Saturday, April 13, 2013

Where Are The Kernel-lt-3.0.73-1.el6.elrepo Packages?

A week ago, we reported that the kernel-lt-3.0.72-1.elX.elrepo package sets (both el5 & el6) could not be built due to a bug introduced into the then just released linux-3.0.72 source tarball.

A week on and the linux-3.0.73 source tarball has been released. The appropriate files were submitted to the build systems and the expected kernel-lt-3.0.73-1.el5.elrepo packages were created. They have been signed, uploaded to the main mirror and their availability announced.

But what about the kernel-lt-3.0.73-1.el6.elrepo packages, you ask? Unfortunately the inability to test the patches so submitted has resulted in the presence of a different bug in the linux-3.0.73 source tarball. That bug only affects the 32-bit build of the kernel with the el6 configuration.

arch/x86/mm/numa_32.c:107: error: redefinition of 'alloc_remap'
include/linux/bootmem.h:144: note: previous definition of 'alloc_remap' was here
make[2]: *** [arch/x86/mm/numa_32.o] Error 1
make[1]: *** [arch/x86/mm] Error 2
make: *** [arch/x86] Error 2

Two successive buggy tarballs have now been released . . . We wonder what the next tarball (linux-3.0.74) will bring? A kick up the rear for the creators, applied by Linus Torvalds, perhaps?

Update (2013-04-15). By making a change to the configuration for the el6 kernel (namely CONFIG_NUMA disabled for 32-bit), we have been able to build and release the package set. If you are inconvenienced by this configuration change, please let us know and -- most importantly -- refer to this bug at bugzilla.kernel.org  Hopefully you will not be ignored.

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Where Are The Kernel-lt-3.0.72-1.elX.elrepo Packages?

Question: The long-term support linux-3.0.72 source tarball was released on 2013-04-05. When will the kernel-lt-3.0.72-1.elX.elrepo packages, built for both EL5 and EL6, be available please?

Answer (short): Never.

Answer (longer): Never, because the source tarball is defective. A freshly introduced bug brings the 32-bit build to an abrupt halt during the module building phase.

ERROR: "__udivdi3" [fs/ext4/ext4.ko] undefined!
make[1]: *** [__modpost] Error 1
make: *** [modules] Error 2