Learning eBPF

Chapter 11. The Future Evolution of eBPF

eBPF is not finished yet! Like most software, it’s under continual development within the Linux kernel, and it’s being added to the Windows operating system as well. In this chapter we’ll look at some of the likely future paths for this technology.

Since it was introduced within the Linux kernel, BPF has evolved into its own subsystem with its own mailing list and maintainers.¹ As eBPF’s popularity increased and interest broadened beyond the Linux kernel community, it made sense to create a neutral body that could coordinate among the different parties involved. That body is the eBPF Foundation.

The eBPF Foundation

The eBPF Foundation was set up in 2021 by Google, Isovalent, Meta (then known as Facebook), Microsoft, and Netflix, under the auspices of the Linux Foundation. The foundation acts as a neutral body that can hold funds and intellectual property, such that various commercial companies can collaborate with one another.

The intent was not to change anything about the way eBPF technology is developed by the Linux kernel community and contributors to the Linux BPF subsystem. The foundation’s activities are directed by the BPF Steering Committee, which is entirely composed of the technical experts who build the technology, including the Linux kernel BPF maintainers and representatives from other core eBPF projects.

The eBPF Foundation focuses on eBPF as a technology platform and the ecosystem of tools that enable eBPF development. ...