[Fedora-packaging] questions regarding kernel-devel and kernel-smp-devel packages

[Warren Togami]

Jeff Spaleta wrote:
> Currently in rawhide at the moment yum treats kernel-devel as installonly
> but kernel-smp-devel package is treated as a normal package when doing updates.
> 
> Which is the more correct befault behavior?  Do we want multiple
> versions of kernel-devel and kernel-smp-devel packages to be installed
> by default or do we want these packages to update?

We need the ability to install any or multiple kernel-*devel packages in 
order to build modules against any target kernel version and arch. 
Upgrade is never desired with kernel-*devel.

> If we want multiple versions to install, as default behavior, do we
> want to use a different mechanism then the package name? Like using a
> common provides statement that yum can see and act on.. similar to how
> kernel and kernel-module packages are sensed?
> 

Yes.  Modifying a list of names in yum is bad.  The packages themselves 
should tell the dep resolver "Do not upgrade me!"

Warren Togami
wtogami at redhat.com