Re: What's Debian's /usr/src policy
On 16 Jan 1998 srivasta@datasync.com wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I think we are cose to an understanding ;-)
>
> Yes, libc6-dev needs a *stable*, static, set of kernel
> headers. David Engel [and Herbert Xu] determined that 2.0.32 was the
> kernel version that was stable, had the fewest problems, and would be
> supported.
>
> But we can't just take the kernel headers into libc6, as it
> breaks alpha and sparc (possibly more archs). The other archs use
> totally different header files (or so I am informed).
>
> So, the libc6-dev on the the other archs would need different
> header files, which results in a large arch dependent diff file.
This was the part that wasn't made clear. Someone waved "large diffs" in
my face and I had to say "so what".
Architecturaly different kernel headers is all I need to hear to justify
splitting these headers from their natural location. This part now makes
perfect sense.
I was a bit concerned because folks are wont to use --force if they don't
think that they need the depended package. While this is clearly "broken"
behavior on the part of the user, we should make it unnecessary when
possible. Specially when it is such a "central" package to the
distribution.
>
> However, an alternative is to link to
> /usr/src/linux-2.0.30. This link is provided by just
> kernel-source-2.0.32 or kernel-headers-2.0.32, and *no other* kernel
> package! So, libc6-dev depends can now provide 2.0.32 kernel headers
> *for all architectures*, with no messy architecture dependent
> patches, we always have fixed, static, known good headers in
> /usr/include/{linux,asm}, and this is goodness.
>
> Is this clearer?
>
With one bit of confusion, yes, this is much clearer.
The confusion...(I build my kernels in /usr/local/src/linux-<version>/
with no links to /usr/include/{linux,asm} and have done so for quite a
while, so I'm not clear on a distinction)...Which package controls the
link /usr/src/linux, and which controls the links /usr/include/{linux,
asm}?
> manoj
> --
> Machines should work. People should think. -- IBM motto
Well, that explains RPG ;-)
Waiting is,
Dwarf
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