Mageia forum

Hi fellow users,

I stumbled into this Linux kernel thing and noticed that the following below are available:

kernel-desktop-xxx
kernel-server-xxx
kernel-tmb-desktop-xxx
kernel-tmb-server-xxx
kernel-tmb-laptop-xxx

I tried to google kernel-tmb but I can't find an appropriate definition of this and it seems to be Mageia specific (correct me if i'm wrong). So my questions are:

1. what is a kernel-tmb (maybe what does TMB stands for)?
2. what is the difference between a "kernel" and a "kernel-tmb"?
3. what is the difference between desktop, laptop and server kernels?
4. can kernel-tmb-laptop work with virtualbox seamlessly or do I need to do manual steps to make it work (I tried installing kernel-tmb-laptop-3-12-20-1 and i'm getting an error with my Virtualbox but this doesn't happen on a kernel-desktop-xxx) or is it not compatible at all?
5. why is there no kernel-laptop-xxx available?

If there is documentation specific to this topic, kindly point me to it. I appreciate all your help.

Lew

Here is some information that will be of help:
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1127

Thank you daniewicz. Answers a part of my question. Hope to see more inputs. In addition to the original five questions, what is the difference between kernel-tmb-desktop-xxx and kernel-desktop-xxx?

Code: Select all: $ urpmq -i kernel-desktop-3.12.21-2.mga4-1-1.mga4 Name : kernel-desktop-3.12.21-2.mga4 Version : 1 Release : 1.mga4 Group : System/Kernel and hardware Size : 49327844 Architecture: x86_64 Source RPM : kernel-3.12.21-2.mga4.src.rpm URL : http://www.kernel.org Summary : Linux Kernel for desktop use with x86_64 Description : The kernel package contains the Linux kernel (vmlinuz), the core of your Mageia operating system. The kernel handles the basic functions of the operating system: memory allocation, process allocation, device input and output, etc. This kernel is compiled for desktop use, single or multiple x86_64 processor(s)/core(s), using HZ_1000, voluntary preempt, CFS cpu scheduler and cfq i/o scheduler. This kernel relies on in-kernel smp alternatives to switch between up & smp mode depending on detected hardware. To force the kernel to boot in single processor mode, use the "nosmp" boot parameter.

Code: Select all: $ urpmq -i kernel-tmb-desktop-3.12.20-1.mga4 Name : kernel-tmb-desktop-3.12.20-1.mga4 Version : 1 Release : 1.mga4 Group : System/Kernel and hardware Size : 43396848 Architecture: x86_64 Source RPM : kernel-tmb-3.12.20-1.mga4.src.rpm URL : http://www.kernel.org Summary : Linux Kernel for desktop use with x86_64 Description : The kernel package contains the Linux kernel (vmlinuz), the core of your Mageia.Org Linux operating system. The kernel handles the basic functions of the operating system: memory allocation, process allocation, device input and output, etc. This kernel is compiled for desktop use, single or multiple x86_64 processor(s)/core(s), using full preempt, BFS cpu scheduler and cfq i/o scheduler. This kernel relies on in-kernel smp alternatives to switch between up & smp mode depending on detected hardware. To force the kernel to boot in single processor mode, use the "nosmp" boot parameter.

Or even better, from the horses mouth, when asked what the difference was..

<tmb> reiser4 support, BFS cpu scheduler, TuxOnIce suspend/resume support, other stuff tested before landing in core kernel

tmb is our kernel maintainer, among many other things.

At the moment, here are the answers that I have come to understand from your responses and scouring the web.

1. what is a kernel-tmb (maybe what does TMB stands for)?
-A kernel maintained by tmb (mageia kernel developer). From what I understood, the aim of this kernel is to bring compatability of the kernel between Mandriva and Mageia but has now dropped support for Mandriva.

2. what is the difference between a "kernel" and a "kernel-tmb"?
-there are specific features available in kernel-tmb that is not available in the normal kernel as pointed out by claire.
-I would like to know if there are any specific mageia users using kernel-tmb-xxx-xxx exclusively and what would be their reason for using it.

3. what is the difference between desktop, laptop and server kernels?
-from what I understood, the difference are small they are targetted towards specific platform(s) which are servers and desktop/laptop.

4. can kernel-tmb-laptop work with virtualbox seamlessly or do I need to do manual steps to make it work (I tried installing kernel-tmb-laptop-3-12-20-1 and i'm getting an error with my Virtualbox but this doesn't happen on a kernel-desktop-xxx) or is it not compatible at all?
-haven't found an answer to this.

5. why is there no kernel-laptop-xxx available?
-because kernel-laptop's feature was merged to kernel-desktop and there is virtually no difference between the two at the moment.

6. what is the difference between kernel-tmb-desktop-xxx and kernel-desktop-xxx
-haven't found an answer to this

Useful links I found on the web.
http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.linux. ... kernel/619
http://www.mageialinux-online.org/forum ... et-tmb.php (the site is using french language so I had to google translate it)

I am not sure if it still worth maintaining a kernel-tmb for mageia if the features available on this kernel can be migrated to the normal kernel but if it is possible then this should free developer manpower resources.

Note: The 32-bit tmb kernels are PAE aware.

The QA Team really needs help testing components such as Kernel testing. You can never have
enough testing platforms for such things as Kernels or display drivers. We can never have enough
people testing upgrades. Please consider participating in the QA team. Thanks

bots4ever wrote:4. can kernel-tmb-laptop work with virtualbox seamlessly or do I need to do manual steps to make it work (I tried installing kernel-tmb-laptop-3-12-20-1 and i'm getting an error with my Virtualbox but this doesn't happen on a kernel-desktop-xxx) or is it not compatible at all?
-haven't found an answer to this.

AIUI for the "standard" kernels, desktop and server, binary kernel modules are provided for vbox (as well as some proprietary device drivers). (The binary kernel modules have names like virtualbox-kernel-3.12.20-desktop.)

For the "extra" kernels (tmb, linus etc) you need to install the relevant dkms (such as dkms-virtualbox) and kernel-*- devel (such as kernel-tmb-desktop-devel-xxx) packages.

I am not sure if it still worth maintaining a kernel-tmb for mageia if the features available on this kernel can be migrated to the normal kernel but if it is possible then this should free developer manpower resources.

I do not think that is the case. As was pointed out earlier in this thread, the tmb kernels include new features that have not yet been included in the standard kernel. The tmb kernels can thus be regarded as more "bleeding edge" than Mageia would want for its standard kernels.

Jim

bots4ever wrote:1. what is a kernel-tmb (maybe what does TMB stands for)?
-A kernel maintained by tmb (mageia kernel developer). From what I understood, the aim of this kernel is to bring compatability of the kernel between Mandriva and Mageia but has now dropped support for Mandriva.

Why do you think so? Why do you think Mageia and Mandriva kernels are "incompatible"?

bots4ever wrote:6. what is the difference between kernel-tmb-desktop-xxx and kernel-desktop-xxx
-haven't found an answer to this

This is the same question as 2.

doktor5000 wrote:
bots4ever wrote:1. what is a kernel-tmb (maybe what does TMB stands for)?
-A kernel maintained by tmb (mageia kernel developer). From what I understood, the aim of this kernel is to bring compatability of the kernel between Mandriva and Mageia but has now dropped support for Mandriva.

Why do you think so? Why do you think Mageia and Mandriva kernels are "incompatible"?

I arrived with this answer based on http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.linux. ... kernel/619 I may be wrong but I cannot find more info about out it. On top of that, add new features that are not available in the standard kernel.

doktor5000 wrote:
bots4ever wrote:6. what is the difference between kernel-tmb-desktop-xxx and kernel-desktop-xxx
-haven't found an answer to this

This is the same question as 2.

Yup understood. Same as 2.

jkerr82508 wrote:
bots4ever wrote:4. can kernel-tmb-laptop work with virtualbox seamlessly or do I need to do manual steps to make it work (I tried installing kernel-tmb-laptop-3-12-20-1 and i'm getting an error with my Virtualbox but this doesn't happen on a kernel-desktop-xxx) or is it not compatible at all?
-haven't found an answer to this.

AIUI for the "standard" kernels, desktop and server, binary kernel modules are provided for vbox (as well as some proprietary device drivers). (The binary kernel modules have names like virtualbox-kernel-3.12.20-desktop.)

For the "extra" kernels (tmb, linus etc) you need to install the relevant dkms (such as dkms-virtualbox) and kernel-*- devel (such as kernel-tmb-desktop-devel-xxx) packages.

Thanks for the info Jim. I will give this a shot. I will explore if the kernel-tmb-laptop will give my laptop longer battery life and still do virtualbox.

I am satisfied with all the answers and appreciate all your responses. Thanks everyone!

bots4ever wrote:
doktor5000 wrote:Why do you think so? Why do you think Mageia and Mandriva kernels are "incompatible"?

I arrived with this answer based on http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.linux. ... kernel/619 I may be wrong but I cannot find more info about out it.

The comment from Thomas was solely about his contribution to Mandriva, as limited time did not permit him to duplicate his work on two different projects/operating systems.
That's not related to the kernel, but his contribution to the distro in general.

Thank you for clarifying this to me. I thought the person on that link was the main "tmb" kernel maintainer.

bots4ever wrote:I thought the person on that link was the main "tmb" kernel maintainer.

Yes he is, but how does that relate to what I've written?

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