Re: [gentoo-dev] Opinion against /usr merge

["Canek Peláez Valdés" <caneko@gmail.com>]

On Wed, Jul 18, 2012 at 2:12 PM, Michael Mol <mikemol@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Wed, Jul 18, 2012 at 3:03 PM, Canek Peláez Valdés <caneko@gmail.com> wrote:
>> On Wed, Jul 18, 2012 at 1:53 PM, Michael Mol <mikemol@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> On Wed, Jul 18, 2012 at 2:47 PM, Alec Warner <antarus@gentoo.org> wrote:
>> [snip]
>>>> Debian uses initramfs-tools...
>>>
>>> AFAIK, neither genkernel nor dracut were expected to get tied to the
>>> Gentoo update process. Has that changed?
>>
>> The kernel you are running (if you update your machine) is not tied to
>> the Gentoo update process. The *source code* gets installed, but the
>> kernel source remains unchanged in /usr/src/whatever. It's the user
>> responsibility to configure, compile, and install the kernel (and then
>> update LILO, grub-legacy or GRUB2). It can be automated with (ta-da)
>> genkernel, but it's not "tied to the Gentoo update process".
>>
>> I really don't see that much difference with needing to also update
>> the initramfs, if needed.
>
> What if your DNS resolver in your rescue shell has a vulnerability?
> What if wget, links or whatever network tools you use during recovery
> have a vulnerability?
>
> These are tools which are commonly placed in initramfs.

First of all, none of this has nothing to do with the discussion at
hand. Second, I don't know what kind of initramfs you are familiar
with, but mine has nothing network related, and I don't see *any*
reason to include *anything* network related to an initramfs.

>> Because, besides, if your /usr is not in a different partition, you
>> don't even *need* an initramfs. In that case not using an initramfs is
>> supported by all upstreams.
>
> And what of /var? /opt?

What about them? Again, what it has this anything to do with our
current discussion?

> The problem with the /usr merge upstream is
> that someone didn't think things through when they pushed it, and the
> same reasoning used to justify it easily justifies changing the way
> /var and /opt are treated.

That's pure speculation. Nobody has ever suggested merging /opt nor
/var; if I'm mistaken I would love to see even a single link (mail,
blog post, IRC discussion) were it was at least mentioned as a good
idea to do the same with /opt or /var. I'm pretty sure you don't have
any.

Regards.
-- 
Canek Peláez Valdés
Posgrado en Ciencia e Ingeniería de la Computación
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México