FYI: /sbin/weak-modules

[Sam Varshavchik]

Rahul writes:

> Sam Varshavchik wrote:
>> Jon Masters writes:
>> 
>>> Hi folks,
>>>
>>> Several people have been asking what /sbin/weak-modules is/does,
>>> mostly because it started script spewing the other day (sorry about
>>> that!) on kernel updates.
>>>
>>> weak-modules is part of some driver updates work we're doing at Red
>>> Hat and also involves folks working on Fedora Extras "kmod" kernel
>>> packaging (see the packaging list archives). Essentially, this and
>>> other scripts are part of a system for allowing compatible kernel
>>> modules to continue to work after a kernel update occurs -
>>> weak-modules is the part that figures out which kernels are compatible
>>> with a driver.
>>>
>>> There's more information (and some out of date packages - look at
>>> rawhide for the current latest stuff!) at
>>> http://www.kerneldrivers.org/ and I will add documentation for those
>>> who were looking for it and could not find any - I'm sorry that's not
>>> been done yet.
>>>
>>> I'm trying to work with the folks at SuSE/Novell to ultimately offer
>>> kernel module package authors a standardized packaging process too
>>> (over and above what we each do separately) - I'm going to start by
>>> introducing a new macro in redhat-rpm-config along the lines agreed
>>> between those of us who met up at OLS to discuss driver updates last
>>> week. This is not aimed at undermining the work that's been done in
>>> Extras - it's just an additional option.
>>>
>>> If you would like more information, just drop me an email (I'm also
>>> jcm at redhat.com when wearing my work hat!) or reply to this one.
>> 
>> What exactly is the problem being solved here?  I don't see any obvious 
>> link to anything on kerneldrivers.org that describes what this stuff does.
>> 
>> I build lirc and ivtv modules each time a new kernel comes out, and I 
>> have absolutely no problems doing that.  Couldn't be any easier.  Piece 
>> of cake. I'm not sure what problem needs solving here.  I just install 
>> the new kernel and kernel-devel packages, run the script that builds a 
>> corresponding lirc and ivtv kernel driver packages, pointing the build 
>> at the right build directory, then install the driver packages and 
>> reboot.  Couldn't be simpler.
>> 
>> If someone really wants to make building kernel driver packages easier, 
>> they can simply fix THE HORRIBLE UGLY STINKING CRAP code that 
>> kernel-devel's %post script uses to hardlink the identical kernel source 
>> files.
>> 
>> If I set out to do this specific task in the most grossly inefficient 
>> manner possible, there's no way I could do it any better than the 
>> existing mess. The brain-damaged script literally reads the entire 
>> /usr/src/kernels, by forking thousands of mind-numbing child procs.  
>> And, the more kernels you have installed, the slooower and 
>> sloooooooooooooower everything takes.
>> 
>> Has anyone ever heard of this thing called an SHA1 hash?
>> 
>> Anybody?
>> 
>> Hello!!! McFly!!! Anybody home????
>> 
> 
> Anybody heard of being civil? If you have problems, file bug reports.

Oh, please.  Bugzilla's full of stuff going back years, that obviously 
nobody looked at.
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