Gentoo-sources and Genpatches support change

[NeddySeagoon]

Discussion of Gentoo-sources and Genpatches support change in News and Annoucements

[pjp]

In practical terms, it isn't obvious what is being "discontinued."

kernel.org still lists the following for supported / eol dates, which doesn't seem unreasonable. ::gentoo sys-kernel/gentoo-sources doesn't include anything older than those.

Code: Select all

6.1 	Greg Kroah-Hartman & Sasha Levin 	2022-12-11 	Dec, 2026
5.15 	Greg Kroah-Hartman & Sasha Levin 	2021-10-31 	Oct, 2026
5.10 	Greg Kroah-Hartman & Sasha Levin 	2020-12-13 	Dec, 2026
5.4 	Greg Kroah-Hartman & Sasha Levin 	2019-11-24 	Dec, 2025
4.19 	Greg Kroah-Hartman & Sasha Levin 	2018-10-22 	Dec, 2024
4.14 	Greg Kroah-Hartman & Sasha Levin 	2017-11-12 	Jan, 2024

I'm using 4 in part because 5 and 6 both seemed to introduce more problems that garnered attention than I previously perceived. I haven't decided if I'll bother with 5, but I'm leaning toward one of its longterm versions.

[stefan11111]

I'm using 4 in part because 5 and 6 both seemed to introduce more problems that garnered attention than I previously perceived. I haven't decided if I'll bother with 5, but I'm leaning toward one of its longterm versions.

You mean a 4.x.y kernel?

[pjp]

Yes.

[logrusx]

In practical terms, it isn't obvious what is being "discontinued."

I agree.

Best Regards,
Georgi

[figueroa]

Yes.

I commend 5.10 series to you. I had been running 4.9 series for several years, keeping up-to-date within the series as upstream and gentoo-sources released up-to-date versions. Maybe a year ago, over a period of less than a week, I stepped through 4.14, 4.19, 5.4, finally landing on 5.10, currently at 5.10.191. The stepwise upgrade was relatively painless.

I use /etc/portage/package.mask to prevent portage from installing sources I know I'm not presently interested in, i.e.:

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>=sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-5.11

With each gentoo-sources step or update I run "make oldconfig" and carefully pay attention to any changes that I'm prompted about, doing internet searches and referring to the forums here when I wasn't sure what to do.

I do everything manually and also do not use an initrd. All of my Gentoo systems are relatively old (or ancient) and stable.

[stefan11111]

Is there something in the 6.x.y or 5.x.y kernels that you don't like?

[Zucca]

Meanwhile gentoo-kernel doesn't have any 4.x releases:

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Keywords for sys-kernel/gentoo-kernel:
          |       |   u          |  
          | a a r |   n          |  
          | m r i | e u s        | r
          | d m s | a s l        | e
          | 6 6 c | p e o        | p
          | 4 4 v | i d t        | o
----------+-------+--------------+-------
  5.4.254 | + + o | 8 o 5.4.254  | gentoo
----------+-------+--------------+-------
  5.4.255 | ~ ~ o | 8 o 5.4.255  | gentoo
----------+-------+--------------+-------
 5.10.191 | + + o | 8 o 5.10.191 | gentoo
----------+-------+--------------+-------
 5.10.193 | ~ ~ o | 8 o 5.10.193 | gentoo
----------+-------+--------------+-------
 5.15.127 | + + o | 8 o 5.15.127 | gentoo
----------+-------+--------------+-------
 5.15.128 | ~ ~ o | 8 o 5.15.128 | gentoo
----------+-------+--------------+-------
 5.15.129 | ~ ~ o | 8 o 5.15.129 | gentoo
----------+-------+--------------+-------
[I]6.1.46 | + + ~ | 8 o 6.1.46   | gentoo
----------+-------+--------------+-------
   6.1.47 | ~ ~ ~ | 8 o 6.1.47   | gentoo
----------+-------+--------------+-------
   6.1.48 | ~ ~ ~ | 8 o 6.1.48   | gentoo
----------+-------+--------------+-------
   6.1.49 | ~ ~ ~ | 8 o 6.1.49   | gentoo
----------+-------+--------------+-------
   6.1.50 | ~ ~ ~ | 8 o 6.1.50   | gentoo
----------+-------+--------------+-------
   6.4.11 | ~ ~ ~ | 8 o 6.4.11   | gentoo
----------+-------+--------------+-------
   6.4.12 | ~ ~ ~ | 8 o 6.4.12   | gentoo
----------+-------+--------------+-------
   6.4.13 | ~ ~ ~ | 8 o 6.4.13   | gentoo

... although this is completely fine with me.

[pjp]

over a period of less than a week, I stepped through 4.14, 4.19, 5.4, finally landing on 5.10, currently at 5.10.191. The stepwise upgrade was relatively painless.

Thanks. I've generally found the same to be true. I "tried" to get a 5.0 config done sometime in 2019, but there were too many new things, not enough time, and not enough interest or justification. I'm leaning toward 5.4 as the first stop in 5-land. That stay only lasts until the end of 2025, and 5.10 only through 2026. I may prep a 6.1 since it too only lasts through 2026, that might make it easier for the next 6LTS, whatever that is.

I run "make oldconfig" and carefully pay attention to any changes that I'm prompted about, doing internet searches and referring to the forums here when I wasn't sure what to do.

That is the time consuming part :)

I do everything manually and also do not use an initrd. All of my Gentoo systems are relatively old (or ancient) and stable.

It is somewhat necessary until I give up and merge /usr and/or abandon lvm.

Is there something in the 6.x.y or 5.x.y kernels that you don't like?

5 and 6 both seemed to introduce more problems that garnered attention than I previously perceived.

That's it. I don't remember specifics, only that they were "user-affecting" enough to get some attention. On top of other reasons I mentioned above, it was easy to wait until 6. "And there was more drama," to abuse a quote. Neither 5's nor 6's problems were probably that big of a deal, but they were enough to make me not feel the urgency of upgrading. Given 4's EOL at the end of 2024 (if not sooner based on this announcement), it needs to be more of a priority.

Meanwhile gentoo-kernel doesn't have any 4.x releases

That's disturbing, given the lack of clarity on what's going away. As of today, 4 is still in gentoo-sources.