Hello, I'd like to propose that kernel updates release via fedora-updates use the same modversions.h as the last one if there were no interface changes. I know that may be a controversial proposal, but read on. For security fixes, it's rare (but not impossible) that a kernel interface changes. In this case it would be possible to use the same symbol mangling and therefore not prevent user-compiled modules from loading, and it would be safe. For the other updates released, more care would have to be taken to notice if there were changes or not - if there was any doubt about binary compatibility, then modversions would still change, but if there was simply eg, a driver bugfix then it would not be changed. This solves the following problem: Bill sets up a Linux system for Sally. She does a "yum upgrade" because she knows it's important to stay up to date to be secure. The kernel is changed, and as a result various things break even though the update was fixing a race condition in a syscall implementation. She does not know how to fix it. This is not a "please can the kernel have a stable ABI" email. It doesn't, and that's the end of the story. This is a "please do not prevent self-compiled modules from loading unless there is a real need" email, which I haven't seen brought up before (you have my apologies if it was) and should not have much impact outside a bit more work for Dave Jones I guess ;) Is this possible to do? It would require a careful analysis of the changes being made to the kernel in online updates, but hopefully this already happens anyway :) The actual build system modifications should not be too tricky, I hope ... thanks -mike
