[gentoo-dev] moving kernel config checks forward: potential config checking tool

[Robin H. Johnson]

I wanted to break the prior thread to discuss the root issue.

We have some set of packages (A) which collectively depend on one or
more kernel options being set in specific ways, and the options need to
REMAIN set if you want the packages to continue work.

There are also a subset of packages (B), usually kernel modules themselves
that will outright fail to compile if specific options are/are not set.

Can we consider moving the checks for set A somewhere else, such that we
don't check the kernel config during package compile & install time, but
only check it later? This also meaningfully resolves that cases where
the system that has package building isn't where the packages are being
used.

This secondary tooling COULD be called from pkg_setup much less, and
could do a much more efficient job of checking the state of multiple
flags. At boot, it needs to load the present config into some easy to
check for, and then it can be verified against in a lightweight manner.

Also a lot easier for users to say "i accept the responsbility of my
stuff breaking", AND for users to say "hey, why did package X broken
when I rebooted into new kernel" (because some config option changed).

It would need to keep long-term state about which packages want specific options
set/unset/modular, as well as short-term state about the config from
each boot.

-- 
Robin Hugh Johnson
Gentoo Linux: Dev, Infra Lead, Foundation Treasurer
E-Mail   : robbat2@g.o
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