openafs and/or linux kernel 2.4

[Stefan Kluth]

On Wed, 6 Oct 2004, Matt Zimmerman wrote:

> On Wed, Oct 06, 2004 at 05:27:02PM +0200, Stefan Kluth wrote:
>
> > today I investigated the availability of openafs in ubuntu; this is
> > important for our site which currently has an afs client on every node.
> >
> > The short answer is that openafs is currently impossible, even the latest
> > sources 1.3.71 haven't been migrated to kernel 2.6 yet (except unoffical
> > patches, which I don't count).
> >
> > A possible solution would of course be to run a 2.4 series kernel, which
> > are well supported by openafs.  However, kernel 2.4 is not available as
> > image or source in ubuntu AFAICT.
> >
> > Is it really that bad?  Should I get kernel-sources-2.4.x from debian and
> > start from there?
>
> You can get 2.4.x kernel sources from the "universe" component.

ahem, and how?  I tried
skluth at pcatlas13 ~ $ sudo apt-get install linux-source-2.4.27
Password:
Reading Package Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
E: Couldn't find package linux-source-2.4.27

BTW, what about precompiled 2.4 kernels in universe, simply using the
configs from debian?

> Bear in mind, though, that 2.4.x is on its way out, and (apart from not
> receiving official security support in Ubuntu) will only become less
> maintained upstream as well.

I think it will stay around for quite a while, at least as long important
add-ons like openafs only work reliably with a 2.4 kernel (I wish this
wasn't so).  For large installations in heterogenous environments like
universities and labs (open)afs is a popular solution to provide universal
file access.  Ubuntu doesn't support this at all at the moment and will
therefore be unable to penetrate this market.  You are probably aware that
exactly these (universities/labs) are early adaptors of new technology.

Anyway, I got kernel-image-2.4.27-1-686-smp and kernel-source-2.4.27 from
debian, openafs-modules-source from ubuntu and compiled the openafs module
against the 2.4 kernel above in the debian way using make-kpkg etc. pp.

After booting into the 2.4 kernel there where only two minor issues:

i) module 3c59x (ethenet) not loaded automatically -> add it to
   /etc/modules

ii) mouse didn't work -> fix /etc/X11/XF86config-4
    Section "InputDevice"
            Identifier      "Configured Mouse"
            Driver          "mouse"
            Option          "CorePointer"
    #       Option          "Protocol"              "ImPS/2"
    #       Option          "Device"                "/dev/input/mice"
            Option          "Device"                "/dev/psaux"
            Option          "Protocol"              "PS/2"
    EndSection

    This setup also works with the ubuntu 2.6.8.1-686-smp kernel.

iii) automatic mounting of my usb flash memory stick didn't work anymore.
     No fix yet :(, and presumably this is more difficult.

I tried to run afs and it worked as expected.

Would it make sense to propose working 2.4 kernels as part of ubuntu main
for future releases?  IMHO this is a requirement for any serious distro,
which claims to also support server and large installations.  Should an
entry to the wiki/faq be made?

Cheers, Stefan

---Stefan Kluth, PhD----------Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter-----------
-  MPI fuer Physik         -  phone:  +49 89 32354 468  -      OPAL&  -
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---D-80805 Munich, Germany----e-mail: skluth at mppmu.mpg.de--------------