Kernel security update would break ABI

[Matt Zimmerman]

On Fri, Dec 03, 2004 at 07:46:22PM +0900, Daniel Miller wrote:

> I'm for bumping the version number, only after getting the word out by
> all means  possible, as to the effects of doing such.  Having
> unloadable user modules modules is a much better option than having a
> system comprosmised, in my opinion.

We will release a security update: a compromised system was not one of the
options.  The choice is between changing the package name, and not changing
the package name.

Changing the package name: user-supplied modules are only available under
the old kernel, and when the user reboots into the new kernel, those modules
disappear.

Not changing the package name: the standard modules on disk may be
incompatible with the running kernel, the system may be less functional
until the next reboot, and user-supplied modules may or may not need to be
rebuilt

These are both problems for the user, and neither of them is clearly the
lesser evil.

-- 
 - mdz