Better libre kernel source? DNS PPA or jxself?
I recently found out about DNS' PPA at https://launchpad.net/~linux-libre/+archive/ppa that offers a Linux Libre kernel which I assume is the exact same files (or based off of) as offered in jxself's http://jxself.org/linux-libre/ repository.
Are there any huge differences between the two besides the DNS one having the kernel per distro in comparison to jxself's all-in-one approach? Is DNS using jxself's as a reference? If you had the choice between the two, which source would you choose?
I'd choose mine but I'm probably biased. :)
There's not much difference between the two although mine has replaced image of Tux (the Linux penguin mascot) with that of Freedo (the Linux-libre mascot) on boot but I understand that DNS plans to do that with his too.
One difference between the repositories is that I'd recieved some feedback that some didn't want to be upgraded to the next major kernel release automatically (like from 3.5 to 3.6 or from 3.7 to 3.8) because they didn't trust major new releases to be stable yet. In response I created packages that track with the releases of the supported branches so that those that feel this way can then upgrade to newer release branches when they're ready.
You can also have a different package installed so that you are automatically prompted to upgrade from one major release to another, if you don't feel this way.
This isn't really a jxself vs. DNS debate, though, because I'm also involved in the Launchpad project too as my time allows.
I do have a question for you and I wonder if this is a lot of work. Currently you maintain the latest Linux Libre kernel and put in your repository. Is there a way that you can maintain a seperate repository that matches the version numbers as the Ubuntu releases? I know that Ruben will take the source code for the latest Ubuntu kernel source code, deblob it, and put the final result in the Trisquel repositories.
If you did the same thing and put on your server, would that be possible? If so, would you do it? I know it is great to have the latest kernel as an option, but a libre kernel to mirror the version that Ubuntu has would be peaches. I assume this would be for the supported versions which is Lucid (http://packages.ubuntu.com/lucid/linux-generic) and newer operating systems still supported by Canonical.
Heck, this could take some load off for Ruben in doing it himself and can just migrate your packages in.
The idea of using the Launchpad PPA to provide deblobbed versions of Ubuntu kernels was also suggested by someone else, since having two repositories both providing the latest version seems to be a duplication of effort.
However, there was some thought that rather than provide deblobbed kernels for Ubuntu users it might be better to instead encourage them to move to something like Trisquel instead where they get not only the free kernels but everything else free too.
Either way I'll discuss it with DNS.
I can see where a person can get confused with two sources for the same libre kernel with the DNS one being on launchpad and yours being on your site and hosted on fsfla. On top of that, DNS' repository acknowledges yours in his notes and does seem like a duplication of effort.
Having a libre kernel that matches the Ubuntu one does give a piece of mind knowing that the software in the repositories has been tested to work fine with the kernel version. A modified libre kernel of the Ubuntu one may be missing proprietary blobs and not be exactly the same, but at least the versions would match and maintain stability on that version of Ubuntu.
Thanks for the clarification and reading my suggestion! :-)
First of all it is not "DNS PPA", those PPA(s) (PPA & Test) are "Linux-Libre Package Team PPA(s)".
Yes, there is not much difference between those kernels, but jxself's kernels are more universal, like for any debian based distro; while the PPA kernels are specific for ubuntu based distros. And jxself's kernels are build (afaik) with make-kpkg, while for the PPA we use a bash script.
I know you are nitpicking, but I did say DNS' PPA which is possessive for ownership of the PPA mentioned and not limiting to a singular "DNS PPA" for which you thought. I know you have multiple PPAs.
How about you offer the deblobbed Ubuntu kernel in your repository or create a new one? I'm sure many will use it and it will help Trisquel in getting a matched kernel for its versions without having Ruben spend time to do it.
I do have a question for DNS or jxself -
I tried looking around the "How Trisquel is made" and package-helpers pages to look for it, but do any of you know where you can directly get the file that Ruben uses to convert the Ubuntu kernel into a Linux Libre one?
If that is not made available, do any of you have scripts available to convert the kernel?
Check out the Package Helpers page. It's linked to from the How Trisquel Is Made page.
I've been to https://trisquel.info/en/wiki/package-helpers and cloned the GIT file which gave me like 4 files total. Is this kernel purge script seperate or all-in-one with the others?
I bet you mean the master branch, try this in your cloned dir:
git checkout toutatis
... and checkout the directory again ;)
I still did not speak to quidam, but i would agree to have newer kernels maybe in the backports repo, if this would be not an issue (just so far i don't know how to tell helper scripts to put release in backports).