[Pkg-uml-devel] [VERY LONG - uml planning for etch] how to plan the future

[Andreas Schuldei]

On Fri, Jan 13, 2006 at 11:41:03PM +0100, Andreas Schuldei wrote:
> > (5) kernel-patch-uml
> > It is time to choose the future of this pkg: it should not be usefull
> > since the kernel version newer that 2.6.8 provides um architecture support
> > embedded. But we still need to support the previous kernel ones, so we are
> > encouraged to keep it alive and, above all, to fix the bugs.
> 
> really? why? for etch (what we work towards) it is not really
> desireable to have a wide range of all sorts of kernels
> supported. people pick debian because they just installed a
> pre-compiled package and it works. they dont want to fiddle much
> with it. 
> 
> if we manage to work with the kernel guys and make their kernel
> compile a stable, good uml kernel and we can ship that
> precompiled we are all set, i think. 
> 
> should we try to get the skas kernel into the mainline kernel?
> does it have any penalites for the non-uml case?

i just ran into a problem with this myself: i am trying to run a
testframework of a sarge version of debian-edu with the 2.6.12
uml kernel of yours (which works just fine).

The problem is that sarge's modutils cant deal with the 2.6.12
kernel and i cant depmod, lsmod or (worst of all) modprobe.
things would work with a newer set of module utilities.

how bad a problem is that? and is it worth to keep a 2.4.X kernel
around for that reason? should we perhaps instead try to talk to
the module-init-tool (or whatever that package is called again)
to ship some old version for 2.4 kernels, too?


something about rootstrap: it is designed to run without root
priviliges. mounting etc requires root. that is why no loop
device is used.

/andreas