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

[Stefano Melchior]

Hi all,
premitting that is a lot to do, let't start to resume some considerations.
The pkgs to take care are:

1 - user-mode-linux;
2 - user-mode-linux-doc;
3 - uml-utilities;
4 - rootstrap.
5 - kernel-patch-uml;
6 - kernel-patch-skas;
7 - umlrun;

Let's take in consideration one at the time:

(1) user-mode-linux
It is crucial. At the moment there is the support for 2.4.27, 2.6.8 (but
not working) and 2.6.12. This could be enough, even though its support is
in deplay, for Sarge. Etch requires at least 2.6.14 support.
What about the `old` 2.4.27? what 2.4.x serie kernle will be supported on
Etch?
At the moment on an unstable-based system:

stex at monteverdi{~}$ apt-cache search kernel-source-2.4 
kernel-patch-debian-2.4.27 - Debian patches to Linux 2.4.27
kernel-source-2.4.27 - Linux kernel source for version 2.4.27 with Debian patches

it means that 2.4.27 is still valid.
What about 2.6:
stex at monteverdi[~]$  apt-cache search linux-source-2.6
linux-patch-debian-2.6.14 - Debian patches to version 2.6.14 of the Linux kernel
linux-patch-debian-2.6.15 - Debian patches to version 2.6.15 of the Linux kernel
linux-source-2.6.14 - Linux kernel source for version 2.6.14 with Debian patches
linux-source-2.6.15 - Linux kernel source for version 2.6.15 with Debian patches

So it is time to start from the 2.6.12-1um idea and implement the
2.6.{14,15} support. That is the target. 2.6.12 is out of date, now.
I subscribed the uml lists on sourceforge and 2.6.15 is not so stable and
reliable to be definitively included. So first, my idea, is to focus on
2.6.14, waiting for a better release.

You can find my effords on cvs archive.

(2) user-mode-linux-doc
This pkg is arch-indipendent and even though old it should be considered
actual. I thinl it needs to be integrated. It cointains the u-m-l.sf.net
web site.

(3) uml-utilities
At the moment is in sync with the official u-m-l support.
http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/user-mode-linux/uml_utilities_20040406.tar.bz2
It needs some bugs (a couple tagged as serious: #326287, #326029) to be fixed.
On svn you can find a new release with one of these fixed.

(4) rootstrap
I have an idea of how to fix the problem of modules copy on root_fs, but I
first would like to test it. I skip it for the weekend.
Since the author is Matt, while the other distros adopted their own way of
creating a new root_fs, it could be a good idea to see if we can take
advantage of some other tools good ideas to improve rootstrap. Do you
think it is possible?

(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.
You can find a release, with a serious bug fixed in the svn archive.

(6) kernel-patch-skas
It is not the same of the previous package, because it is necessary for the host kernel.
But I heard about issues for 2.6.{14,15} kernel version; at the moment it
seems not so stable or reliable.

(7) umlrun
I never tried it, I shall plane to have a look at it as soon as I have a
bit of time.

This is more or less the state of the art of the packages.
I am sorry that I spread the software on both the archives, svn and cvs.

Cheers

SteX

-- 
Stefano Melchior, GPG key = D52DF829 - <stefano.melchior at openlabs.it>
http://etinarcadiaego.dyndns.org    --     http://www.stex.name
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