Michael Sternberg wrote: > Hello everybody > > I'm pretty new in Linux kernel development and seeking answers for > some questions related to binary compatibility between various kernels. > > I know that there is no stable kernel interface in Linux. > Here are appropriate articles that describe the problem: > http://www.kroah.com/log/linux/stable_api_nonsense.html > http://tinyurl.com/yane5lb > > I understand that the best way to make the GPLed module to be > supported in all future versions of kernel is to add it into the main > kernel tree. > > Question #1: > Where do I start if I want to add my module into main tree ? > What are chances that this process will succeed ? If your module is well-written, chances are pretty high. > > Yet, if it's not an option for the moment and developer wants to > supply prebuilt binary images of kernel module - what are the > alternatives ? That depends - if your module is GPL - build it for some common set of kernels and supply your code for those who have their own. If it really is binary-only, you'll have to go "blob" way - provide your code inside a binary which uses your API, and sources for a wrapper, which can be compiled to particular kernel. That's how ATI, Nvidia, and other binary-only driver providers do it. > > Question #2: > Let's say I built a binary kernel module with headers of > 2.6.18-92.el5-i686 Red Hat kernel. > Will it work with another 2.6.18 Red Hat kernels ? > With plain vanilla 2.6.18 kernels ? > With other 2.6 kernels ? Depending on kernel build options, it might work in some very rare cases. Safe bet is "No"
> Are there any promises for kernel binary compatibility from, at least, > large vendors like RHEL and SLES ? No. > > Question #3: > Is it common in Linux to automatically build and install kernel module > during installation ? Yes. > Are there any packages/frameworks that provide this capability ? The standard Linux build system (Kbuild) does it all for you. Get any external module, and look at build system. For example, take a look at how compat-wireless does it (http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Download/stable/) It has to build a lot of modules, depending on user's choices, so it might be a bit more complex then you need. -- Ilya A. Volynets-Evenbakh http://www.total-knowledge.com _______________________________________________ Linux-il mailing list Linux-il@cs.huji.ac.il http://mailman.cs.huji.ac.il/mailman/listinfo/linux-il
