Re: 2.6.Stable and EXTRAVERSION

From: Bill Davidsen
Date: Fri Mar 11 2005 - 15:05:07 EST


Justin M. Forbes wrote:
With the new stable series kernels, the .x versioning is being added to
EXTRAVERSION. This has traditionally been a space for local modification.
I know several distributions are using EXTRAVERSION for build numbers,
platform and assorted other information to differentiate their kernel
releases.
I would propose that the new stable series kernels move the .x version
information somewhere more official. I certainly do not mind throwing
together a patch to support DOTVERSION or what ever people want to call it.
Is anyone opposed to such a change?

I think it will confuse scripts which expect something local in the 4th field. I confess that I have such, and that field is turned into a directory name during builds, so test results are saved in a proper place. I think vendors and people who care will just keep three digits, and those who want the last can make their EXTRAVERSION
2.Joes_Bar_&_Grill_486
or whatever is needed.

Add to that the confusion of having mainline releases
2.6.x.LOCAL
and stable be
2.6.x.y.LOCAL
and you really make work for people who do things with scripts. This is probably not an issue for humans, and people could program around it, but I think it's a solution to a non-problem. Vendors will have the -stable and their own patches, so they probably will only keep three fields anyway.

And don't even suggest tell Linus to start calling mainline releases 2.6.x.0 because that would probably break even more things.

Leave well enough alone!

--
-bill davidsen (davidsen@xxxxxxx)
"The secret to procrastination is to put things off until the
last possible moment - but no longer" -me
-
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/