[elrepo] Announcement: EL5, EL6 and EL7 Updated wl-kmod srpm [6.30.223.271]

[S.Tindall]

On Fri, 2016-01-08 at 16:53 +0000, Nux! wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I'm having a problem with the generated mock RPMs (user complained).
> Apparently the RPMs of kmod-wl (both el6 & 7) only install a .ko in the path of the kernel used at buildtime with kversion.
> My usual mock command is:
> 
> mock -r epel-7-x86_64 --define 'el7 1' --define 'rhel 7' --no-clean --define 'kversion 3.10.0-229.14.1.el7.x86_64' kmod-wl.srpm
> 
> The resulting RPM will only install a /lib/modules/3.10.0-229.14.1.el7.x86_64/extra/wl/wl.ko instead of 
> /lib/modules/3.10.0-327.3.1.el7.x86_64/extra/wl/wl.ko
> 
> Is anyone else using mock for generating these, does it work for you?
> 
> Lucian
> 
> PS: I have removed the RPMs from my repo until I get this fixed
> 
> --
> Sent from the Delta quadrant using Borg technology!
> 
> Nux!
> www.nux.ro

That's not a problem. That's a feature! :-)

The short answer is that the kABI with respect to the kernel wireless
stack has changed with each RHEL 7 point release due to backporting. Any
kmod-wl binary you generate will only weak link against other kernels
within the same point release. This issue is not specific to kmod-wl.

The longer answer, which is easier for me to write, is described in the
"Kmod-wl Usability Across EL Point Releases" section in the wl-kmod wiki
page http://elrepo.org/tiki/wl-kmod .

With the current srpm, you need to compile against a kernel (kversion)
within the point release range you wish to use it in and then install
that kmod-wl. This has been a general issue/problem with wireless RHEL 7
kmods.

For my internal use and testing, I compile (manual rpmbuild, not mock)
against all initial point release kversions and then simply rename the
package file names to reflect the kversion used. Internally, they are
all kmod-wl and only one can be installed at a time.

I will be out/unavailable for much of the day, so others should add
relevant comments to this thread, especially with respect to how ELRepo
has dealt with this for other wireless kmods.

Steve