Re: Potentially serious problem with kernel-headers...

[Dale Scheetz <dwarf@polaris.net>]

On 13 Jul 1998, Dale E. Martin wrote:

> Dale Scheetz <dwarf@polaris.net> writes:
> 
> > For the package in question, it allows you to install the
> > kernel-header-2.0.34 package without effecting other libc6 development
> > work, and thus allows you to construct special programs requiring
> > "non-standard" header files.
> > 
> > Is there something I can add to the FAQ that will make this issue more
> > clear?
> > 
> > Thanks,
> > 
> > Dwarf
> 
> I don't mean to beat a dead horse, but I guess my concern is this.  The
> hamm kernel headers package is 2.0.32, right?  So most hamm applications
> are compiled with those headers.  If I'm a normal user, and I upgrade to
> kernel 2.0.34, binaries from hamm that used to work could potentially start
> blowing up in my face, due to inconstitencies in the kernel interfaces
> between 2.0.32 and 2.0.34.  And all I did was upgrade my kernel!

This will only happen if the new kernel is incompatible with the old one.
This is not what is happening here, and so far, all hamm packages compiled
against 2.0.32 headers work on 2.0.34 kernels as well.

> 
> What I think the whole thing with "cdparanoia" has proved is that this
> isn't a hypothetical situation - it's shown up for at least one
> application.  That's my concern.
> 
All that cdparanoia has proven is that it will break unless compiled
against 2.0.34 headers. The current scheme provides for the proper
construction of such packages, and all current testing seems to indicate
that they work ok with the 2.0.33 kernel.

What this proves to me, is that cdparanoia has no need of those special
kernel headers, as they do not impare the functionality of the code when
compiled against them and run on a lower version kernel that doesn't
support them.

Code that depends on such issues is not the responsibility of libc, or the
kernel.

Your concern should focus on why cdparanoia feels the need to use these
specialized kernel headers when it is not strictly necessary.

Waiting is, 

Dwarf
--
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