Re: Kernel config dependencies?

On 02 Jul 2003 22:23:28 +0100
Gareth Buxton <[email protected]> wrote:

> I just spent ages trying to get a dialup connection configured on my
> gentoo box only to find that the problem was missing module from the
> kernel. That gave me the idea that it would be good if you could
> specify kernel configuration dependencies in your zbuild. It's seems
> cruel to allow a poor unsuspecting user to install something that is
> never going to work without the option enabled in the kernel. What the
> dep could do at a minimum is warn the user that s/he needs to adjust
> the kernel. Possibly though it could even compile the required module
> and stick it where it's needed. Just a thought.

Warning that you don't have the required support would be reasonable,
however I don't think I would like having an ebuild mess with my kernel
configuration for the following reasons:

1) The package might be for use with a kernel I am testing but not the
   kernel I currently boot in to by default.

2) Some options in the kernel can be either deliberately or accidentally
   incompatible with others, and only I am likely to know how I want
   such issues resolved.

3) Assuming everything is OK I still need to know about the required
   option and do manual rebuilds because I generally have an overlap of
   at least a couple of weeks before I uninstall the previous kernel
   after an upgrade.

4) Kernel options sometimes change name, or move, and I would imagine
   this is an even bigger issue between 2.4 and 2.5.
-- 
Mark Gordon
Paid to be a Geek & a Senior Software Developer
Although my email address says spamtrap, it is real and I read it.