F36 Change: New requirements for akmods binary kernel modules for Silverblue / Kinoite support (Self-Contained Change proposal)

[Ben Cotton]

https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Changes/Binary_Kernel_Modules_rpm-ostree

== Summary ==
In order to improve the current support for akmods based binary kernel
modules in Silverblue/Kinoite, this change introduces a new dependency
in akmods to a meta package that strongly links the version of a
kernel package with its `-devel` sub-package.

== Owner ==
* Name: [[User:Siosm| Timothée Ravier]]
* Email: siosm(a)fedoraproject.org

* Name: [[User:Kwizart| Nicolas Chauvet]]
* Email: kwizart(a)fedoraproject.org

* Name: [[User:Tpopela| Tomáš Popela]]
* Email: tpopela(a)fedoraproject.org


== Detailed Description ==
Silverblue & Kinoite currently include the `kernel-devel` and
`glibc-devel` packages by default in the base image to work around
dependency issues when using akmods based binary kernel modules such
as the NVIDIA binary driver.

To be able to remove that dependency, a new meta-package has been
added as kernel sub-package to strongly link a given kernel with its
corresponding `-devel` sub-package that is needed for building those
kernel modules with akmods.

With this change, custom kernel builds outside of the fedora
repository will have to provide this new meta-package.

A longer explanation of how akmods based binary kernel modules are
supported in Silverblue / Kinoite is available in
https://src.fedoraproject.org/rpms/akmods/pull-request/3#comment-90939.

References:
* New `kernel{,-debug}-devel-matched` sub-packages:
https://gitlab.com/cki-project/kernel-ark/-/merge_requests/1195
* Dependency change in akmods:
https://src.fedoraproject.org/rpms/akmods/pull-request/3
* Dependency removal in Silverblue/Kinoite:
https://pagure.io/workstation-ostree-config/pull-request/214

== Feedback ==
See individual PRs for existing discussions.

== Benefit to Fedora ==
This change will noticeably reduce the size of the Silverblue /
Kinoite base image and updates for users that do not use any binary
kernel modules.

== Scope ==
* Proposal owners:
** Code changes are ready. Merging is in progress.

* Other developers:
** Custom kernel builds outside of the fedora repository will have to
provide this new meta-package.

* Release engineering: N/A (not needed for this Change)
* Policies and guidelines: N/A (not needed for this Change)
* Trademark approval: N/A (not needed for this Change)
* Alignment with Objectives: N/A

== Upgrade/compatibility impact ==
This should not impact existing systems on updates. Users already
using binary kernel modules will now have those dependencies
automatically installed. Other users will have them removed.

== How To Test ==
* Install an akmods based binary kernel module (NVIDIA driver from RPM
Fusion for example) on Silverblue/Kinoite once the changes mentioned
above are merged.
* This should work just like it does on F35.

== User Experience ==
There should be no change in user experience.

== Dependencies ==
N/A

== Contingency Plan ==
* Contingency mechanism: Revert to previous behavior
* Contingency deadline: Beta freeze
* Blocks release? No

== Documentation ==
N/A (not a System Wide Change)

-- 
Ben Cotton
He / Him / His
Fedora Program Manager
Red Hat
TZ=America/Indiana/Indianapolis