[gentoo-releng] Stages for x86 and Feature Requests for 2006.0

[gentoo-releng] Stages for x86 and Feature Requests for 2006.0

[Chris Gianelloni]

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Alright folks, first off, I would like to cover some information on the
proposed x86 stage releases for 2006.0, along with some information on
the release media.  As you may or may not know, we are switching to
enabling nptl by default on all arches that support it.  We have also
built out a set of no-nptl profiles for x86, to allow for people who
wish to stick with linuxthreads or 2.4 headers/kernels.  Here is what I
plan on releasing for x86 (this does not include embedded or hardened):

CDs:
Minimal InstallCD (same as before)
Installer LiveCD (CHOST=i686 and nptl)

Stages:
x86 stage1 (CHOST=i386)
x86 stage3 (CHOST=i386, no-nptl, 2.4 headers/kernel)
i586 stage3 (CHOST=i586 and nptl)
i686 stage3 (CHOST=i686 and nptl)

With this, a user should be able to build any system that they desire.
Using the stage1 tarball, they will be able to use any of the profiles
and build anything, as is currently possible.  As you probably know, the
stage1 installation instructions have been moved to the Gentoo FAQ from
the Gentoo Handbook.  This is due to the increased complexity of the
possibilities of a stage1 installation.  I will be working with the GDP
to create an "Advanced Topics" document that covers the stage1 tarball,
along with bootstrapping from a stage3 tarball.  This document may or
may not be completed by 2006.0, depending on time.

The 3 stage3 tarballs will be usable to build any of the supported
system types easily.  The i586 and i686 stages will be used for building
100% default-based systems for all i586 and i686 systems.  While we have
dropped the additional stages, such as pentium3 and pentium4, this does
not mean that you're left in the dark.  The main reason for this is it
reduces the number of stages that is required to be built and allows for
better testing to be done on these stages.  This also brings x86 in line
with the rest of the distribution, which only produces more generic
stages for their specific architecture types without optimizations.  The
purpose of a stage is to facilitate installation, not to give the user a
completely optimized system.  Using a stage3 x86 tarball will also allow
the user to use either 2.4 or 2.6 headers/kernels, with the switch of a
profile.  Once the Advanced Topics document is completed, it will also
allow for bootstrapping to any of the other configurations easily.

Now, onto the CD images.  The idea here is to have the Minimal InstallCD
be used for most stage-based installations.  There will also be the
Installer LiveCD.  There will be no GRP set (Universal InstallCD +
PackageCD) for x86 for 2006.0, but the Installer CD *is* capable of a
network-less installation using the binaries on the CD itself.  The CD
will be compiled with CHOST=i686, so it will not work on machines that
are not i686-compatible.  These machines will be required to use the
Minimal InstallCD and stages, no different than they would do prior to
2006.0's release.

What other features would you guys like?

-- 
Chris Gianelloni
Release Engineering - Strategic Lead
x86 Architecture Team
Games - Developer
Gentoo Linux

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Re: [gentoo-releng] Stages for x86 and Feature Requests for 2006.0

[Jeffrey Forman]

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On Wed, 2005-11-30 at 10:53 -0500, Chris Gianelloni wrote:
> Alright folks, first off, I would like to cover some information on the
> proposed x86 stage releases for 2006.0, along with some information on
> the release media.  As you may or may not know, we are switching to
> enabling nptl by default on all arches that support it.  We have also
> built out a set of no-nptl profiles for x86, to allow for people who
> wish to stick with linuxthreads or 2.4 headers/kernels.  Here is what I
> plan on releasing for x86 (this does not include embedded or hardened):

> 
> What other features would you guys like?
> 

Just to make Chris's life hard, I want to say NO to everything he ever
wants to do with this release. If he wants a new feature, I will always
vote no. ;)

-Jeffrey
-- 

-----------------------
Jeffrey Forman
Gentoo Infrastructure
Gentoo Release Engineering
Bugs.Gentoo.org Administrator
jforman@gentoo.org
-----------------------

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