Hi everyone.
I've built a client / server architecture to facilitate the installation of Linux kernel modules as my Master's dissertation at Kent University in the UK. It's liscenced as open source.
It's a proof of concept. The server allows developers to submit kernel module configurations in a standard Makefile format via GitHub. The client, written in C++, allows the end users to install said kernel module configurations in using a graphical interface. Votes by the user on the success of module installs allow successful module configurations to be recommended or depreciated.
The site is at www.linuxconf.feedthepenguin.org. I am happy to continue to work on this for all major Linux versions. I would need a team of people to vet each configuration, ultimately we are inserting code into the kernel. The team would ensure that each Makefile will not be malicious and that each binary is from a trusted source.
This could, when in production, negate a major problem of Linux adoption, that is the installation of non supported drivers using the terminal. The program also supports using apt-get to install driver packages provided by the repositories, in a graphical fashion. The contributing developer, if their submission is popular, can have their details displayed to the end user as a form of reimbursement for their time.
As a proof of concept, and with no merit to grades in the dissertation i built it for Ubuntu. I would like to see it built for each major Linux distribution by package manager. I have further ideas on how it can be improved. The text of my dissertation is at https://github.com/rydal/dissertation-doc.
I have further ways of improving this, and would like to see it become standard.
I am not subscribed to the Linux kernel mailing list, if you are interested please email me on rob@rydal.org.
Thanks.
Rob Brew.