future kernel module rpm situation (was: kernel-source vs. kernel-sourcecode (please revert))

[Thomas Vander Stichele]

Hi,

>  The point of Arjan's posts is that kernel module building
> shouldn't be using kernel-source rpm at all, it should be using the
> files in a directory
> like /lib/modules/2.6.6-1.435/build/ to build against.

That is fine.  I think everyone realizes that.  We'd just like to have
it made slightly easier for the people that *want to do the right thing*
to do just that.  More than one packager has stated that the fact that
different archs of the kernel install files in the exact same location
makes it impossible to build the respective module for more than one
arch at the same time.

>   For kernel
> module building documentation and build scripts, this rpm package name
> change has exposed a bug that was already present. If I'm
> understanding Arjan correctly, all references to kernel-source in
> regard 2.6 kernel module building is a bug and all instructions should
> be fixed so that people aren't told to use kernel-source OR
> kernel-sourcecode for module building.

The correct fix would have been "fix up2date".

>  Atleast for building kernels
> for the running kernel. What people who build external modules
> packages need to do now..to do it correctly is a bit less clear..since
> they have to build modules for the save kernel version but different
> arches.

I spent a *lot* of time on this for both 2.4 and 2.6, coming to a a
fairly simple way to patch a kernel module project resulting in an
autotooled tarball.  Additionally, I wrote a python script that takes
the four kernel rpms and symlinks all the build files that are the same,
and only copies the different ones, resulting in a symlink forest in a
different location.  The resulting package adds very little disk space
on top of any of the four kernel rpms installed, thus making it possible
to build all kernel modules for the version-release in one go.

Still hoping for some feedback on these methods :)

Thomas

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