Re: kernel-{image,headers} package bloat

[David Schleef <ds@schleef.org>]

On Tue, Apr 24, 2001 at 07:30:47PM +1000, Herbert Xu wrote:
> On Tue, Apr 24, 2001 at 08:47:44AM +1000, Craig Sanders wrote:
> > 
> > what is the DIFFERENCE between kernel-headers-2.4.2 and all the other
> > 2.4.2 kernel headers packages?
> 
> Kernel-headers-2.4.2 is built with the default config file, and the
> other ones are built with their respective config files.
> 
> > why are they needed?  
> 
> For module builders.

I develop/maintain several packages that compile kernel modules
outside the kernel source, and understand a lot about what is
necessary to compile modules outside the kernel.  I have yet
to see a header package in any distro that is actually useful
in doing non-trivial module compilation -- there's just too
much in the kernel that building modules _could_ depend on,
such as including Makefile fragments, .config, scripts/makedep,
etc.  Right now, the rift between what is neccessary (for me)
and what is available is so large that I always recommend to
people to build their own kernel, even if it is a standard
configuration.  I'd be willing to help, since I think it is
a good goal, but I think this thread is worthless.




dave...