#1104793 Consistent naming with LTS-backported kernels

Package:
src:linux
Source:
src:linux
Submitter:
Christopher Huhn
Date:
2025-05-07 11:03:02 UTC
Severity:
normal
#1104793#5
Date:
2025-05-06 14:12:21 UTC
From:
To:
Hi y'all

LTS and ELTS provide backports of the stable kernel for all releases
(currently Stretch to Bullseye). These packages come with
linux-<component>-<major>.<minor>-<flavor> meta-packages eg.
linux-image-6.1-amd64.
This is a very nice feature making it possible to run the same kernel
version on a whole fleet of nodes with diverse Debian releases by
installing a uniformly named package.

Unfortunately no such packages exist in Debian stable at the moment.

So I'd propose that linux-<component>-<flavor> always also

Cheers

Christopher
#1104793#12
Date:
2025-05-06 18:25:54 UTC
From:
To:
close 1104793
thanks

This is out of scope for a stable release where we do support only one upstream
stable series via security updates as well. More recent other upstream stable
series are only supported via backports and do not get security support.

The story is different for LTS (and ELTS).

Regards,
Salvatore
#1104793#17
Date:
2025-05-07 10:18:24 UTC
From:
To:
Hello Salvatore,

 > This is out of scope for a stable release where we do support only
one > upstream stable series via security updates as well.

I don't quite understand your explanation.
Providing additional meta-packages for Trixie like
linux-image-6.12-amd64 in addition to linux-image-amd64 aso. has neither
to do with supporting multiple kernel versions in Debian stable nor
backports of any sort – or has it?

 > The story is different for LTS (and ELTS).

This is exactly my point because I'd like it to be consistent and have
linux-image-6.12-amd64 etc. on Bookworm, Bullseye, Buster *and* Trixie.

I asked about this on debian-lts first and was asked to open a bug
report against src:linux[1].

Best

Christopher

[1] https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts/2025/05/msg00011.html
#1104793#22
Date:
2025-05-07 11:01:58 UTC
From:
To:
Hi Christoph,

Thanks for your time in coming back to the bug and explaining your
viewpoint.

Right, since it was Ben himself replying on the debian-lts thread (who
is maintaining the kernel for LTS and ELTS) I will reopen the bug and
see with him if we want to do that.

In LTS and ELTS they provide multiple source packages and support
them, and that was my point that we won't do that for stable.

But maybe he has a concrete idea on providing additional metapackages
only to be used in the bookworm-backports provided versions so once
you have backports enabled you could install those via these package
names as well.

Regards,
Salvatore