical limitations.
Furthermore, in the AI era the HPFS code has come under scrutiny like the CVE-2026-97486 security vulnerability for it that could lead to a kernel panic and denial of service. So as with other areas of the kernel seldom seeing maintenance and improvements, the burden has increased in the world of AI agents scouring every bit of the source tree.
This patch on the Linux kernel mailing list removes all 6,969 lines of the HPFS file-system code from the kernel.