Re: [PATCH rebased] kbuild: rpm-pkg: Fix build with non-default MODLIB

["Michal Suchánek" <msuchanek@suse.de>]

On Tue, Oct 17, 2023 at 07:15:50PM +0900, Masahiro Yamada wrote:
> > >
> > > Let me add more context to my question.
> > >
> > >
> > > I am interested in the timing when
> > > 'pkg-config --print-variables kmod | grep module_directory'
> > > is executed.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > 1.  Build a SRPM on machine A
> > >
> > > 2.  Copy the SRPM from machine A to machine B
> > >
> > > 3.  Run rpmbuild on machine B to build the SRPM into a RPM
> > >
> > > 4.  Copy the RPM from machine B to machine C
> > >
> > > 5.  Install the RPM to machine C
> >
> > As far as I am aware the typical use case is two step:
> >
> > 1. run make rpm-pkg on machine A
> > 2. install the binary rpm on machine C that might not have build tools
> >    or powerful enough CPU
> >
> > While it's theoretically possible to use the srpm to rebuild the binary
> > rpm independently of the kernel git tree I am not aware of people
> > commonly doing this.
> 
> 
> 
> If I correctly understand commit
> 8818039f959b2efc0d6f2cb101f8061332f0c77e,
> those Redhat guys pack a SRPM on a local machine,
> then send it to their build server called 'koji'.
> 
> Otherwise, there is no reason
> to have 'make srcrpm-pkg'.
> 
> 
> 
> I believe "A == B" is not always true,
> but we can assume "distro(A) == distro(B)" is always met
> for simplicity.
> 
> So, I am OK with configuration at the SRPM time.

Even if the distro does not match it will likely work to configure SRPM
for non-matching distro and then build it on the target distro but I have
not tested it.

> > If rebuilding the source rpm on a different machine from where the git
> > tree is located, and possibly on a different distribution is desirable
> > then the detection of the KERNEL_MODULE_DIRECTORY should be added in the
> > rpm spec file as well.
> >
> > > Of course, we are most interested in the module path
> > > of machine C, but it is difficult/impossible to
> > > guess it at the time of building.
> > >
> > > We can assume machine B == machine C.
> > >
> > > We are the second most interested in the module
> > > path on machine B.
> > >
> > > The module path of machine A is not important.
> > >
> > > So, I am asking where you would inject
> > > 'pkg-config --print-variables kmod | grep module_directory'.
> >
> > I don't. I don't think there will be a separate machine B.
> >
> > And I can't really either - so far any attempt at adding support for
> > this has been rejected.
> >
> > Technically the KERNEL_MODULE_DIRECTORY could be set in two steps - one
> > giving the script to run, and one running it, and then it could be run
> > independently in the SRPM as well.
> 
> 
> At first, I thought your patch [1] was very ugly,
> but I do not think it is so ugly if cleanly implemented.
> 
> It won't hurt to allow users to specify the middle part of MODLIB.
> 
> 
> There are two options.
> 
> 
> [A]  Add 'MOD_PREFIX' to specify the middle part of MODLIB
> 
> 
> The top Makefile will look as follows:
> 
> 
> MODLIB = $(INSTALL_MOD_PATH)$(MOD_PREFIX)/lib/modules/$(KERNELRELEASE)
> export MODLIB
> 
> 
> It is easier than specifying the entire MODLIB, but you still need
> to manually pass "MOD_PREFIX=/usr" from an env variable or
> the command line.
> 
> If MOD_PREFIX is not given, MODLIB is the same as the current one.
> 
> [B] Support a dynamic configuration as well
> 
> 
> MOD_PREFIX ?= $(shell pkg-config --variable=module_prefix libkmod 2>/dev/null)
> export MOD_PREFIX
> 
> MODLIB = $(INSTALL_MOD_PATH)$(MOD_PREFIX)/lib/modules/$(KERNELRELEASE)
> export MODLIB

That's basically the same thing as the patch that has been rejected.

I used := to prevent calling pkg-config every time MODLIB is used but it
might not be the most flexible wrt overrides.

> If MOD_PREFIX is given from an env variable or from the command line,
> it is respected.
> 
> If "pkg-config --variable=module_prefix libkmod" works,
> that configuration is applied.
> 
> Otherwise, MOD_PREFIX is empty, i.e. fall back to the current behavior.
> 
> 
> I prefer 'MOD_PREFIX' to 'KERNEL_MODULE_DIRECTORY' in your patch [1]
> because "|| echo /lib/modules" can be omitted.
> 
> I do not think we will have such a crazy distro that
> installs modules under /opt/ directory.

However, I can easily imagine a distribution that would want to put
modules in /usr/lib-amd64-linux/modules.

> I could not understand why you inserted
> "--print-variables kmod 2>/dev/null | grep '^module_directory$$' >/dev/null"
> but I guess the reason is the same.
> "pkg-config --variable=module_directory kmod" always succeeds,
> so "|| echo /lib/modules" is never processed.

Yes, that's the semantics of the tool. The jq version was slightly less
convoluted but required additional tool for building the kernel.

> I do not know why you parsed kmod.pc instead of libkmod.pc [2]

Because it's kmod property, not libkmod property.

Distributions would install libkmod.pc only with development files
whereas the kmod.pc should be installed with the binaries.

Thanks

Michal

> 
> 
> [1] https://lore.kernel.org/linux-kbuild/20230718120348.383-1-msuchanek@suse.de/
> [2] https://github.com/kmod-project/kmod/blob/v31/configure.ac#L295