The linux-info.eclass is used by a few packages to check for appropriate kernel configuration options.
Now, packages that install kernel modules, i.e. packages that inherit linux-mod.eclass are right to check for those options in pkg_setup and abort unless these are available. After all, these packages are most often unable to even compile properly without them and they merge against a particular kernel version. They also require a remerge when the kernel is changed -- all reasonable. However, I have a problem with these checks in packages that inherit linux-info.eclass. With net-dialup/ppp in particular, though there are others -- cpufreqd for example. So, "emerge ppp" checks if I have CONFIG_PPP and dies unless this is the case (fact is, the eclass dies after being unable to find the kernel sources). Naturally the quesiton WHY comes. ppp does not require recompilation when the kernel changes. And in my particular case, where I am building binary packages in a chroot on a completely different machine this check is absolutely unnecessary. In fact, I have nothing in "world" in that chroot that has a dependency on the kernel sources. And last, if all packages that inherit linux-info are going to die with * Determining the location of the kernel source code * Unable to find kernel sources at /usr/src/linux * This package requires Linux sources. * Please make sure that /usr/src/linux points at your running kernel, * (or the kernel you wish to build against). * Alternatively, set the KERNEL_DIR environment variable to the kernel sources location then the least they can do is depend on virutal/linux-sources so I can see it coming ahead of time. Of course, I'd then bitch about packages having an unnecessary dependency on the sources, as they do in fact compile and merge just fine. ( Shouldn't the BSD teams also care about this? As it is, portage cannot merge ppp on a *BSD, even though it appears to be supported by the package itself (well, it needs to patch the BSD kernel, so I guess nobody would ever try to do it... not a good argument). ) I can only think of a couple of solution: - Remove these unnecessary checks completely: Follow the example of all other distributions and do not depend on anything kernel-ish for such packages. A recompilation of the kernel with different options can easily cause what the checks are trying to avoid anyway. - Make the checks in linux-info non-fatal. I.e., don't die but issue warnings instead. That's the *least* that I'd be happy with. What do you people think the proper solution is? -- ( Georgi Georgiev ( MSDOS is not dead, it just smells that way. ( ) [EMAIL PROTECTED] ) -- Henry Spencer ) ( +81(90)2877-8845 ( (
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