Re: Linux-Libre-LTS

[Mark H Weaver <mhw@netris.org>]

Hi Raghav,

Raghav Gururajan <rg@raghavgururajan.name> writes:

> I think it is good to have a package-variable "linux-libre-lts", as 
> mentioned in the table at https://jxself.org/linux-libre/
>
> This way, users don't have to remember and change the version numbers in 
> their operating-system-configuration or package-manifest, whenever there 
> is new LTS release.
>
> Thoughts?

I have one concern.

It seems to me that the main reason to specify an LTS kernel is to avoid
the unscheduled breakage that can occur when updating to a new kernel
release series (i.e. to a new major+minor version).  Using
"linux-libre-lts" would fail to avoid these unscheduled updates; it
would merely reduce their frequency.

The only way to reliably avoid unscheduled major+minor kernel updates is
to specify "linux-libre-5.10" or similar.  The cost of this approach is
trivial: editing a few characters in the OS configuration when one
wishes to update to a newer LTS series.  The benefit is that the user
gains control over when these updates will happen, and thus when any
associated breakage will occur.

To my mind, the benefit of this approach is so compelling, and its cost
so trivial, that I can hardly understand why anyone who wishes to use an
LTS kernel would choose otherwise.

If we add "linux-libre-lts" to Guix, I worry that some users would use
it without understanding what they are sacrificing, and later get burned
by breakage when we modify its binding next year, or in some future
year.

A user who does not understand Guix in depth might reasonably expect
that when choosing "linux-libre-lts", upgrades to a later LTS series
would be postponed until the user gives explicit consent.  In theory,
Guix could be modified to behave this way, although I doubt it would be
worth the added complexity.  In any case, since it *could* be done, a
user might reasonably expect it.

If the goal is to solve the problem of users forgetting to update to
newer LTS kernels, I suggest exploring other approaches.  Perhaps we
could implement some system where Guix provides periodic reminders to
consider upgrading, when an older LTS kernel is specified in the OS
configuration and a newer LTS is available.  There'd need to be a way to
silence the warnings though.

What do you think?

      Regards,
        Mark