[Pkg-uml-pkgs] Bug#377035: rootstrap/user-mode-linux need a possibility to update the kernel modules inside the uml-image

[Andreas Beckmann]

Package: rootstrap
Version: 0.3.22-1
Severity: wishlist

Hi,

rootstrap supports installing (by copying) the modules available on the
host during uml image creation time into the uml image (module uml).
But after an update of user-mode-linux on the host, this copy becomes
outdated and the image is missing the current modules.

My favorite idea to fix this is mounting /lib/modules via hostfs from
the hosts /usr/lib/uml/modules. This should work as long as the host is
running the official debian uml package and the file system layout is
not changed (or an installation with corresponding layout).
It will work on non-debian and old debian guests, too. And will always
provide modules matching the uml version on the host.

mount -t hostfs hostfs -o ro,/usr/lib/uml/modules /lib/modules

or in /etc/fstab:

hostfs  /lib/modules    hostfs  ro,/usr/lib/uml/modules   0 0


Other ideas included packaging the content of /usr/lib/uml/modules and
installing them into the guest, but I see still enough problems:
- differing update schemes for host and guest
- old debian guests, that can't get new packages installed from the
  official archive
- non-debian guests


Andreas

-- System Information:
Debian Release: testing/unstable
  APT prefers testing
  APT policy: (500, 'testing'), (500, 'stable'), (300, 'unstable'), (30, 'experimental')
Architecture: i386 (i686)
Shell:  /bin/sh linked to /bin/bash
Kernel: Linux 2.6.16-2-k7
Locale: LANG=C, LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)

Versions of packages rootstrap depends on:
ii  debootstrap                 0.3.3        Bootstrap a basic Debian system
ii  dpkg                        1.13.21      package maintenance system for Deb
ii  python                      2.3.5-10     An interactive high-level object-o
ii  user-mode-linux             2.6.17-1um-1 User-mode Linux (kernel)

Versions of packages rootstrap recommends:
ii  uml-utilities                 20060323-3 User-mode Linux (utility programs)

-- no debconf information