Re: [patch] 2.4 add suffix for uname -r

[Mike A. Harris]

On Sun, 6 May 2001, Keith Owens wrote:

>Date: Sun, 06 May 2001 17:15:45 +1000
>From: Keith Owens <[e-mail]>
>To: [e-mail]
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>Subject: [patch] 2.4 add suffix for uname -r
>
>A frequent requirement is to rename vmlinuz-2.x.y to 2.x.y-old or
>2.x.y.save to preserve a working kernel.  But renaming the image does
>not change the value of uname -r so it still tries to use modules
>2.x.y, which defeats the purpose of saving an working kernel.
>
>Normally I would say that this is a user space problem but it requires
>finding every program that uses uname(2) and every script that uses
>uname -r and changing them, not practical (modutils, alsa, pciutils,
>/etc/rc.d, mkinitrd etc.).  Instead this small patch to the kernel adds
>the boot time option unamersfx (uname -r suffix).  Rename a kernel
>image from 2.x.y to 2.x.y.foo, rename /lib/modules/2.x.y to 2.x.y.foo
>and boot with unamersfx=.foo to safely pick up the old kernel.
>
>Objects that "know" the value of uname -r that they were compiled with
>will not work with unamersfx.  Are there any?

I don't see how this patch is necessary when we have
"EXTRAVERSION" available.  Change EXTRAVERSION in your kernel
builds and it is totally a non issue.  No renaming of anything is
necessary.

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