Re: [RFC] Removing sys-kernel/vanilla-kernel

On Tue, Jun 2, 2026 at 3:36 AM Michał Górny <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Hello,
>
> TL;DR: I'm wondering if anyone is actually using sys-kernel/vanilla-
> kernel, and what are their reasons for not using sys-kernel/gentoo-
> kernel instead.
>
>
> Back when I've started the Distribution Kernel project, I mirrored
> the gentoo-sources/vanilla-sources split and created both sys-
> kernel/gentoo-kernel and sys-kernel/vanilla-kernel packages.  Part of
> the reason for that was that gentoo-kernel was patched to the latest
> upstream release using genpatches rather than upstream patches.
>
> Today, I don't think there's a really good reason to keep vanilla-
> kernels.  sys-kernel/gentoo-kernel is using the upstream point-release
> patch.  The recent series of CVEs meant that the vanilla-kernels kept
> being vulnerable.  Furthermore, until the latest batch, they didn't even
> build with gcc-16.  Overall, maintaining an additional package that's
> not tested at all feels like a hassle and an unnecessary slowdown to the
> bumps.  So unless someone has a very good reason to keep vanilla
> kernels, I'd like to remove them entirely.
>
> So, is anyone around here using them, or knows anyone who does?  If so,
> what are their reasons?

I use vanilla-kernel on my setups.  Recently, I have thought about
switching to gentoo-kernel due to the unpatched CVEs in
vanilla-kernel.  The thing that has let me give up the switch is that
sys-kernel/gentoo-kernel-bin has a blocker on
sys-kernel/gentoo-kernel.  I would like to be able to install
gentoo-kernel-bin _alongside_ my daily-driver kernel, and
sys-kernel/vanilla-kernel allows me to do that.  I tweak my kernels,
and if anything goes wrong, I can fall back to gentoo-kernel-bin as a
backup.

I am definitely aware that unpatched vanilla-kernel has been
vulnerable in the recent wave of CVEs.  I collect patches fixing them
myself and apply them to sys-kernel/vanilla-kernel as Portage user
patches, so my systems can still be secure.

Are there users who daily-drive a non-bin distribution kernel but
would like to occasionally install gentoo-kernel-bin for e.g.
troubleshooting, just like me?  If so, would it be possible to allow
gentoo-kernel-bin and gentoo-kernel to be installed at the same time,
e.g. by using different LOCALVERSION, like '-gentoo-dist' and
'-gentoo-dist-bin'?

Thanks,
Leo3418