Bug#2350: genksyms is in the wrong place

[Rob Leslie <rob@mars.org>]

> Package: modules
> Version: 1.2.8-3
>
> Considering that genksyms is a system style utility and that the kernel
> build makefile expects it there, genksyms should be in /sbin rather than
> /usr/bin...

I reported this once too (Bug#2043) but the consensus seemed vague about
whether this is really a bug. The 1.2.13 kernel Makefile explicitly calls
/usr/bin/genksyms while the more recent 1.3.* kernels I've seen call
/sbin/genksyms.

An argument could be made that the kernel Makefile should just call "genksyms"
and let PATH find it, but:

  - genksyms is not generally useful for anything but building kernels.
  - users do not typically build kernels, suggesting genksyms should
    reside in /sbin (or /usr/sbin). The man page is already in section 8.
  - nothing forbids users from building kernels, and therefore the fact
    that the kernel Makefile calls genksyms with an explicit path can be
    considered a feature.

This still leaves the 1.2.13/1.3.* kernel Makefile discrepancy, however.

I see three possible solutions:

  1. change the kernel Makefile and/or report this as a bug to the
     linux-kernel people. Resolve genksyms to either of /usr/bin or /sbin,
     moving its man page accordingly.

  2. create a symlink for genksyms to one or the other of /usr/bin and /sbin.
     This is what I have kludged on my system.

  3. move genksyms where newer kernels expect to find it (/sbin). If a
     stable kernel is released before Debian 1.1, there would be no reason
     to leave genksyms in /usr/bin.

Other ideas?

--
Robert Leslie
rob@mars.org