Linux emulation version number

[Divacky Roman]

On Fri, Mar 23, 2007 at 11:36:54AM +0100, Alexander Leidinger wrote:
> Quoting Boris Samorodov <bsam at ipt.ru> (from Fri, 23 Mar 2007 02:36:37 
> +0300):
> 
> >Hi!
> >
> >
> >The FC6 port doesn't install with linux.osrelease=2.4.2. Assuming that
> >FreeBSD supports only two values (2.6.16 is the second one) I use the
> >following line at the Makefile:
> >-----
> >.include <bsd.port.pre.mk>
> >
> >LINUX_OSRELEASE!=       ${SYSCTL} -n compat.linux.osrelease
> >
> >.if ${LINUX_OSRELEASE} != "2.6.16"
> >IGNORE= supported only for compat.linux.osrelease: 2.6.16
> >.endif
> >-----
> >
> >Something similar should be written to pkg-install script for
> >packages sake. The Porters Handbook says it's not good to use sysctl.
> >But such approach should be used for all upcomming fc6 ports...
> >
> >What do you think? Thanks.
> 
> I suggest to do it the other way around:
>  .if ${LINUX_OSRELEASE} == "2.4.2"
>  IGNORE
>  .endif

I dont think this is a good idea.... what if someone sets 2.2?

from slightly different topic... I think the version should follow these rules

1) we should choose 2.6.16 as our target (we already did but its not stated much) and
implement its FULL functionality, we're almost there lacking basically only the *at syscalls
(which are almost here as well). when splice() (native one) is finished we should implement
linux_splice() (a trivial wrapper) and switch to 2.6.17 or possibly 18 as our reference linux version.

2) the osrelease should be set to the number of the kernel the actual FC is shipped with if < 16 oterwise
to 16.

I plan to lookup what are the major differences between various linux versions and then we can change
these numbers cause now I know only about the 2.6.16 and splice in 2.6.17

I think this way we will get most stability because the FCs are tested with the given kernel number
and using higher might lower stability (glibc not being tested for this kernel) and lower number
might cripple our ability to emulate..

opinions?