[gentoo-dev] RFC: Overhaul of media-gfx/nvidia

[gentoo-dev] RFC: Overhaul of media-gfx/nvidia

[Arcady Genkin]

I didn't like the way 'nvidia' portage was done, and I ended up
re-doing it.  In fact, I split it in two portages: nvidia-kernel and
nvidia-glx.  Since I think that this can cause some controversy, I'd
like to discuss it in the mailing list.  The ebuilds are available
from:
              http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=517

My version is better than the current one because:

1. It's split into two portages.  (a) the current
version of the kernel driver is 1.0.2314, while the current version of
the glx library is 1.0.2313.  With the current `nvidia' portage it's
unclear which one determines the version of the portage itself.  (b) if one
compiles a new version of Linux kernel, he only needs to update
nvidia-kernel, and leave nvidia-glx untouched.

2. NVIDIA's own makefile overwrites some of the native files that
come with XFree.  It upsets me when a package messes with the other
package's files, because if I were to update the world, the order of
update would determine the state of the system, etc.  I decided to put
the contents of nvidia-glx into /opt/NVIDIA to make sure that they don't
mess with anything else.

3. nvidia-kernel now creates necessary device nodes.

4. nvidia-kernel now installs aliases.

The small downside of the new layout is that the user needs to add a
modules path to the Files section in XF86Config.

Comments?
-- 
Arcady Genkin
Don't read everything you believe.

Re: [gentoo-dev] RFC: Overhaul of media-gfx/nvidia

[Bart Verwilst]

I like the simple straightforward way we have now actually... one line and
we're set...
I don't want to install multiple packages, + clutter my
system with extra /opt/xxx dirs, and manually add a line in my XF86Config..
:(
And when you rebuild your kernel, remerging media-gfx only takes seconds, so
why split it into 2 files to drop a few secs of  compile time?....
Just my  ? 0.02

--

Bart Verwilst
Gentoo Linux Developer, Desktop Team
Gent, Belgium

----- Original Message -----
From: "Arcady Genkin" <agenkin-dated-1014007181.4e6186@thpoon.com>
To: <gentoo-dev@gentoo.org>
Sent: Monday, February 04, 2002 6:10 AM
Subject: [gentoo-dev] RFC: Overhaul of media-gfx/nvidia


> I didn't like the way 'nvidia' portage was done, and I ended up
> re-doing it.  In fact, I split it in two portages: nvidia-kernel and
> nvidia-glx.  Since I think that this can cause some controversy, I'd
> like to discuss it in the mailing list.  The ebuilds are available
> from:
>               http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=517
>
> My version is better than the current one because:
>
> 1. It's split into two portages.  (a) the current
> version of the kernel driver is 1.0.2314, while the current version of
> the glx library is 1.0.2313.  With the current `nvidia' portage it's
> unclear which one determines the version of the portage itself.  (b) if
one
> compiles a new version of Linux kernel, he only needs to update
> nvidia-kernel, and leave nvidia-glx untouched.
>
> 2. NVIDIA's own makefile overwrites some of the native files that
> come with XFree.  It upsets me when a package messes with the other
> package's files, because if I were to update the world, the order of
> update would determine the state of the system, etc.  I decided to put
> the contents of nvidia-glx into /opt/NVIDIA to make sure that they don't
> mess with anything else.
>
> 3. nvidia-kernel now creates necessary device nodes.
>
> 4. nvidia-kernel now installs aliases.
>
> The small downside of the new layout is that the user needs to add a
> modules path to the Files section in XF86Config.
>
> Comments?
> --
> Arcady Genkin
> Don't read everything you believe.
> _______________________________________________
> gentoo-dev mailing list
> gentoo-dev@gentoo.org
> http://lists.gentoo.org/mailman/listinfo/gentoo-dev
>

Re: [gentoo-dev] RFC: Overhaul of media-gfx/nvidia

[Arcady Genkin]

"Bart Verwilst" <verwilst@gentoo.org> writes:

> I like the simple straightforward way we have now actually... one line and
> we're set...

I can understand that it may seem easier to maintain one portage, than
two, but... [read on]

> I don't want to install multiple packages, + clutter my
> system with extra /opt/xxx dirs, 

How is it different from cluttering (and clobbering!) your
/usr/X11/lib?

> and manually add a line in my XF86Config..
> :(

Only needs to be done once.  But think about this: when you upgrade
your xfree port, it will overwrite the NVIDIA files, and you would
have to reinstall them.  Consequently, when you unmerge the nvidia
package, you end up with an incomplete xfree installation[1].
Finally, when you update world, you have no way of knowing whether you
would be able to start X windows the next time, because the sanity of
the system would be determined by the order, in which the upgraded
packages were merged.[2]  What's easier: just add a module path to
XF86Config once or be constantly aware of the above issues?

> And when you rebuild your kernel, remerging media-gfx only takes seconds, so
> why split it into 2 files to drop a few secs of  compile time?....

How about people on dial-up Net connection?  Unless they keep the tar
balls in /usr/portage/distfiles[3], my improvement may mean 300K
download instead of 2M one.  We are not talking about seconds any
more. ;^)

Footnotes: 
[1]  Of course, this can be handled in post-unmerging part of the
nvidia package, but it isn't as it is now.
[2]  I.e. if nvidia goes first, and xfree next, your X installation is
     fubar-ed.
[3]  I, for example, clean it with a cron job.
-- 
Arcady Genkin
Don't read everything you believe.

Re: [gentoo-dev] RFC: Overhaul of media-gfx/nvidia

[Martin Schlemmer]

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On Mon, 2002-02-04 at 07:10, Arcady Genkin wrote:
> I didn't like the way 'nvidia' portage was done, and I ended up
> re-doing it.  In fact, I split it in two portages: nvidia-kernel and
> nvidia-glx.  Since I think that this can cause some controversy, I'd
> like to discuss it in the mailing list.  The ebuilds are available
> from:
>               http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=517
> 
> My version is better than the current one because:
> 
> 1. It's split into two portages.  (a) the current
> version of the kernel driver is 1.0.2314, while the current version of
> the glx library is 1.0.2313.  With the current `nvidia' portage it's
> unclear which one determines the version of the portage itself.  (b) if one
> compiles a new version of Linux kernel, he only needs to update
> nvidia-kernel, and leave nvidia-glx untouched.
> 
> 2. NVIDIA's own makefile overwrites some of the native files that
> come with XFree.  It upsets me when a package messes with the other
> package's files, because if I were to update the world, the order of
> update would determine the state of the system, etc.  I decided to put
> the contents of nvidia-glx into /opt/NVIDIA to make sure that they don't
> mess with anything else.
> 
> 3. nvidia-kernel now creates necessary device nodes.
> 

Using devfs, I never had a problem with device nodes.

> 4. nvidia-kernel now installs aliases.
> 
> The small downside of the new layout is that the user needs to add a
> modules path to the Files section in XF86Config.
> 

Gentoo linux always did have the nodes. Have a look at:

  /etc/modules.d/aliases


Otherwise I dont have comments/objections.  Personally I do
not mind it the way it was, as the old libGL* was backed up,
and could be restored (and you should move/delete then
anyhow).

Just my 2 sents.


-- 

Martin Schlemmer
Gentoo Linux Developer, Desktop Team Developer
Cape Town, South Africa


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Re: [gentoo-dev] RFC: Overhaul of media-gfx/nvidia

[Arcady Genkin]

Martin Schlemmer <azarah@gentoo.org> writes:

>> 3. nvidia-kernel now creates necessary device nodes.
>
> Using devfs, I never had a problem with device nodes.

Right.  This was pointed out by Daniel, and this step is excluded from
the default setup.  The nvidia-kernel package provides a script to
create the devices for users who don't use devfs.

>> 4. nvidia-kernel now installs aliases.
>> 
>> The small downside of the new layout is that the user needs to add a
>> modules path to the Files section in XF86Config.
>
> Gentoo linux always did have the nodes. Have a look at:
>
>   /etc/modules.d/aliases

I didn't notice the NVIDIA stuff tehre.  Thanks for pointing this out.
The package installs /etc/modules.d/nvidia.  We should, probably, move
all the nvidia-driver specific entries from /etc/modules.d/modules
into /etc/modues.d/nvidia.
-- 
Arcady Genkin
Don't read everything you believe.

Re: [gentoo-dev] RFC: Overhaul of media-gfx/nvidia

[Edward Muller]

I second this as long as it works. :-) 

BTW: This is the way debian does it as well. Not saying it's right, but
that's how debian does it.

On Mon, 2002-02-04 at 00:10, Arcady Genkin wrote:
> I didn't like the way 'nvidia' portage was done, and I ended up
> re-doing it.  In fact, I split it in two portages: nvidia-kernel and
> nvidia-glx.  Since I think that this can cause some controversy, I'd
> like to discuss it in the mailing list.  The ebuilds are available
> from:
>               http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=517
> 
> My version is better than the current one because:
> 
> 1. It's split into two portages.  (a) the current
> version of the kernel driver is 1.0.2314, while the current version of
> the glx library is 1.0.2313.  With the current `nvidia' portage it's
> unclear which one determines the version of the portage itself.  (b) if one
> compiles a new version of Linux kernel, he only needs to update
> nvidia-kernel, and leave nvidia-glx untouched.
> 
> 2. NVIDIA's own makefile overwrites some of the native files that
> come with XFree.  It upsets me when a package messes with the other
> package's files, because if I were to update the world, the order of
> update would determine the state of the system, etc.  I decided to put
> the contents of nvidia-glx into /opt/NVIDIA to make sure that they don't
> mess with anything else.
> 
> 3. nvidia-kernel now creates necessary device nodes.
> 
> 4. nvidia-kernel now installs aliases.
> 
> The small downside of the new layout is that the user needs to add a
> modules path to the Files section in XF86Config.
> 
> Comments?
> -- 
> Arcady Genkin
> Don't read everything you believe.
> _______________________________________________
> gentoo-dev mailing list
> gentoo-dev@gentoo.org
> http://lists.gentoo.org/mailman/listinfo/gentoo-dev