Re: PW#5-16: Use of /usr/src

[Ian Jackson <ian@chiark.greenend.org.uk>]

I have a compromise proposal that I think will satisfy the needs of
both the `keep the kernel sources out of .deb files' and the `we must
distribute kernel source' people.

The real problem with kernel sources as .deb's is that there is
insufficient flexibility within dpkg for dealing with issues that
arise with source code.  However, distributing the code outside .deb's
is not felt to be sufficiently easy or visible.

I propose, therefore, that we make a .deb which contains:
 * a .tar.gz which we put in /usr/src/debian or some similar place.
 * a postinst which unpacks this into a suitable place in /usr/src,
   (/usr/src/linux-<version>-debian or some such) either overwriting
   or not an existing source tree.  We could put some of the code for
   this in a common package (kernel-package perhaps), or just include
   it each time.
 * a postrm which deletes the corresponding directory tree on purge.

This would be used for the kernel-source-<version> package.

We also have a problem with the libc and kernel headers.  I propose
that we adopt our usual solution here, of making two packages, but
that we do not involve the kernel-source packages and do something
unconnected with them.

The package that the libc depends on (libc-kernelheaders perhaps)
should be a plain .deb file which installs in /usr/include/{asm,...}.
The libc should specify the version number via a dependency, rather
than by changing the package name, because there is no need or desire
to have several sets of kernel headers all available in /usr/include.

Ian.