kernel-module packaging (was Re: [Fedora-packaging] Re: DKMS into Fedora Extras)

[Tom 'spot' Callaway]

For clarity sake, let me state the problem as I see it first:

PROBLEM: Kernel modules not in Fedora Core's kernel packages are
difficult to package, track, and upgrade, due to dependency issues and
the assumption of multiple kernels.

To repeat Seth, right now, if it is a kernel or kernel module (ie
provides kernel or provides kernel-modules) then the package is
installed not updated. If we can come up with a consistent pattern for
when a kernel-module will be updated but not installed then yum can get
the added logic to deal with this case.

So, what should happen with all of these cases?

Case 1: kernel-2.6.10-3_FC3 installed. User runs: "yum install
kernel-module-unionfs" to get the unionfs module RPM for
kernel-2.6.10-3_FC3.

Case 2: kernel-2.6.10-3_FC3, kernel-2.6.10-4_FC3, and
kernel-2.6.10-5_FC3 are installed. User runs: "yum install
kernel-module-unionfs" to get the unionfs module RPM for all installed
kernels. (I think it is safe to assume that if a user has multiple
kernels installed that they would like an addon kernel module to be
installed for all of them)

Case 3: kernel-2.6.10-3_FC3 and kernel-module-unionfs-2.6.10_3_FC3-1 are
installed. User runs: "yum update kernel-module-unionfs" (either
implicitly, or as part of a generic update all), and
kernel-module-unionfs-2.6.10_3_FC3-2 exists in Fedora Extras.

Case 4: kernel-2.6.10-3_FC3 and kernel-module-unionfs-2.6.10_3_FC3-1 are
installed. User runs: "yum update kernel" (either implicitly, or as part
of a generic update all), and both kernel-2.6.10-4_FC3
kernel-module-unionfs-2.6.10_4_FC3-1 exists in Fedora Extras.

~spot
---
Tom "spot" Callaway: Red Hat Sales Engineer || GPG Fingerprint: 93054260
Fedora Extras Steering Committee Member (RPM Standards and Practices)
Aurora Linux Project Leader: http://auroralinux.org
Lemurs, llamas, and sparcs, oh my!