Kernel-lt Package Sets -- What to Expect for EL5 and EL6

We have recently released [1] the latest update to the kernel-lt
package sets, for both EL5 and EL6.

Those of you who regularly monitor the front page of the Linux Kernel
Archives website [2] will have observed that the linux-3.0.X branch
has now been transitioned to EOL status following the release of the
linux-3.0.101 sources [3]. This action is in full accord with the
information contained within the 'Longterm release kernels' table, as
shown on the 'Active kernel releases' page [4].

As a preparation for this event, the ELRepo Project previously asked
for comments [5] as to which Linux source branch should then be used
for the basis of the kernel-lt package sets. The final decision [6]
was that kernel-lt for EL5 will be built using the linux-3.2.X branch
and kernel-lt for EL6 will be built using the linux-3.10.X branch.

All users who make regular use the kernel-lt packages should be
prepared for the transition that will thus occur with the next update
to the kernel-lt package sets.

[1] http://lists.elrepo.org/pipermail/elrepo/2013-October/002014.html 

[2] https://www.kernel.org/

[3] https://lkml.org/lkml/2013/10/22/125

[4] https://www.kernel.org/category/releases.html

[5] http://lists.elrepo.org/pipermail/elrepo/2013-August/001863.html

[6] http://lists.elrepo.org/pipermail/elrepo/2013-August/001890.html

ELRepo Statistics (beginning to July 2013)

Kernel-lt and the Future.

The ELRepo Project has regularly released a kernel-lt (long term supported)
package set for both enterprise Linux 5 & 6. These kernels have been based
on the linux-3.0.X stable branch.

The linux-3.0.X stable branch will be reaching end of life this coming
October [1][2] and a decision will have to be made with regards to the
future of the kernel-lt package sets that we provide.

There are a number of options available, the most radical being to stop
building and providing such kernel-lt package sets. However no decision
has yet been made.

A thread has been started on the ELRepo users' mailing list [3] where
subscribers have been asked to assist the Project's administrators in
making a decision.

If you would like to be part of the decision making process, please
contribute to that mailing list thread.

[1] https://www.kernel.org/category/releases.html 
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_kernel#Maintenance 
[3] http://lists.elrepo.org/pipermail/elrepo/2013-August/001863.html

RHEL 5.10 Beta released

Red Hat has just announced the Beta release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.10.  At ELRepo, we should get busy testing our packages against this release.

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.

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

RHEL 6.4 and ELRepo

RHEL 6.4 was released on February 21th, 2013. We have tested our packages against this release and identified a couple of issues. Below is a digest of our note sent to the ELRepo mailing list.  

1. The current OpenAFS kmod package in elrepo (kmod-openafs-1.6.1-2.el6.elrepo) does not weak-link against the new 6.4 kernel. Jack Neely rebuilt the kmod against the new 6.4 kernel (kmod-openafs-1.6.1-5.el6.elrepo) but that package does not in turn weak-link against earlier kernels. So users of 6.3 should continue to use the package in the main repository (kmod-openafs-1.6.1-2.el6.elrepo). When you are ready to update to 6.4, also update kmod-openafs (kmod-openafs-1.6.1-5.el6.elrepo) from the elrepo testing repository at the same time.   

2. Red Hat updated the wireless stack in RHEL 6.4. As a result, there now exists a file level conflict between the kernel-firmware package and the rt2860-firmware and rt2870-firmware packages from elrepo, both providing the same file(s). Users of these devices are advised to uninstall the elrepo drivers and firmware for these devices and revert to the kernel drivers now these devices are supported by the distro.

Kernel-ml-3.8.0-1.el6.elrepo

Having received a system-generated message that the mainline linux-3.8 tarball was available at the Linux Kernel Archives, it was downloaded and fed into the ELRepo Project's build system.

After the dispatch of one e-mail in-box full of messages and an evening meal, the build status was checked. The expected message was duly seen --

All packages have been built.

 So just three steps remained -- package signing, uploading to the elrepo-kernel repository and announcing the release of this package set to our mailing-list.

By now our mirror-sites will be synchronising with this latest kernel-ml release and so it is all over -- until the next tarball is released.

ELRepo statistics - Year 2012

Here's the number of yum users for the year 2012.