[CentOS-devel] https://blog.centos.org/2020/12/future-is-centos-stream/

Tue Dec 8 20:51:07 UTC 2020
Johnny Hughes <johnny at centos.org>

On 12/8/20 2:30 PM, Phil Perry wrote:
> On 08/12/2020 20:04, Johnny Hughes wrote:
>> On 12/8/20 1:50 PM, Phil Perry wrote:
>>> On 08/12/2020 19:29, Patrick Riehecky wrote:
>>>> On Tue, 2020-12-08 at 19:32 +0100, Leon Fauster via CentOS-devel wrote:
>>>>> Am 08.12.20 um 18:00 schrieb Johnny Hughes:
>>>>>> On 12/8/20 8:58 AM, Manuel Wolfshant wrote:
>>>>>>> On 12/8/20 4:47 PM, Patrick Riehecky wrote:
>>>>>>>> Hello,
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Does
>>>>>>>> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__centos.org_distro-2Dfaq_-23q5-2Ddoes-2Dthis-2Dmean-2Dthat-2Dcentos-2Dstream-2Dis-2Dthe-2Drhel-2Dbeta-2Dtest-2Dplatform-2Dnow&d=DwICAg&c=gRgGjJ3BkIsb5y6s49QqsA&r=OAMtP0DWou0nlXG7Kmxo2enjXJfwb1DXS9fwcaESuTE&m=8Lv8HbfA7AuR_Q6CkfjD-A3fVVYhVr4LSB2NvpFMYII&s=aqmZahlJ5iHfl0sF63gxK7YxqgE5wFeXLEDwmMFpGX4&e=
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>   address your concerns?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> When I see "Security issues will be updated in CentOS Stream
>>>>>>> after they
>>>>>>> are solved in the current RHEL release." I can only reply your
>>>>>>> question
>>>>>>> with "No, it does not"
>>>>>>
>>>>>> That is NO different that now.  We build CentOS updates after they
>>>>>> are
>>>>>> released in RHEL and then the source code is pushed to
>>>>>> git.centos.org
>>>>>> .. we always have.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> This is no different.  The security updates will be pushed to
>>>>>> stream
>>>>>> after they have been pushed to RHEL .. just like now.
>>>>>
>>>>> If you compare it carefully you find rpms in CentOS Linux that are
>>>>> newer
>>>>> than in CentOS Stream - so security updates not landed in C8S.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The security updates are in Stream.  They got into stream /before/ they
>>>> landed in CentOS Linux 8.
>>>
>>> Sorry Pat, I'm not seeing that?
>>>
>>> Taking just one example, CentOS8 has kernels  4.18.0-240.el8.x86_64.rpm
>>> and 4.18.0-240.1.1.el8_3.x86_64.rpm as seen here:
>>>
>>> http://mirrors.coreix.net/centos/8/BaseOS/x86_64/os/Packages/
>>>
>>> whereas CentOS Stream still only has kernel 4.18.0-240.el8.x86_64.rpm
>>> and not the security update.
>>>
>>> http://mirrors.coreix.net/centos/8-stream/BaseOS/x86_64/os/Packages/
>>>
>>> That's just the kernel. In fact I can't see _any_ security updates in
>>> stream. Am I missing something?
>>>
>>
>> Yes, you are.
>>
>> There will be a;;the RHEL engineers rolling all future changes into
>> Stream for all RHEL versions.
>>
>> Right now stream is 2 people rolling in changes just like CentOS 8 .. it
>> takes time.
>>
>> In fact, if you look, the 240 kernel was released in stream BEFORE it
>> was released in CentOS Linux 8.  And, we have built and will release
>> this kernel very soon:
>>
>> https://koji.mbox.centos.org/koji/buildinfo?buildID=14937
>>
> 
> Thanks Johnny. So kernel-4.18.0-240.1.1.el8_3 will never appear in
> Stream, but a later kernel-4.18.0-257.el8 will, which may or may not be
> kABI compatible depending on the kernel symbols updated within the
> 4.18.0-257.el8 release.

You are correct

> 
> My concern here is that elrepo are then no longer able to support
> CentOS. Elrepo can not develop against a constantly moving target
> whereby kernel symbols outside of the somewhat limited whitelist are
> constantly subject to change with each new kernel update.
> 
I don't know if that is a priority.  But security will be a priority.


> Just wondering what the CentOS project is able to do to ensure ABI
> stability in the kernel? Are you able to make kernels separately
> available, or maybe continue releasing centosplus kernels to a separate
> repository/channel for those who require ABI stability? Do we need to
> think about starting a kernel SIG now to ensure this need is met in a
> year's time?

The RHEL developers will be doing kernels, as well as the rest of the
Stream builds.