Bug#552521: kernel-package: no documentation on how to apply patches

[Manoj Srivastava]

On Wed, Oct 28 2009, Felipe Sateler wrote:

> On Wed, 2009-10-28 at 09:15 -0500, Manoj Srivastava wrote:
>> On Tue, Oct 27 2009, Felipe Sateler wrote:
>> 
>> > On Tue, 2009-10-27 at 08:42 -0500, Manoj Srivastava wrote:
>> >> Hi,
>> >> 
>> >> Ah, that functionality was removed -- it was more trouble than
>> >>  it is worth, and it has an easy work around; people can just pre-patch
>> >>  the sources.
>> >
>> > Ah OK. A short mention of this would be nice, then. Just in case people
>> > used kernel-package in the past and wondered where that functionality
>> > went.
>> 
>> It was in the NEWS file, which is usually set up to be shown on
>>  upgrade. 
>
> I didn't have kernel-package installed, but I had used it sometime back.
> I should have looked into that file, but I assumed the relevant info on
> how to use the package was in the manpages.

It is, isn't it? All the ways one may use make-kpkg are
 documented there, and there is no mention of patches.

>
>> >> 
>> >> I'll remove item 12 from the man page.
>> 
>> > And the mention under the debian target in make-kpkg(1) too, please.
>> 
>> There were a lot of features changed -- removed from the
>>  package, and added to overlay directories and /etc/kernel hook
>>  scripts. Choosing which to document is hard, and it depends on
>>  whether you were using the  the feature or not is what decides what you
>>  want visible. Including them all confuses folks, and distracts from the
>>  new/current functionality.
>
> I'm not suggesting you document each change in detail. The manpage
> should document how the package works. Since patching the kernel is
> pretty common when building it, it makes sense to explain how to use
> kernel-package with patched sources (which ends up just being "patch the
> source before using kernel-package").

Well, based on feedback, the patch-the-kernel bit  was fairly
 rarely used.  Your mileage  has definitely varied there.

manoj
-- 
Bipolar, adj.: Refers to someone who has homes in Nome, Alaska, and
Buffalo, New York.
Manoj Srivastava    
1024D/BF24424C print 4966 F272 D093 B493 410B  924B 21BA DABB BF24 424C



-- 
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-bugs-dist-requ...@lists.debian.org
with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org

Bug#552521: kernel-package: no documentation on how to apply patches

[Felipe Sateler]

On Wed, 2009-10-28 at 09:15 -0500, Manoj Srivastava wrote:
> On Tue, Oct 27 2009, Felipe Sateler wrote:
> 
> > On Tue, 2009-10-27 at 08:42 -0500, Manoj Srivastava wrote:
> >> Hi,
> >> 
> >> Ah, that functionality was removed -- it was more trouble than
> >>  it is worth, and it has an easy work around; people can just pre-patch
> >>  the sources.
> >
> > Ah OK. A short mention of this would be nice, then. Just in case people
> > used kernel-package in the past and wondered where that functionality
> > went.
> 
> It was in the NEWS file, which is usually set up to be shown on
>  upgrade. 

I didn't have kernel-package installed, but I had used it sometime back.
I should have looked into that file, but I assumed the relevant info on
how to use the package was in the manpages.

> >> 
> >> I'll remove item 12 from the man page.
> 
> > And the mention under the debian target in make-kpkg(1) too, please.
> 
> There were a lot of features changed -- removed from the
>  package, and added to overlay directories and /etc/kernel hook
>  scripts. Choosing which to document is hard, and it depends on
>  whether you were using the  the feature or not is what decides what you
>  want visible. Including them all confuses folks, and distracts from the
>  new/current functionality.

I'm not suggesting you document each change in detail. The manpage
should document how the package works. Since patching the kernel is
pretty common when building it, it makes sense to explain how to use
kernel-package with patched sources (which ends up just being "patch the
source before using kernel-package").

> 
> I suggest you look at apt-listchanges so as not to miss such
>  changes in functionality.

As mentioned above, I did not upgrade kernel-package, but installed it
afresh. I do have apt-listchanges installed.

-- 
Saludos,
Felipe Sateler


signature.asc
Description: This is a digitally signed message part

Bug#552521: kernel-package: no documentation on how to apply patches

[Manoj Srivastava]

On Tue, Oct 27 2009, Felipe Sateler wrote:

> On Tue, 2009-10-27 at 08:42 -0500, Manoj Srivastava wrote:
>> Hi,
>> 
>> Ah, that functionality was removed -- it was more trouble than
>>  it is worth, and it has an easy work around; people can just pre-patch
>>  the sources.
>
> Ah OK. A short mention of this would be nice, then. Just in case people
> used kernel-package in the past and wondered where that functionality
> went.

It was in the NEWS file, which is usually set up to be shown on
 upgrade. 

>> 
>> I'll remove item 12 from the man page.

> And the mention under the debian target in make-kpkg(1) too, please.

There were a lot of features changed -- removed from the
 package, and added to overlay directories and /etc/kernel hook
 scripts. Choosing which to document is hard, and it depends on
 whether you were using the  the feature or not is what decides what you
 want visible. Including them all confuses folks, and distracts from the
 new/current functionality.

I suggest you look at apt-listchanges so as not to miss such
 changes in functionality.

manoj
-- 
Do molecular biologists wear designer genes?
Manoj Srivastava    
1024D/BF24424C print 4966 F272 D093 B493 410B  924B 21BA DABB BF24 424C



-- 
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-bugs-dist-requ...@lists.debian.org
with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org

Bug#552521: kernel-package: no documentation on how to apply patches

[Felipe Sateler]

On Tue, 2009-10-27 at 08:42 -0500, Manoj Srivastava wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> Ah, that functionality was removed -- it was more trouble than
>  it is worth, and it has an easy work around; people can just pre-patch
>  the sources.

Ah OK. A short mention of this would be nice, then. Just in case people
used kernel-package in the past and wondered where that functionality
went.

> 
> I'll remove item 12 from the man page.

And the mention under the debian target in make-kpkg(1) too, please.

-- 
Saludos,
Felipe Sateler


signature.asc
Description: This is a digitally signed message part

Bug#552521: kernel-package: no documentation on how to apply patches

[Manoj Srivastava]

Hi,

Ah, that functionality was removed -- it was more trouble than
 it is worth, and it has an easy work around; people can just pre-patch
 the sources.

I'll remove item 12 from the man page.

manoj
-- 
Any college that would take your son he should be too proud to go
to. Erma Bombeck
Manoj Srivastava    
1024D/BF24424C print 4966 F272 D093 B493 410B  924B 21BA DABB BF24 424C



-- 
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-bugs-dist-requ...@lists.debian.org
with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org

Bug#552521: kernel-package: no documentation on how to apply patches

[Felipe Sateler]

Package: kernel-package
Version: 12.024
Severity: normal

kernel-package(1) says the debian target patches the source, yet
documentation on where to put patches and how to make it work is
nonexistent.

-- System Information:
Debian Release: squeeze/sid
  APT prefers unstable
  APT policy: (500, 'unstable'), (1, 'experimental')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)

Kernel: Linux 2.6.30-2-amd64 (SMP w/2 CPU cores)
Locale: LANG=en_US.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash

Versions of packages kernel-package depends on:
ii  binutils  2.20-1 The GNU assembler, linker and bina
ii  build-essential   11.4   Informational list of build-essent
ii  debianutils   3.2.1  Miscellaneous utilities specific t
ii  file  5.03-2 Determines file type using "magic"
ii  gettext   0.17-8 GNU Internationalization utilities
ii  make  3.81-6 An utility for Directing compilati
ii  module-init-tools 3.11-1 tools for managing Linux kernel mo
ii  po-debconf1.0.16 tool for managing templates file t
ii  util-linux2.16.1-4   Miscellaneous system utilities

Versions of packages kernel-package recommends:
ii  cpio  2.10-1 GNU cpio -- a program to manage ar

Versions of packages kernel-package suggests:
ii  bzip2 1.0.5-3high-quality block-sorting file co
pn  docbook-utils  (no description available)
ii  e2fsprogs 1.41.9-1   ext2/ext3/ext4 file system utiliti
ii  initramfs-tools [linux-in 0.93.4 tools for generating an initramfs
pn  libdb3-dev (no description available)
ii  libncurses5-dev [libncurs 5.7+20090803-2 developer's libraries and docs for
ii  linux-source-2.6.30 [linu 2.6.30-8   Linux kernel source for version 2.
ii  linux-source-2.6.31 [linu 2.6.31-1   Linux kernel source for version 2.
pn  xmlto  (no description available)

-- no debconf information



-- 
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-bugs-dist-requ...@lists.debian.org
with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org