On 11/11/2015 07:18 AM, Michael Thayer wrote: > > > On 09.11.2015 11:46, Michael Thayer wrote: >> Dear All (especially maintainers of distributions Additions packages), >> >> I have been thinking again about our old problem with the Guest >> Additions, namely how a user can simply install (i.e. update) the >> "native" Additions which come with VirtualBox without interfering with >> the packaging system if the guest system they are using comes with >> Additions pre-installed. My latest musings are something along these lines: >> >> * All files installed by the Additions would be in a single folder >> (/opt/VBoxGuestAdditions-<version> for the native package, and e.g. >> /usr/lib/VBoxGuestAdditions for a distribution package). >> * The Additions would have contain a set-up script, which distribution >> packages could run as part of their post-install, which would build and >> install (to /var/lib/VBoxGuestAdditions, not to the standard kernel >> module folders) the kernel modules and put symlinks into the Additions >> folder in place for /usr/bin/VBoxClient and others. >> * The set-up script would also install an uninstall script as >> /var/lib/VBoxGuestAdditions/uninstall.sh or similar which would reverse >> the effect of the set-up script and allow in particular simple upgrading >> of a distribution package to a native one without needing to touch any >> files managed by the packaging system. If this was present it would be >> called at the start of the set-up script as part of an upgrade. >> >> Do any of the relevent people (Gianfranco? Larry? Sérgio? Who else?) >> like or dislike any of this, or have better suggestions? I see that it >> would notably go against the trend of separating the kernel modules into >> their own package or even putting them into the kernel package like >> Ubuntu does. And it would not allow upgrading from earlier distribution >> packages - we would continue to ask the users to uninstall them >> manually, which is the safest but not the user-friendliest solution. > > So far no one seems to have any opinions here, so when I have time I > will implement that. Another point which occurs to me is that even if a > distribution does provide the kernel modules as part of their kernel > package, and if I do work to make sure that they can be unloaded at > run-time, then it would be trivial to just unload them and replace them > with ours at boot time.
Sorry that I did not answer in time. As I am new in as maintainer of VirtualBox in openSUSE, I do not understand all the ramifications of what you are proposing. The only VB modules we install by default are the guest additions. They are necessary with openSUSE in a guest machine, and due to an unknown bug, they are also installed in real machines as well. If problems show up between your packaging and ours, I will be sure to contact you for help. :) Larry _______________________________________________ vbox-dev mailing list vbox-dev@virtualbox.org https://www.virtualbox.org/mailman/listinfo/vbox-dev
