Ian Jackson writes ("Re: Bug#161931: kernel-image-2.4.19-k7: VESA driver for
console"):
> I think all that's going to be said has been said. So I hereby
> propose the following resolution and immediately call for a vote.
Thanks everyone for your contributions, and thanks to the voting
committee members for your votes. The following resolution has
passed:
1. The Technical Committee has considered the question of whether
VESA fb support should be compiled into the default kernel, as
requested in Bug#161931.
2. We have concluded that:
* inclusion has significant benefits for some users, and
* inclusion has no significant costs.
Therefore, the VESA fb driver should be included.
3. In particular, we have considered the following supposed downsides
to including the driver in the distribution kernel:
a. That the increase in kernel size (while not significant for just
VESA fb) due to including all other non-modular drivers in a
similar position, would be significant and perhaps problematic for
boot floppies etc.
This question is difficult to analyse conclusively, but we feel it
is largely unsubstantiated. If demand for many other similar
drivers turns out to be similarly high, and including them is a
problem, we are certainly prepared to make specific decisions in
specific cases, and/or revisit VESA fb as part of a broader
question.
b. That the non-modularity of the VESA driver harms the kernel
architecture.
This is clearly relevant for a kernel architect, when choosing
what drivers to include in a source tree. However, we do not feel
that it is relevant when - as distributors - we consider which
drivers to enable or disable.
4. Accordingly we request (or require, if the required supermajority
is reached according to the Constitution) that the Debian kernel
maintainers change the configuration to include the VESA fb driver
in the default kernel, at their earliest convenience.
Votes in favour: Ian, Jason, Raul.
Votes against: Manoj.
We have achieved the 3:1 majority required to overrule the maintainer.
I'll re-reassign the bug, and update the committee web page.
Ian.
