[kernel] r6061 - dists/trunk/docs

Sat Mar 4 18:59:25 UTC 2006

Author: maks-guest
Date: Sat Mar  4 18:59:25 2006
New Revision: 6061

Added:
   dists/trunk/docs/bits_kernel_team_0306.txt
Log:
bits ;)


Added: dists/trunk/docs/bits_kernel_team_0306.txt
==============================================================================

--- (empty file)
+++ dists/trunk/docs/bits_kernel_team_0306.txt	Sat Mar  4 18:59:25 2006
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+Hi,
+
+Half-way between the sarge release and the etch freeze the Debian kernel
+team takes a look back at what already happened after the sarge release
+and what you should expect for etch.
+
+linux-2.6
+~~~~~~~~~
+The common source package linux-2.6 builds the various kernel images and
+headers. All archs are supported with the current exception of
+mips/mipsel. The shift to an unified package since the linux-2.6.12
+release allows to ride latest upstream. We expect more easier security
+builds for the etch time frame too.
+
+Latest upstream reaches unstable almost the day of it's release.
+Experimental acts as staging area, where the -rcX kernels are build.  If
+you want to be on the sliding edge Bastian Blank provides daily builds out
+of the debian-kernel repository [1]. The most user visible change is the
+renaming of kernel-image-2.6-$flavour into linux-image-2.6-$flavour. The
+old version being left as transitioning package for upgrades from sarge.
+
+There is lots of excitement around the x86 SMP alternatives patch, which
+would allow to reduce the current number of flavors. SMP hardware would
+just be an special case of hotplug CPU's. The uniprocessor flavors would
+also support SMP and the SMP ones could be dropped. On the feature side
+there is work going on to add vserver, xen and uml flavors to linux-2.6.
+Most legacy patches Debian specific patches have been cleared, the bulk of
+the current patchset is arch specific. 2.6 arch support is growing from
+release to release, so those patchsets should be no concern. 
+
+2.6 Linux features initramfs, which are gzipped cpio archives. They allow
+to take over early boot. The handoff occures much earlier than with initrd
+and ramfs is more memory efficient than older ramdisk.  Currently there
+are two different supported tools for generating the initramfs:
+initramfs-tools and yaird. initramfs-tools allowing a more generic boot
+image by design and thus is the default. See for details [2].
+
+bug reporting
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+Since kernels still fix more bugs then they create we encourage testing of
+latest -rcX kernels in experimental. If the bug you are seeing is fixed in
+latest -rcX then there is no need to open a bug report against previous
+2.6.  We will rebase linux-2.6 on the next upstream release. If your bug
+is reproducible in latest -rcX use reportbug and don't forget to add the
+relevant details like latest known good (full dmesg, lspci, ..). This
+allows upstream to be made aware of regressions.
+
+If you have an old open bug against earlier 2.6 revision please test
+against latest and feedback your findings.
+
+security
+~~~~~~~~
+Dann Frazier and Simon Horman are doing a marvelous job in scanning,
+testing all CVE's, which get issued against the Linux kernel.  The next
+round of the sarge Debian kernel are prepared - testing is highly welcome
+[3]. You won't believe it but there is even a round for woody [4].
+
+End of line
+~~~~~~~~~~~
+linux-2.4 is officially deprecated. After having several releases where
+your Linux kernel choice was as wide stretching between 2.2 - 2.6 it is
+finally time to concentrate on 2.6 only. Currently Horms does a bulk of 
+linux-2.4 upstream security support and testing against latest CVE's.
+Almost no other vendor provides 2.4 security support and it is
+unreasonable to even think about that burden in the etch time frame.
+
+As of linux-2.6.12 the i386 flavor and support has been dropped.
+The 386 flavor got renamed as 486. Sarge has no official 386 support,
+although it should mostly work there.
+
+Documentation
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+The Debian Linux kernel handbook contains lots of information about the
+Debian Linux Image and how the various parts are build [5]. You'll find
+also very practical chapters like "Filing a bug against a kernel package".
+
+Cheers,
+
+
+--
+Debian Kernel Team
+
+
+[1] deb http://kernel-archive.buildserver.net/debian-kernel trunk main
+[2] http://wiki.debian.org/InitrdReplacementOptions
+[3] http://wiki.debian.org/DebianKernelSargeUpdateStatus
+[4] http://wiki.debian.org/DebianKernelWoodyUpdateStatus
+[5] http://kernel-handbook.alioth.debian.org/

