No more kernel-source(code) ??? (was: rawhide report: 20040623 changes)

[Axel Thimm]

(Hi again)^squared,

On Sun, Jul 04, 2004 at 01:10:39PM +0200, Thomas Vander Stichele wrote:
> > You don't want to shove all headers in one rpm, as this will again
> > make it harder to build custon kernels with their custom
> > kernel-headers/devel packages.
> 
> Why is this ? Don't really see why this would make it harder.

Hm, saw this too late, the answer is in my previous post.

In short:
o bundling of kernel and kernel headers is bad, because
  - you run into file space clashes for different archs (currently you
    cannot have the kernel headers for i586 and i686 installed at the
    same time).
  - you don't need the kernel (running or installed) for developing
    against its headers
  - you don't need the headers for running the kernel

o bundling of N different kernel-header packages in on mega-kernel-header
  package is bad, because
  - with each new kernel you need to add the kernel headers to this
    mega package, instead of just creating another light-weigh per
    kernel kernel-header package.
  - non-vendor kernels, such as 3rd party kernels and custom kernels
    cannot use this mega-package at all.

So all is solved if

o kernel building splits subpackages into kernel and kernel-headers
o kernel-headers are per arch and flavour and are installed under say
  /usr/src/kernel-headers/`uname -r`.<arch>
o /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build (part of the kernel subpackage)
  becomes a symlink to /usr/src/kernel-headers/`uname -r`.<arch>

Benefits:

o Users can install the kernel-header package matching their kernel and
  create all modules they'd like either manually or from kernel
  modules src.rpms
o ISVs/Packagers can install as many kernel-header rpms and build
  kernel module rpms for the whole lot of them w/o
  installing/deinstalling kernel-headers or even whole kernels.
o Vendors are happy they found a solution that work for all

Drawbacks:
o Users will have to install kernel-header-`uname -r` for building
  kernel modules.

I think the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.
-- 
Axel.Thimm at ATrpms.net
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