[CentOS-devel] [EXT] Balancing the needs around the CentOS platform

On 12/19/20 1:13 AM, Peter Georg wrote:
> However I disagree on one point: You mention CentOS Stream can cover 
> "95% (or so)" of the current users. As long as 3rd party drivers are 
> not working with CentOS Stream the number will be lower. 


Do you have a reason to think that > 5% of users need 3rd party drivers?


> In my opinion, the only way to guarantee compatibility is by 100% 
> kernel ABI compatibility.

Stream is going to continue to get the same kernel that RHEL gets, it's 
just going to get updates earlier.

In the past, users with binary 3rd party drivers would need to wait a 
while after a point release before they could update their kernel.  In 
CentOS Stream, they'll have to wait a while after a kernel package 
update before they can update their kernel.

There's really very little changing, here.  The point releases are going 
away, so the date of kernel updates is less predictable, but the 
solution hasn't changed at all:  If you use a binary 3rd party kernel 
module, you need a process in place to block kernel updates until your 
3rd party kernel modules are available.