Re: change description on kernel-image packages?
On Tue, Dec 12, 2006 at 01:31:34AM +0200, Andrei Popescu wrote:
> On Mon, Dec 11, 2006 at 04:01:52PM -0500, Kevin Mark wrote:
> > Hi fellow users of debian,
> > I read about various accounts of newbies and others asking on ocassion
> > about 'why is debian upgrading my kernel?'. After reading the short
> > description on some of the kernel image packages, I think I understand
> > why and wanted to know if others though that my suggestion would address
> > this issue. The descrition on 'linux-image-2.6-k7' is 'This package
> > depends on the latest binary image for Linux kernel 2.6 on 32bit AMD
> > Duron/Athlon/AthlonXP machines.' While this subtly suggests that it may
> > upgrade your kernel, I think the wording could be improved to make it
> > dead clear. Something like 'This package depends on the lastest binary
> > image for $KERNEL kernel $VER on $BITbit $CPU machines. This package
> > will cause your kernel to be upgraded when you upgrade your system, so
> > if you do not want your kernel to be upgraded automatically, use the
> > specific kernel-image for your machine and not this metapackage.'
>
> Sounds better. Another vote from me.
>
As has long been recognized, the kernel is special and kernel-image packages
should not be treated by the same rules and other 'ordinary' packages. Perhaps
these packages that depend on the latest version of a kernel-image package
should have a special action as the last step in the post-install script,
namely, they should deinstall themselves, but leave the newly installed real
kernel-image package installed. A newbie would get the latest image, and
would not likely notice the missing reverse dependency until sometime much
later when he was no longer a true newbie.
--
Paul E Condon
pecondon@mesanetworks.net
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