Re: debian-installer kernel policy
Petter Reinholdtsen <pere@hungry.com> writes:
> [Bastian Blank]
> > hi folks
> >
> > i try to write a kernel policy for debian-installer.
> Some comments:
>
> > Chapter 2. Requirements
> > Linux
> >
> > Linux kernels which are used by the Debian-Installer must include
> > the following parts:
> > - devfs
> > - tmpfs
> > - ramdisk with initrd support
> > - Unix Domain Sockets support
>
> I believe the unix socket support can be in a module, as this is done
> in the i386 kernel at the moment. I'm not sure if the tmpfs support
> is needed. I'm not sure if devfs can be a module, or if it must
> included in the kernel.
The only non module is initrd support. I guess devfs and tmpfs are
required by the initrd scripts so there is no point in making them
modules.
Whats needing Unix Domain Sockets at boottime?
In general the kernel should include as many drivers as possible to
fill up any empty space on the first disk, which won't be much. But
every driver on the first disk is saved on the second. But I guess
thats something to tweak shortly before the release when the initrd
image stablelizes.
Whats missing is a policy for what modules must be compiled and
what modules will be in a default set so that third party module disks
can use them. Examples would be ide and scsi support. Some modules
itself wouldn't have to be included but should be activated at
buildtime so hat they can be loaded from an extra disk. (Thats because
some modules are to braindead to haven everything they need in
themodule and add stuff to the kernel image itself.) Examples again
ide and scsi support.
> > Chapter 3. Packages
> > Gerneral use Kernel Images
> >
> > The general use Kernel Images are out of the scope of this document.
>
> Eh, we want to use a normal kernel in d-i, so the general kernel
> images is not outside the scope of the d-i kernel documentation,
> right?
I don't like the idea of using one kernel for the D-I and another to
boot the installed system. This will only lead to D-I working but the
system then failing to boot cause its missing some drivers.
> > Chapter 3. Packages
> > Debian-Installer use Kernel Images
> > Linux
> >
> > The debian-installer use linux kernel images should be devided in
> > more packages:
> > linux-image-VERSION-udeb
> >
> > This package only include the kernel image themself.
> > linux-modules-TYPE-VERSION-udeb
> >
> > Any of this packages includes a limited set of modules.
> >
> > This packages must be built with the same binaries than the general
> > use kernel images.
>
> Why the name change? The current packages are called
> kernel-image-VERSION-udeb and TYPE-modules-VERSION-udeb, I believe.
Having "linux-modules-VERSION" grouped together seems more
plausible. The TYPE would be a subgroup of the VERSION so it shouldn't
be in the middle.
MfG
Goswin
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