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Dev Week -- Packaging Kernel modules with DKMS -- BenC -- Fri, Jan 23

UTC -4 (EST)

(02:12:38 PM) BenC: I have to start off by saying that because of last minute schedule changes, I'm going to have to keep this short and sweet :)
(02:13:21 PM) crashsystems left the room.
(02:13:24 PM) BenC: So this sessions is about DKMS, and using it to package kernel modules...
(02:13:42 PM) DoruHush: thank you
(02:14:00 PM) BenC: DKMS is a program that allows you to easily manage sources for modules, and have them automatically build against the kernel you are running/installing
(02:14:31 PM) BenC: Generally it's used by users so they can have third party modules, and have those modules stay in sync with the kernel provided by your distro
(02:15:07 PM) BenC: But we also use it for modules provided by vendors, especially those where there is a binary blob or other closed source portion (e.g. broadcom, fglrx, nvidia)
(02:15:47 PM) BenC: http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~bcollins/dkms-presentation/
(02:16:13 PM) BenC: At the above URL, you can find a presentation I did awhile back, and an example dkms package created for the presentation
(02:16:52 PM) ***BenC pauses for questions...
(02:18:12 PM) BenC: Ok, I guess I'll go into some details of the package itself
(02:18:49 PM) BenC: The source is always installed as /usr/src/<module>-<version>
(02:19:02 PM) BenC: the package registers this with dkms during postinst
(02:19:20 PM) BenC: in the above directory is a dkms.conf file that describes the module and how it needs to be built
(02:20:00 PM) BenC: When the kernel is upgraded (or specifically, when the headers are upgraded) a script installed by dkms is triggered, and checks if any of the modules need to be rebuilt
(02:22:11 PM) ***BenC is assuming people interested in the kernel are already out drinking right now
(02:24:21 PM) BenC: Great, that will let me wrap things up quick so I can take care of some other things...
(02:24:25 PM) BenC: Last chance for questions...
(02:25:20 PM) BenC: Ok, thanks for having me...have a great weekend everyone
(02:26:25 PM) Dykam: BenC, you should write this up in a text file somewhere, so people can read it later...
(02:26:33 PM) Dykam: it is a join/part mess now
(02:26:46 PM) dinxter: thanks BenC
(02:30:32 PM) BenC left the room.