On Fri, Oct 09, 2009 at 05:49:13PM -0400, Michael Gilbert wrote: > > On Fri, Oct 09, 2009 at 02:04:20PM -0400, Michael Gilbert wrote: > >> the linux-kbuild-2.6 source package includes portions of code from the > >> linux-2.6 source package (i.e. everything in ./kbuild/*). this is bad > >> in terms of security support because it causes more work for the > >> security team and increases the risk of errors, omissions, and mistakes. > > No, it does not. It is a different source package and both are derived > > from the same upstream code. > two different source packages with portions being the same code are > considered a case of an embedded code copy; which is generally > considered bad practice from a security perspective.
Well, please start with every source using autoconf then. autoconf embeds copies of a large amount of source code snippets in the targets. This have about the same practical relevance and use then the code we are talking about. > >> less significant, but also important, is that since the kbuild package > >> is separated from the linux package, the kbuild packages always lag by > >> weeks or months after a new kernel release; making it impossible to > >> build modules for that new kernel. > >> the recommended course of action is to update the linux-2.6 source > >> package to also build the kbuild binaries. thanks. > > This is not possible for other reasons. > what are these reasons, and why do they seem so insurmountable? They are backed by ยง4 Social Contract. To be exact, it is part of the cross-compile support in the linux packages. And yes, this is heavily used. Bastian -- Vulcans worship peace above all. -- McCoy, "Return to Tomorrow", stardate 4768.3 -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-kernel-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org