kernel update warning

[Ed Greshko]

Valent Turkovic wrote:
> On Tue, Feb 26, 2008 at 12:01 AM, Kam Leo <kam.leo at gmail.com> wrote:
>> On Mon, Feb 25, 2008 at 2:52 PM, Valent Turkovic
>>
>> <valent.turkovic at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> On Mon, Feb 25, 2008 at 1:06 AM, Mark LaPierre <marklapier at aol.com> wrote:
>>  >  > Valent Turkovic wrote:
>>  >  >  > Hi,
>>  >  >  > I just saw that opensuse 10.3 has an warning when there is a kernel update.
>>  >  >  > Look how they handle this:
>>  >  >  > http://www.uploadgeek.com/uploads456/0/new-kernel.png
>>  >  >  >
>>  >  >  > What do you think would this also be nice if Fedora had something like
>>  >  >  > this or not?
>>  >  >  >
>>  >  >  > Cheers,
>>  >  >  > Valent.
>>  >  >  >
>>  >  >  >
>>  >  >  Hey Valent,
>>  >  >
>>  >  >  Fedora does notify you that a reboot is required if you update the
>>  >  >  kernal.  When the updater is done running it asks if you  want to reboot
>>  >  >  [NOW] or [LATER].  It's not a pretty splash screen, it just works.
>>  >
>>  >  You missed the point. Opensuse warns you BEFORE installing the kernel
>>  >  and asks you if you want to update the kernel. Fedora just does it and
>>  >  tells you that you should reboot as soon as possible.
>>  >  Do you see the difference?
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >  Valent
>>
>>  You are nit-picking. Most users want kernel security updates. Those
>>  who have special requirements, e.g. only one particular version works
>>  with their setup, will disable updating the kernel.
> 
> There are users who aren't aware that kernel updates can stop their
> vmware, vitualbox and other apps that use custom compiled kernel
> modules... I know that you can argue that users should know that
> breaks and what doesn't break their apps, but still a finer grained
> updates would be nice.

A finer grained update only makes sense in the context that the person using 
it knows its purpose.  If the person is unaware of the consequences a kernel 
update *may* have on applications you've mentioned then they probably are 
equally unlikely to appreciate a finer grained update and more likely to 
view it as inconvenient or overly complex.

> I also think that OpenSuse has some think like this "install only
> updates that don't require a restart" (I don't use OpenSuse regulary
> so I can't be absolute sure) and Mint Linux has even updates grained
> with numbers 1-5, 5 being updates that are potentially dangerous to
> break some functionality you have now (like kernels and graphics
> drivers). So you can apply only updates with 3 and lower number and
> only when you choose do the other "more dangerous" updates.
> 
> Do you see this as a nonsense or something that fedora would benefit from?

Neither.  Just different methods.

FWIW, I wouldn't suggest that people with limited knowledge of system 
administration be encouraged to modify their system to perform update tasks 
without a password.