Bug#268611: kernel-patch-debian-2.6.8: please provide patch to pristine kernel as before.

[Ernest ter Kuile <ernestjw@xs4all.nl>]

Package: kernel-patch-debian-2.6.8
Version: 2.6.8-4
Severity: wishlist

since this version (or maybe before), the patch does not apply to a pristine
kernel anymore, but to the kernel-source... package (named, funnily 
enough: ".orig." even though it isn't pristine)

In my opinion, it is a logical bizzarity to provide a kernel-source-... 
package, which is allready patched, while at the same time to provide an 
other, separate, patch to change it even further.
This is especially true, as the only reason (for me) for a package like 
kernel-patch-debian to exist is because people don't want to download the
many MBytes complete sources package (as provided by kernel-source package)
every time, but prefere the much smaller upgrade patch, which are 
not provided by debian, but only by on kernel.org

I am told the problem is the illegal (following Debian rules) redistribution
inside the patch file of the kernel part Debian objects to and that must be
deleted inside the pristine kernel. 

The real problem then, is the current diff/patch combination program, which
must do it this way (otherwise -R would not be possible). There should be, 
however, ways to patch source code without redistributing unwanted code.

One methods comes to mind, which would involve distributing a separate
(pre-patch) script which would simply delete (or move, allowing for
removing the patch) the offending file first. The real patch pass would 
then regenerate that file as new, without the offending part. -R patching
would then remove the new file, and a (post-patch) script would replace the
original file back where it was. This would probably involve a change in 
kernel-package and/or kernel-patch-scripts to allow for such pre/post 
patch scripting.


Thanks for reading,

Ernest ter Kuile.


-- System Information:
Debian Release: 3.1
  APT prefers unstable
  APT policy: (500, 'unstable'), (500, 'testing')
Architecture: i386 (i686)
Kernel: Linux 2.6.7
Locale: LANG=fr_CH@euro, LC_CTYPE=fr_CH@euro (ignored: LC_ALL set to C)

Versions of packages kernel-patch-debian-2.6.8 depends on:
ii  bzip2                         1.0.2-1    A high-quality block-sorting file 

-- no debconf information