Re: How to check if kernel sources are installed on a system?

[Jan-Benedict Glaw <jbglaw@lug-owl.de>]

On Thu, 2006-05-25 21:19:33 -0000, devmazumdar <dev@opensound.com> wrote:
> How does one check the existence of the kernel source RPM (or deb) on
> every single distribution?.

You don't.  That's the user's task!

> We know that rpm -qa | grep kernel-source works on Redhat, Fedora,
> SuSE, Mandrake and CentOS - how about other RPM based distros? How
> about debian based distros?. There doesn't seem to be a a single
> conherent naming scheme. 

Indeed, there isn't.  Think about selfmade installations. Just ask the
user to provide you with the correct path. There may even be several
kernel version's source trees installed, with different configuration.

> Another thing, can we please start enforcing that people ship kernel
> source with the base installation? If distributors are distributing

No way.

> kernels, then it must be an absolute requirement that they ship kernel
> sources in a "configured" state as well.  If you're not going to
> provide a stable kernel API, then atleast please make this a requirement. 

Distros *will* ship kernel's configuration, but that'll never ever be
installed by default.

If you work on drivers (as it seems), please just clean up the code
and post it to the kernel mailing list (or subsystem specific lists.)
Once it meets the standards, it'll just become a part of the tree,
releasing you from the burden to think about its local installation.

MfG, JBG

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