GitHub Faces Backlash Over Unfixed Bug That Drove Zig Away

The open-source world is buzzing after the Zig Software Foundation announced its departure from GitHub, citing frustration with deteriorating service quality. At the heart of the controversy lies a simple but devastating bug in GitHub's safe_sleep.sh script that went unaddressed for nearly three years.

The Bug That Broke Trust

Back in February 2022, GitHub replaced the standard POSIX sleep command with its own safe_sleep script. There was just one problem - if a process wasn't scheduled within a one-second interval, the script would spiral into an infinite loop, mercilessly consuming 100% CPU capacity.

"On our CI servers," explained Zig developer Matthew Lugg, "we'd see these processes running for hundreds of hours unchecked. They completely crippled our runners until someone physically intervened."

A Fix Ignored Until It Hurt

The most frustrating part? The solution existed long before action was taken. A fix had been proposed back in February 2024 but gathered dust for over a year - so long that GitHub's own automation closed it untouched in March 2025.

Andrew Kelly, Zig's founder, didn't mince words: "GitHub Actions has unforgivable flaws that get completely ignored while they chase AI hype." His reference to GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke's "embrace AI or get out" comment struck a nerve across developer communities.

Wider Concerns Emerge

The backlash extends beyond just Zig. Jeremy Howard of Fast.AI called the situation "astonishing" for any functioning organization. Meanwhile, Dillo browser creator Rodrigo Arias Mallo announced similar plans to leave, criticizing GitHub's "overemphasis on LLMs at the expense of core functionality."

The exodus appears to be benefiting alternatives like Codeberg, which has seen its membership double this year alone. While Microsoft touts GitHub Copilot's growth (now boasting 15 million users), it remains silent on overall platform satisfaction metrics.

Key Points:

• Critical bug lingered unfixed for three years despite available solution
• Zig Foundation leads growing migration to alternative platforms
• Codeberg membership doubles as discontent spreads
• AI focus questioned as core services deteriorate
• Microsoft declines comment on platform satisfaction metrics