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Dynamic Kernel Module Source (DKMS) for developers and distributions
The problem of chasing kernel drops is a very real issue for Linux solution providers. With Dell's constant work with new hardware and large deployments involving many customers, at times we simply cannot afford to wait for functional drivers to be included in the stock kernel. This is especially true for the discovery and resolution of high severity issues. At the same time, we cannot just hand updated source tarballs to our customers and expect that to be an appropriate customer experience. Further, it is not feasible to produce kernel specific module packages for every kernel that we support for every module that we support. Instead, a framework is needed which can hold module source and can recompile that source directly on user's systems for whichever kernel they are running. This entire process must be non-painful. While frameworks like RPM and make-dpkg exist, they are both distribution specific and are not tailored for the non Linux savvy. We need something that will build from source and place the resultant modules straight into /lib/modules/. DKMS yields benefits to the entire process of Linux development. If a separate framework to deploy (and test) module source existed apart from the kernel, we envision both an improvement in the speed and quality of driver development that can later be submitted into the stock kernel. DKMS is available at http://www.lerhaupt.com/dkms/. Target audience includes device driver developers and Linux distribution kernel maintainers.
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