Re: Building kernel modules for stock kernels is a hell of a job!
On Mon, 25 Aug 2003 20:26:29 +0200, horrorvacui <horrorvacui@gmx.net> said:
> On Sun, 24 Aug 2003 19:50:18 -0500
> Manoj Srivastava <srivasta@debian.org> wrote:
>> On Sun, 24 Aug 2003 20:16:21 +0200, horrorvacui
>> <horrorvacui@gmx.net> said:
>>
>> > This is my view: the kernel headers and the configuration used
>> > when compiling a stock kernel are to be viewed as an *integral
>> > part of that kernel*. The headers should be installed by default,
>>
>> Heh. You are describing how things used to be, with the
>> kernel-headers always installed by kerel-image, and the symlink
>> kept in place. Looking at the CVS, you could have any number of
>> headers or sources in place, and the /usr/src/linux symlink was
>> kept pointing to the latest version, as determined by the most
>> recent kernel-image isntalled.
> Yes. The symlink is more or less unnecessary topping, but this is
> how it should be.
Unfortunately, several people disagree with that conclusion.
>>
>> Of course, it all used to fall apart for user who had multiple
>> kernels installed, and woh used to swithc in between, people who
>> had limited amount of space in /usr, and people who wanted to
>> compile for a different machine than the current one.
> Of course, but aren't those people (except for those with limited
> space) usually the ones that can cope with that? If you're
> knowledgeable enough to use multiple kernels, it can be assumed that
> you can be burdened with the responsibility of having /usr/src/linux
> pointed at the right direction, depending on the currently running
> kernel. I'm no newbie, mind you - I've been compiling my kernels,
> installing modules and making it all work together for years, yet
> getting the headers/source was too cryptic for me. Remember that
> most unexperienced users won't even know that they need a kernel in
> the source form, or the headers, nor will they understand why.
There are two constituencies here. One set wants to just have
the minimal install, and another wants both headers and the kernel
image. The obvious solution is to give people a choice, which is what
we do now.
The headers and sources are provided by debian in precisely
the same place that the kernel images are.Any one who chooses to have
headers installed can get them from the same place they got the
image, and all the package management tools are there to help them do
so.
> I don't see how the flexibility might benefit from this (except for
> reducing the size of kernel packages). After all, if the situation
> still were as you described above, deleting a directory and a
> symlink would be all you needed to do to make it as it is
> currently. The other way around it's much more difficult, and if
> it's only about finding out what you need to do.
Difficult?
__> apt-cache search kernel-image-2.4.21 | grep ^kernel
kernel-image-2.4.21-4-386 - Linux kernel image for version 2.4.21 on 386.
kernel-image-2.4.21-4-586tsc - Linux kernel image for version 2.4.21 on Pentium-Classic.
kernel-image-2.4.21-4-686 - Linux kernel image for version 2.4.21 on PPro/Celeron/PII/PIII/PIV.
kernel-image-2.4.21-4-686-smp - Linux kernel image for version 2.4.21 on PPro/Celeron/PII/PIII/PIV SMP.
kernel-image-2.4.21-4-k6 - Linux kernel image for version 2.4.21 on AMD K6/K6-II/K6-III.
kernel-image-2.4.21-4-k7 - Linux kernel image for version 2.4.21 on AMD K7.
kernel-image-2.4.21-4-k7-smp - Linux kernel image for version 2.4.21 on AMD K7 SMP.
kernel-tree-2.4.21 - Linux kernel tree for building prepackaged Debian kernel images
kernel-image-2.4.21-dm - Linux kernel binary image for version 2.4.21-dm.
kernel-image-2.4.21 - Linux kernel binary image for version 2.4.21.
__> apt-cache search kernel-headers-2.4.21 | grep ^kernel
kernel-headers-2.4.21-4 - Header files related to Linux kernel version 2.4.21
kernel-headers-2.4.21-4-386 - Linux kernel headers 2.4.21 on 386
kernel-headers-2.4.21-4-586tsc - Linux kernel headers 2.4.21 on Pentium-Classic
kernel-headers-2.4.21-4-686 - Linux kernel headers 2.4.21 on PPro/Celeron/PII/PIII/PIV
kernel-headers-2.4.21-4-686-smp - Linux kernel headers 2.4.21 on PPro/Celeron/PII/PIII/PIV SMP
kernel-headers-2.4.21-4-k6 - Linux kernel headers 2.4.21 on AMD K6/K6-II/K6-III
kernel-headers-2.4.21-4-k7 - Linux kernel headers 2.4.21 on AMD K7
kernel-headers-2.4.21-4-k7-smp - Linux kernel headers 2.4.21 on AMD K7 SMP
kernel-headers-2.4.21-sparc - Kernel header files for all sparc sub architectures
__> apt-cache search kernel-source-2.4.21 | grep ^kernel
kernel-patch-debian-2.4.21 - Debian patches to Linux 2.4.21
kernel-source-2.4.21 - Linux kernel source for version 2.4.21 with Debian patches
I am not a proponent of reducing choices (and chosing not to
have kernel headers installed is a choice) for the sake of dumbing
down Debian so we get rank novices who probably have no business
compiling modules in the first place -- if you cant figure out which
kernel image goes with which header from the above list, yes, I do
mean you.
manoj
--
I hate quotations. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Manoj Srivastava <srivasta@debian.org> <http://www.debian.org/%7Esrivasta/>
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