This has been added to the Psyche FAQ at http://linuxlaboratory.org Thanks a million for the input! On Wed, 2002-12-11 at 01:36, Mike A. Harris wrote: > On 9 Dec 2002, J Kevin Martineau wrote: > > >Date: 09 Dec 2002 23:15:31 -0500 > >From: J Kevin Martineau <kevinmartineau@senets.com> > >To: psyche-list@redhat.com > >Content-Type: text/plain > >List-Id: Discussion of Red Hat Linux 8.0 (Psyche) <psyche-list.redhat.com> > >Subject: Re: Upgrade XFree > > > >On Mon, 2002-12-09 at 17:25, Mike A. Harris wrote: > > > >> The kernel does. > >> > >> > >> -- > >> Mike A. Harris ftp://people.redhat.com/mharris > >> OS Systems Engineer - XFree86 maintainer - Red Hat > > > >I'm currently using 2.4.18-18.8.0. Is the > >XFree86-4.2.99.2-0.20021122.2.i386.rpm compiled against the 2.4.19-0 > >kernel that is in Rawhide? > > Sorry, to be more precice... > > The Red Hat kernel packages are what provides the "kernel-drm" > component. It provides a specific DRM version to match a > specific XFree86 release, as well as prior XFree86 releases that > are known to work with it as well. > > Each and every new XFree86 release that comes out, also comes > with new kernel DRM source code. The new XFree86 specifically > requires that the latest DRM modules be used, however Linus' > kernels never have updated DRM modules that match the latest > XFree86 release, so a stock Linus kernel is not sufficient. > Users must either compile DRM kernel modules from XFree86 source > code themselves, or they must use a kernel which supplies the > needed DRM modules. > > As such, once the new DRM code gets put into a Red Hat rawhide > kernel, that kernel now advertises support for the new DRM > version via "Provides: kernel-drm = 4.2.99.2", or whatever > version is being added at the time. Once this new Red Hat kernel > is in rawhide for testing, then XFree86 packaging is updated with > a "Requires: kernel-drm = 4.2.99.2", as well. This ensures that > when someone installs the new X, that they are only able to do so > if they have also installed the Red Hat kernel that provides the > required kernel DRM component that X needs in order to function > correctly. > > If someone does not use DRI or need it at all, or purposefully > wants to disable it, then one can disable DRI in their X config > file, and upgrade to CVS X by using --nodeps during upgrade. > Please note that upgrading X in this manner will mean that if > one attempts to use DRI at all, they will get completely > "undefined" and unsupported behaviour, so use at own risk. Do > not file any XFree86 or kernel related bug reports if you are > using such a configuration. > > <PARANOID DISCLAIMER> > Also note that both rawhide CVS XFree86 as well as the rawhide > kernel are not intended for production. While many people are > using them both successfully, they are both developmental > codebases in a constant state of flux, and should not be used on > important production machines. Only use rawhide XFree86 and > kernel on machines that complete and total data loss would not be > a problem. > </DISCLAIMER> > > That said, many people are using both without major issues. But > also there are a few people using them and having major issues > too. ;o) > > In summary: With every single new XFree86 release, the kernel > DRM source code must be updated, and there is therefore a direct > dependancy on the new DRM kernel modules between XFree86 and the > kernel. This is enforced by an rpm virtual "provides" mechanism, > and users must use a matching XFree86 and kernel combination from > rawhide, or they can override this if desired and they know what > they are doing. Overriding this however, makes your system > unsupported unless you can reproduce a given problem using the > Red Hat supplied kernel and XFree86. > > Hope this helps. > > Take care, > TTYL > > P.S This is a _major_ frequently asked question. Please forward > my email to anyone you know of who is experiencing this problem > and isn't aware of what they need to do. I'm fairly inundated > with email on this topic, and do not respond to individual emails > on the subject, although I try to respond on mailing lists once > in a while, in hopes that others will carry the message on for > future people experiencing the issue. > > > > -- > Mike A. Harris ftp://people.redhat.com/mharris > OS Systems Engineer - XFree86 maintainer - Red Hat -- Brian K. Jones System Administrator Dept. of Computer Science, Princeton University jonesy@cs.princeton.edu http://www.linuxlaboratory.org http://phat.sourceforge.net Voice: (609) 258-6080 -- Psyche-list mailing list Psyche-list@redhat.com https://listman.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/psyche-list
