Bug#613321: linux-image-amd64: Please enable 'memtest' option for all linux kernels

[Jonathan Nieder <jrnieder@gmail.com>]

Dmitry Smirnov wrote:

> It is probably obvious to everyone that MEMTEST is harmless. 
> Then why not enable it without painful discussions? 

Having a feature enabled in the Debian kernel (at release time) is a
promise to continue supporting it for the period in which that release
is supported.  It seems perfectly sane to me that the kernel
maintainers might apply their own taste in deciding whether it is
worth doing so.

(Kernel image size is also a consideration, though probably not a
major worry in this particular example.)

[...]
> If just few requests for a feature is not enough to convince that we need it, 
> how many people should ask, exactly, in order to make the change?

One reliable contributor.  Or just describe a use case that makes it a
compelling addition to Debian.  (Since there is already a memtest86+
package, "replacing memtest86+" isn't one.)

Thanks for your interest, and hope that helps,
Jonathan