Question on the decision making process for kernel variants' configurations

Mon Mar 14 12:58:22 UTC 2022

Hi,

On Mon, 14 Mar 2022 at 12:50, Lexi Haley <lhaley at meditech.com> wrote:

> Khaled,
>
> Thank you for your reply; and also for the tip that this setting is
> enabled in the 5.15 series.  I wonder if a 5.15 gcp package will make its
> way into the 20.04 focal release; that would be perfectly sufficient to
> meet my interests in this.
>

Eventually the v5.15 based gcp package will make its way into the 20.04
focal release. The exact timings depend on release schedules, testing &
validation. As a rough guide it will probably happen during the
"spring/summer 2022".

Regards,

Dimitri.

> Best wishes,
> Lexi
>
> On Thu, Mar 10, 2022 at 4:26 PM Khaled Elmously <
> khalid.elmously at canonical.com> wrote:
>
>> Hello,
>>
>>
>> On 2022-03-10 13:02:03 , Lexi Haley wrote:
>> > Hello and greetings,
>> >
>> > I am attempting to gain some insight into the decision making process
>> that
>> > goes into the kernel configuration choices selected for a given variant
>> > kernel.  I have rummaged around the Ubuntu Kernel Wiki, applied search
>> > strings to the downloaded kernel-archive mailing list mbox, and bounced
>> > around on the Ubuntu Launchpad - all without finding either information
>> on
>> > the general review process, or finding specifics on the particular
>> detail
>> > I'm interested in.
>> >
>> > What am I interested in exactly?  In the gcp kernel variants the
>> > CONFIG_UNICODE (UTF-8 normalization and casefolding support) option is
>> > disabled.  This configuration option arrived via (assuming I've trawled
>> > around correctly):
>> >
>> https://git.launchpad.net/~canonical-kernel/ubuntu/+source/linux-gcp/+git/eoan/commit/debian.gcp/config/config.common.ubuntu?id=2116ddb07ec8700610fbb17f751d76e0602a6109
>> > , and was set to unset (off).
>> >
>> > As to why, there are two guesses I might make:
>> >
>> > One: As the gcp kernel variant already exists with a set of known
>> > configuration values, perhaps anything new and considered optional is
>> left
>> > unset, until such time as an issue is made asking for it (example,
>> > https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1849493) -
>> perhaps I
>> > should submit an issue?
>> >
>> > Two: Perhaps this specific configuration was left unset per concerns a
>> la
>> > https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2021-21300 - in
>> which
>> > case submitting an issue would probably not be fruitful?  ( though I
>> > believe the post
>> >
>> https://groups.google.com/g/linux.debian.kernel/c/cjjL57wyVYY/m/ld3tC39UBgAJ
>> > makes a nice case for why the CVE isn't precisely cause to leave this
>> > unavailable).
>>
>> I think your guesses are mostly accurate.
>>
>> The Ubuntu variant kernels are based on the Ubuntu master kernels, which
>> are in
>> turn based on the mainline kernels (plus patches from upstream stable
>> kernels).
>> At any stage, we generally make changes only as necessary.
>>
>> That necessity can come from any of several places. It can come from our
>> own needs/testing, or in the case of something like the cloud kernels, it
>> can come as a request from the cloud partner, or it can come from users
>> who call our attention to specific things. It can be for CVEs or
>> bug-fixes, or it can be for feature-enablement. There is no one hard rule.
>>
>> I do not know why CONFIG_UNICODE specifically is off. My guess is that we
>> just
>> simply had no reason to change the default value. (That CVE that you
>> mentioned
>> appears to be a git CVE, not a kernel CVE, so it may not be relevant).
>>
>> CONFIG_UNICODE is enabled in the main kernels and in the 5.15 gcp kernel.
>> I
>> am not aware of a reason that prevents it from being enabled for the 5.4
>> gcp
>> kernel too.
>>
>> I have created this bug to track the issue:
>> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux-gcp/+bug/1964527
>>
>>
>> Feel free to add any additional info.
>> Thanks
>> Khaled
>>
>> >
>> > And of course, the rationale might be something I have no clue at - So
>> I am
>> > asking if someone might point me in the right direction - either towards
>> > the background information I seek, or perhaps specifically suggesting
>> that
>> > I open an issue.
>> >
>> > My thanks, and I appreciate your time,
>> > Lexi Haley
>> >
>> > --
>> >
>> > Lexi Haley (she/her/hers)
>> >
>> > Computer Scientist, System Tools, Advanced Technology Division
>> >
>> > Medical Information Technology, Inc.
>> >
>> > Office: 781-774-5156 | Mobile: 508-713-2499
>> >
>> > lhaley at meditech.com
>> >
>> > MEDITECH Circle, Westwood, MA 02090
>> >
>> > Main: 781-821-3000 | Fax: 781-821-2199
>> >
>> >
>> > *Diversity at MEDITECH* <https://ehr.meditech.com/diversity-at-meditech
>> >
>> >
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>>
>
> --
>
> Lexi Haley (she/her/hers)
>
> Computer Scientist, System Tools, Advanced Technology Division
>
> Medical Information Technology, Inc.
>
> Office: 781-774-5156 | Mobile: 508-713-2499
>
> lhaley at meditech.com
>
> MEDITECH Circle, Westwood, MA 02090
>
> Main: 781-821-3000 | Fax: 781-821-2199
>
>
> *Diversity at MEDITECH* <https://ehr.meditech.com/diversity-at-meditech>
>
> <https://ehr.meditech.com/expanse>
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