Re: ABI handling for linux-2.6

[Goswin von Brederlow <brederlo@informatik.uni-tuebingen.de>]

Bastian Blank <waldi@debian.org> writes:

> On Wed, Jun 14, 2006 at 03:31:24PM +0200, Martin Michlmayr wrote:
>> rc kernels are uploaded to experimental without the -rcX bit in the
>> name, so the kernel can immediately enter unstable when the final
>> version is out.
>
> Not possible. Only some of the arches are autobuilt for experimental.

Is that so important? Maybe you should lobby for more experimental
buildds then?

Or go another but similar way. For RC kernels drop the -rcX from the
package name and instead provide the full abi version and make all
out-of-tree modules depend on the provided abi version. Uploads could
still go to unstable. Upgrading rc kernels would always replace the
previous rc version, overwrite the (running) modules and may break the
abi at any time. Upgrading a rc kernel will not have an "old " kernel
in case the next reboot fails. And all that not changing the name
entails. But hey, it is a rc kernel. No risk no fun.

When the kernel gets released the final upload goes straight into
unstable and then you drop the provide.

(Too bad that only work for the first of each release and not
subreleases with abi changes.)

>>                  I think this would get rid of the major problem, that
>> is, that new upstream releases can take a while to enter unstable due
>> to NEW.
>
> This can be only done by a source package which builds any binary
> package which needs to go in with the next bump at once as arch-all.
> This will break at least two records:
> - The number of binary packets per source. (We need to provide the
>   binaries for the module packages too.)
> - The number of packets per upload.
>
> Bastian

You could build a dummy package that is all arch:all and build all the
packages of the real upload. The number of packages would be huge but
total size minimal.

But then again how is that different from asking ftp-master to add
overrides for the kernel in advance? Just send them a mail with all
the package names for the next abi change and next new version in
advance. Sometimes there won't be a next abi before a new version but
it isn't that much work to add an override, is it?

MfG
        Goswin