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= Linux vanilla kernels for Fedora =  
= Linux kernel vanilla repositories for Fedora Linux =


= Overview =
The kernel vanilla repositories allow you to quickly, comfortably, and cleanly install the latest upstream Linux kernel versions on Fedora Linux. [https://copr.fedorainfracloud.org/groups/g/kernel-vanilla/coprs/ Six 'coprs' offer various ready-to-use kernel packages] built from upstream Linux series like ‘mainline’ and ‘stable’; the provided RPMs are ideal for both quick tests and regular day-to-day use.


This page contains information about a [http://repos.fedorapeople.org/repos/thl/ set of package repositories] which contain RPMs of Linux vanilla kernels built for Fedora. Vanilla in this scope means 'unmodified', hence these packages do not contain any of those enhancements the Fedora developers integrate into the Linux kernel packages that Fedora normally uses.  
To install the latest kernel version deemed for end users, follow the instructions in the next section. For various other use cases, head over to the second section below to check which of the six coprs provides the Linux kernels you want; then enable the selected copr and install its latest kernel as explained in the third section. When you later want to remove the kernel vanilla repositories and all packages retrieved from them, consult the fourth section.


Currently there are these repositories:
Note, the instructions in those sections are meant for users of Fedora variants like Workstation, Server, or KDE Plasma Desktop. Fedora Atomic Desktops like Silverblue or Kinoite need different commands described in a fifth section below.


* [http://repos.fedorapeople.org/repos/thl/kernel-vanilla-mainline/ kernel-vanilla-mainline for F19 and F20]
== Install the latest Linux version meant for end users ==
* [http://repos.fedorapeople.org/repos/thl/kernel-vanilla-stable/ kernel-vanilla-stable for F19 and F20]
* [http://repos.fedorapeople.org/repos/thl/kernel-vanilla-stable-testing/ kernel-vanilla-stable-testing for F19 and F20]


To install the kernels from these repositories download the repo definitions for [http://repos.fedorapeople.org/repos/thl/kernel-vanilla-mainline/fedora-kernel-vanilla-mainline.repo kernel-vanilla-mainline], [http://repos.fedorapeople.org/repos/thl/kernel-vanilla-stable/fedora-kernel-vanilla-stable.repo kernel-vanilla-stable] or [http://repos.fedorapeople.org/repos/thl/kernel-vanilla-stable/fedora-kernel-vanilla-stable.repo kernel-vanilla-stable] and put it in /etc/yum.repos.d/. You can do this with commands like these:
To install the latest Linux kernel meant for regular end users run the following commands:


<pre>
<pre>
# for the mainline repo
sudo dnf -y copr enable @kernel-vanilla/stable
curl -s http://repos.fedorapeople.org/repos/thl/kernel-vanilla-mainline/fedora-kernel-vanilla-mainline.repo | sudo tee /etc/yum.repos.d/fedora-kernel-vanilla-mainline.repo
sudo dnf upgrade kernel
 
mokutil --sb-state
# for the stable repo
curl -s http://repos.fedorapeople.org/repos/thl/kernel-vanilla-stable/fedora-kernel-vanilla-stable.repo | sudo tee /etc/yum.repos.d/fedora-kernel-vanilla-stable.repo
 
# for the stable-testing repo
curl -s http://repos.fedorapeople.org/repos/thl/kernel-vanilla-stable/fedora-kernel-vanilla-stable.repo | sudo tee /etc/yum.repos.d/fedora-kernel-vanilla-stable.repo
curl -s http://repos.fedorapeople.org/repos/thl/kernel-vanilla-stable/fedora-kernel-vanilla-stable-testing.repo | sudo tee /etc/yum.repos.d/fedora-kernel-vanilla-stable-testing.repo
</pre>
</pre>


To list the available packages use a command like this:
The first two commands enable the ‘stable’ copr, which then is used via DNF to install the latest mainline kernel (say 6.1) or the latest version from a stable series derived from it (e.g. 6.1.1, 6.1.2, …). The third command will tell you if UEFI Secure Boot is active on your system. If that's the case you have to either disable it in your system's BIOS Setup or through a process initiated through <code>mokutil --disable-validation</code>; that's required, as your firmware will otherwise reject booting kernels installed from these repositories.
<pre>
yum --disablerepo=* --enablerepo='fedora-kernel-vanilla-mainline' list available
</pre>


To install the latest kernel from the repo use a command like this:
== Linux kernels offered in the six kernel vanilla coprs ==
<pre>
sudo yum --disablerepo=* --enablerepo='fedora-kernel-vanilla-mainline' install kernel
</pre>


When you install a kernel from the repo for the first time yum will ask you if you trust the [http://pgp.mit.edu:11371/pks/lookup?op=get&search=0xD7927A2FCC9DBCAB the public key] that is used to verify the signature of the packages from the kernel vanilla repositories. It will look like this:
The kernel vanilla repositories for Fedora Linux provide six @kernel-vanilla coprs to serve different use-cases. Use the following table to decide which of them you want to use: ‘[https://copr.fedorainfracloud.org/coprs/g/kernel-vanilla/fedora/ fedora]’, ‘[https://copr.fedorainfracloud.org/coprs/g/kernel-vanilla/stable/ stable]’, ‘[https://copr.fedorainfracloud.org/coprs/g/kernel-vanilla/stable-rc/ stable-rc]’, ‘[https://copr.fedorainfracloud.org/coprs/g/kernel-vanilla/mainline-wo-mergew/ mainline-wo-mergew]’, ‘[https://copr.fedorainfracloud.org/coprs/g/kernel-vanilla/mainline/ mainline]’, or ‘[https://copr.fedorainfracloud.org/coprs/g/kernel-vanilla/next/ next]’.
<pre>
Retrieving key from http://repos.fedorapeople.org/repos/thl/kernel-vanilla-stable/RPM-GPG-KEY-fedora-kernel-vanilla
Importing GPG key 0xCC9DBCAB:
Userid    : "Thorsten Leemhuis (key for signing vanilla kernel pkgs for fedora) <fedora@leemhuis.info>"
Fingerprint: e5e8 d53e e5af be95 633d 690f d792 7a2f cc9d bcab
From      : http://repos.fedorapeople.org/repos/thl/kernel-vanilla-stable/RPM-GPG-KEY-fedora-kernel-vanilla
Is this ok [y/N]:  
</pre>


Yum will proceed once you acknowledge this.  
{| class="wikitable"
!style="width: 17%;"|@kernel-vanilla copr
!style="width: 30%;"|description
!style="width: 13%;"|example version sequence
!style="width: 40%;"|target users
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| '''fedora'''
| The latest kernel version from the stable series the latest Fedora Linux release currently uses.
| …, 6.0.18,<br>6.0.19,<br>6.1.5,<br>6.1.6, …
| This is mainly meant for users that want to check if a bug that happens with Fedora's kernel also occurs with the latest upstream version from the same kernel series.
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| '''stable'''
| The latest kernel version meant for regular end users, e.g. either the latest mainline release or the newest version from a stable series derived from it.
| …, 6.0.15,<br>6.1,<br>6.1.1,<br>6.1.2, …
| Anyone who wants the latest and greatest kernel.
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| '''stable-rc'''
| Pre-releases of the next release from the latest stable series.
| …, 6.0.15-rc1,<br>6.0.15,<br>6.1,<br>6.1.1-rc1,<br>6.1.1, …
| Anyone who wants to help testing Linux kernels from the latest stable series about to be released.
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| '''mainline-wo-mergew'''
| The latest mainline kernel, either built from a proper release, a pre-release (aka "rc kernel"), or a git snapshot – albeit  the latter only after -rc1 was released.
| …, 6.1-rc8-20221211,<br>6.1,<br>6.1.1-rc1,<br>6.1.1,<br>6.2-rc1,<br>6.2-rc1-20221226, …
| Anyone who wants to run a kernel built from the latest Linux codebase, except when mainline is in a 'merge window' – that is the phase right after a new mainline release (say 6.1) when the bulk of changes (including all riskier ones!) are merged for the next mainline version; this phase ends with the publication of that kernel version's first pre-release (e.g. "6.2-rc1").
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| '''mainline'''
| The latest mainline kernel, either built from a proper release, a pre-release (aka "rc kernel"), or a git snapshot.
| …, 6.1-rc8-20221211,<br>6.1,<br>6.2-rc0-20221213,<br>6.2-rc0-20221214, …
| Anyone who wants to run a kernel built from the latest Linux codebase.
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| '''next'''
| Linux-next kernels.
| …, 6.1-0.0.next.20221209,<br>6.2-0.0.next.20221212, <br>6.2-0.0.next.20221213, …
| Anyone who wants to run linux-next or test if the changes slated for inclusion in the next mainline cycle fix a problem.
|}


You are advised to add "kernel-devel" to above 'yum install' call, because that way you get the package that contains the files needed to compile kernel modules for the kernel you are installing; installing them later might not be possible, as the package you need might get removed when the repositories get updated the next time.
'''Note''', only the fedora and next coprs are stand-alone; the other four each include coprs mentioned earlier in the table as a runtime dependency. Users of the ‘stable-rc’ copr thus will receive packages from the ‘stable’ or ‘fedora’ coprs when the latter contain kernels which package managers like DNF will considers newer. That way users of stable-rc copr won't be stuck on a -rc release with known problems that were fixed between the -rc and the final release.


Note that the kernel-vanilla-stable-testing repo is meant to be used in addition to kernel-vanilla-stable, so when you enable the former you should enable the latter as well; this will happen automatically if you rely on the commands mentioned above.
Another note relevant for users of Fedora versions in development, e.g rawhide and beta releases: be aware that these repositories will not provide kernel versions older than the one the particular Fedora release uses by default, as doing so could lead to problems. Rawhide for example regularly uses the latest mainline snapshots; that’s why rawhide users that have one of these repos enabled will receive vanilla mainline snapshots as well, even if they chose the ‘stable’ or ‘mainline-wo-mergew’ repos. Users of Fedora pre-releases (e.g. beta versions) might see similar effects, but once the Fedora version gets closer to its release things will start to work as advertised.


'''Important notes'''
== How to install a kernel from the vanilla repositories ==


Please note:
First enable the kernel vanilla copr you want to use – for example the one shipping a kernel built from the latest mainline code:


* none of the developers that maintain the Fedora kernel is involved in this effort
<pre>
* most systems work better and are run in a more secure manner with the official Fedora kernels
sudo dnf -y copr enable @kernel-vanilla/mainline
* if you don't know what above command do then you likely should not use these packages
</pre>


More details on this can be found in the FAQ.
Now update your system to install the latest package from the copr:


= FAQ =
<pre>
sudo dnf upgrade kernel kernel-devel
</pre>


== For users ==
If you’re on a x86-64 (aka AMD64) system execute the following command as well:


=== Who is behind this effort?  ===
<pre>
mokutil --sb-state
</pre>


Right now the Linux kernel vanilla repositories for Fedora are maintained by [[user:thl|Thorsten Leemhuis (aka "knurd")]] only. Maybe over time people join to help, that's why this text is written as if a team is keeping care of the repositories.  
If it tells you ‘SecureBoot enabled’ you will have to turn it off either in your BIOS Setup or through a process initiated with <code>sudo mokutil --disable-validation</code>. That sadly is needed, as your system otherwise will reject booting any kernels from these repositories: it's technically impossible to sign the kernels in copr with a key typical x86-64 systems will trust.


=== Can we trust the people behind it? ===
Once you booted your vanilla kernel you have two options:


You have to decide yourself if you can trust the packages from these repositories. If it is any help: Some of those that use or contribute to Fedora since a while will know that Thorsten has quite a history of Fedora contributions, even if he was not that much active in the past few years. You can assume he has no interest in ruin his reputation quickly by providing crap in these repositories. On the other hand you should know that Thorsten started these repositories to dig deeper into the kernel and kernel development; so expect he'll make some mistakes along the way. And be reminded that using vanilla kernels has some known downsides and risks (see below).
(1) In case you want to use the chosen copr regularly, be aware that for frequently updated kernel vanilla coprs like mainline there is quite a risk that DNF misses the latest kernels and installs obsolete ones. To prevent that, tell dnf to check the kernel vanilla repositories more often than usual with a command like this one:


=== What's the goal? ===
<pre>
sudo sed -i 's!baseurl=https://download.copr.fedorainfracloud.org/results/@kernel-vanilla/\(mainline\|stable-rc\|next\).*!&\nmetadata_expire=1h!g; s!baseurl=https://download.copr.fedorainfracloud.org/results/@kernel-vanilla/\(stable\|fedora\)/.*!&\nmetadata_expire=3h!g;' /etc/yum.repos.d/_copr:copr.fedorainfracloud.org:group_kernel-vanilla:*.repo
</pre>


The main ideas is to help upstream development, which in the end will be of benefit for Fedora as well. With the packages from the mainline repositories it for example is quite easy to test kernels that are still under development and report bugs upstream, so they get fixed before a certain kernel version get released and later shipped as update to Fedora.  
(2) In case you installed a vanilla kernel just for a quick test, consider removing the just configured copr immediately, as explained in the next section. It also explains how to later uninstall packages installed from the kernel vanilla coprs, which is needed to ensure you retrieve newly released kernels from Fedora again.


The kernels from the stable repositories on the other hand make it easy to check if a bug that happens with a kernel from Fedora is specific to it or also present in the newest vanilla kernel from the mainline or the stable series; if that is the case users can directly work with upstream on working out solutions for the problem and don't have to go through the sometimes overworked and quite busy developers that maintain the Linux kernel packages in Fedora.
== How to remove the kernel vanilla repositories and uninstall kernels installed from them ==


=== Are the kernels from the kernel-vanilla repositories as good as those Fedora provides? ===
Disable any kernel vanilla copr you enabled:


No. There are several reasons for why not; the most important ones:
<pre>
dnf copr list | grep 'group_kernel-vanilla' | xargs -r sudo dnf copr remove
</pre>


* the developers that take care of the kernel package in Fedora are far more experienced in packaging kernels and kernel development than those that take care of the kernel-vanilla repositories
Now downgrade the kernel and a few related packages to the latest versions Fedora provides:
* the kernels that get used in Fedora or released as proper update get a lot of testing. The kernels from the kernel-vanilla repositories get nearly no testing; they are only started in virtual machine and published if they boot.
* the official Fedora kernels sometimes contain changes that fix security problems or other crucial bugs before they get merged upstream


In addition:
<pre>
sudo dnf --refresh distrosync bpftool 'kernel*' 'libperf*' perf python3-perf rtla rv
</pre>


* the mainline repository contain kernels that are still under heavy development and hence sometimes have serious bugs.  
It's not strictly required, but highly recommended to boot into the latest official Fedora kernel now. To do so, restart and choose the top-most kernel from the boot menu that does not have 'vanilla' in the name.


But in the end using the kernels from the kernel-vanilla repositories should not be any more dangerous than compiling and installing a kernel from source yourself.
Now remove all kernels installed from the kernel vanilla coprs:


=== Thorsten, do you use the vanilla kernels yourself? ===
<pre>
rpm -qa 'kernel' 'kernel*core*' 'kernel*modules*' 'kernel*devel*' | grep '.vanilla' | xargs -r sudo dnf remove
</pre>


Yes, I normally use one of the x86-64 vanilla kernels from the mainline repo, but I don't boot into each of them .
If you disabled UEFI Secure Boot, you might want to turn it on again using the path you took to disable it, e.g. either through your BIOS Setup or a a process initiated with <code>sudo mokutil --enable-validation</code>.  


=== Are the kernels safe to use? ===
From now on your system will behave like one that never had these repositories enabled or kernels installed from it.


Depends on your definition of 'safe'.
== Instructions for Fedora Atomic Desktops ==


The Linux kernel is a complex piece of software which contains bugs. Those bugs lead to data loss sometimes; in very rare situations they can even damage hardware. Those bugs might only show up under specific circumstances – for example when a specific mix of hardware is used with a specific kernel version that was built with a specific configuration. It might be unlikely that such a bug is triggered by one of the non-development kernels from the kernel-vanilla repositories, but it's definitely possible. Self compiled kernels bear exactly the same risk; chances of hitting serious bugs are lower for kernels that have undergone widespread testing already, as those found in the official Fedora repositories.
'' '''Important note''': the following instructions only work as intended for the @kernel-vanilla coprs 'fedora' and 'next', as those are the only ones that are stand alone. The instructions most of the time will do the right thing on 'mainline-wo-mergew' copr as well; but with the @kernel-vanilla coprs 'stable', 'stable-rc', and 'mainline' they will often install an obsolete kernel and remain on it. That's because the latest versions suitable for users of those coprs in about 50 to 80 percent of the time is distributed through a higher level copr the repo files for those coprs enable as coprdep. The note under the table above explains this scheme in more detail. This approach works well with DNF, but [https://github.com/coreos/rpm-ostree/issues/4708 to our knowledge is unsupported by 'rpm-ostree overlay'], as it ignores the coprdep repos.''


In other words: The kernels from the kernel-vanilla repositories will work just fine for most people. But use them on your own risk and have backups handy, as you always should.
Use the following commands to install the latest kernel from the 'mainline-wo-mergew' copr on Fedora Atomic Desktops like Silverblue or Kinoite:


=== Will everything work with the vanilla kernels that works with the official Fedora kernels? ===
<pre>
copr="mainline-wo-mergew"
curl -s "https://copr.fedorainfracloud.org/coprs/g/kernel-vanilla/${copr}/repo/fedora-rawhide/group_kernel-vanilla-${copr}-fedora-rawhide.repo" | sudo tee "/etc/yum.repos.d/_copr:copr.fedorainfracloud.org:group_kernel-vanilla:${copr}.repo"
sudo rpm-ostree override replace --experimental --from repo="copr:copr.fedorainfracloud.org:group_kernel-vanilla:${copr}" kernel kernel-core kernel-modules kernel-modules-core kernel-modules-extra
</pre>


No. Linux vanilla kernels are not that different from the kernels Fedora provides, but the latter include a few enhancements. Each was added for a good reason to make Fedora better, hence these improvements are missing when you use Linux vanilla kernels.
To later remove the kernel vanilla packages and the repository configuration, run the following commands:


When this text was written in the spring of 2012 Fedora for example included utrace in their Linux kernels to support userspace tracing with systemtap; hence this feature didn't work with the kernels from the kernel-vanilla repositories, but should be these days, as systemtap these days uses a upstream solution for its work.
<pre>
 
sudo rpm-ostree override reset kernel kernel-core kernel-modules kernel-modules-core kernel-modules-extra
Another example: The kernels from Fedora sometimes include fresher drivers which some systems will require to work properly.
sudo rm "/etc/yum.repos.d/_copr:copr.fedorainfracloud.org:group_kernel-vanilla"*
 
</pre>
Furthermore, sometimes there are inter-dependencies between drivers in kernel and userland. The nouveau driver for graphics hardware from Nvidia was one such driver, as it had no stable API yet when this text was written; that's why the DRM/KMS driver in the kernel was marked as 'staging' back then. The Mesa 3D or X.org drivers included in a particular Fedora release therefore might depend on the nouveau DRM/KMS driver which is part of the kernels Fedora ships for this release; thus the nouveau drivers for Mesa 3D and X.org that are part of a certain Fedora release might not work properly with kernels found in the kernel-vanilla repositories, as those might contain an incompatible nouveau DRM/KMS driver because it they are older or newer than the one part of the official Fedora kernel.
 
The non-development kernels found in the kernel-vanilla repositories therefore should work on a lot of systems, but on some systems they will definitely be worse than the kernels Fedora provides.
 
=== Where to report bugs ===
 
If the Linux kernels in the packages from these repositories show any bugs please report them upstream to the Linux kernel developers, just as you would after installing a Linux kernel yourself with the sources available at [http://kernel.org kernel.org]; that way all the bug reports go to the place where the people hang out that know how to fix them.
 
In case there are bugs in the packaging sent a mail to [[user:thl|Thorsten Leemhuis (aka "knurd")]].
 
=== How can I avoid switching back and forth between vanilla kernels and Fedora kernels ? ===
 
Add 'exclude=kernel' to the first section of these files in /etc/yum.repos.d/
 
fedora.repo
fedora-updates.repo
fedora-updates-testing.repo
 
=== Will this repository also ship updates userland components like drivers or udev that match the kernels in the repositories? ===
 
No, as there should be no need to, as the interfaces between the kernel and userland software should never change in an incompatible way; Linus Torvalds makes this pretty clear now and then.
 
That is the long story short. There are situations where the world is more complicated:


* above mentioned rule does not apply to staging drivers, so situations might arise where the vanilla kernels are not usable for people that need staging drivers for their system.
== How vanilla kernels compare to Fedora’s ==
* Fedora sometimes might contain software that depends on bits that are not upstream


And even with this rule sometimes a new mainline kernel versions brings changes that require updates userland software. Three examples:
Most of the time kernels from the kernel vanilla coprs will work roundabout as well and secure as Fedora’s. Sometimes though the kernels from these repositories will work better, as they contain drivers or security fixes that haven’t reached the kernel used by Fedora Linux yet; other times it's the other way around, as Fedora sometimes includes fixes that upstream hasn't picked up yet. Those differences rarely matter much.


* the version number jump from 2.6.39 to 3.0 confused some software
== Empty or apparently coprs are normal ==
* in rare cases fixing security problems was only possible my changing the interfaces in an incompatible way
* sometimes nobody notices early enough that interfaces have changed
and reverting the change might break systems that already rely on the new behaviour.


It remains to be seen how often we hit such issues and how bad they are; how we deal with them will be decided on a case by case basis. In some cases we might have to other solution then to add new versions of other software to the repositories. But the plan is to avoid this if possible.
Please be aware that at least one and up to three out of the six kernel vanilla coprs will always look empty or outdated when you check copr’s web interface or look straight at the package repositories. That is totally normal, as it will look like that when the most recent build suitable for users of that copr is found in one of the other copr included as a runtime dependency. See the note under above table for a more detailed explanation.


=== Do you plan to provide packages for "linux-next" or "linux-rt" as well? ===
== Linux kernel versions currently offered ==


For now: No. I know there is some interest in packages for them, but maintaining those will consume a lot of time regularly and we have not enough resources to do it properly right now.
A '''[https://www.leemhuis.info/files/kernel-vanilla/repostatus.txt repostatus file shows what the repositories currently provide]'''. Alternatively, execute the following script to query the latest packages locally:
 
Furthermore, the CCMA people already build RT kernels and it might be the best for everyone to not compete with them.
 
Packaging -next kernels might not be a good idea in general, as chances these kernels contain serious bugs are way bigger than in the mainline of stable series. Hence it might be wise to leave -next to people that build kernels themselves.
 
[[user:thl|Get in contact]] if you think investing time in these areas makes sense.
 
=== Do you plan to provide vanilla kernels for RHEL and derivatives like CentOS and SL? ===
 
Sounds like a good addition. But there are people more familiar with these distributions that provide such packages already. It would mean additional work for us, too; and we currently have no one that would regularly run such kernels. So for now we won't get our feet wet in that area. But if you want to step up and help, [[User:thl|get in contact]].
 
=== Do you plan to provide packages for longterm kernels ===
 
Unlikely. Main goal of the kernel-vanilla repositories is to help upstream kernel development; but longterm kernels are a dead end and quite far away from mainline development, so they would not fit that well.
 
=== What configuration do those kernels use? ===
 
The mainline kernels ofBasically the same configuration the Fedora kernels use. Maybe a few staging drivers might get turned on to help their development, but apart from it the plan is to stick closely to what Fedora does.
 
=== Why don't you put these kernels in Fedoras main repositories ===
 
The current consensus in the Fedora project as far as we see is: That's not a good idea, as that would make the vanilla Linux kernels more 'official' and people might simply use those kernels without knowing what their downsides are.
 
That's the long story rough and short. And sure, there are reasons why having vanilla kernels in the main repositories would make sense. Feel free to start a discussion on [https://admin.fedoraproject.org/mailman/listinfo/devel Fedoras devel mailing list], we'll watch and might jump in.
 
Putting the kernels in a well know 3rd party add-on repository for Fedora might make sense, but some of the problems would be similar. It would lead to more problems, as then users might ask to build add-on modules for those kernels, too.
 
The best approach would be to reduce the number of patches the Fedora kernel developers include for one reason or another down to zero. That would require changes not only in Fedora, but in the upstream workflow as well.
 
=== Are those kernels really unpatched? ===
 
No, they contain a handful of very small changes that are needed for packaging.
 
From time to time the packages might use patches that are necessary temporary to make the kernel build or usable for most people; fixes like these will normally head upstream quickly and hence vanish from the vanilla packages pretty soon again. Furthermore, this normally should only happen with mainline development kernels, not with stable kernels.
 
=== How up2date will those repositories be? ===
 
We do the work in our spare time. Sometimes the day job and this strange thing called 'real life' leave not much time to work on these kernels, so there will be a lag.
 
=== For contributors and developers ===
 
=== Can you please include the patch found at <URL>? ===
 
No. Get your patch merged upstream, then the change you are interested in will automatically show up in these packages. And even better: it will automatically get into Fedora and other distributions, too!
 
=== Is there a Git tree somewhere? ===
 
[http://fedorapeople.org/cgit/thl/public_git/kernel.git/ Sure].
 
Let us know if we should do modifications to allow others to contribute to or benefit from this git tree better.
 
=== What Fedora versions will be supported ===
 
The plan is to always support the most recent Fedora version in the stable and mainline repositories. The mainline and sometimes the stable repo will also be provides for the distribution that is currently under development (rawhide on the first half of Fedoras development cycle iteration or the alpha/beta/rcs in the second half).
 
=== Why are there no debug kernels and not even debuginfo packages ===
 
The space on repos.fedoraprople.org is limited, hence we need to limit the number of packages we can provide. The debuginfo packages are also quite big, which makes them hard to handle. If there is interest, then may in the sort or medium timeframe solutions can be found to provide these packages.
 
=== Why don't you commit your changes to Fedora's kernel git repo on pkgs.fedoraproject.org? ===
 
That might make sense. But it bears the risk that a commit is done to a wrong branch and disturbs the work of the Fedora kernels maintainer. Further: Not all of those that contribute to Fedora can commit there. That's similar with the fedorapeople git repository, but the docs indicate others can be given access with the help of ACLs.
 
But whatever: Git is made for distributed development, so simply clone it and send pull requests if you have any additions.
 
=== Can I help? ===
 
Of course. [[user:thl|Talk to Thorsten]]; best if you come with some ideas what you can and want to do.
 
=== Do you work together with the developers that maintain Fedora's kernel packages? ===
 
There is cooperation already. If you think more is needed in some area let us know.
 
=== Please stop providing alternative kernel packages, they take attention away from the kernel packages Fedora provide and thus harm Fedora! ===
 
That's a valid concern, but we think the benefits outweigh the downsides.
 
That again that is the long story short. Just to get a little bit deeper into it and show a different view on the matter at hand: Similar arguments could be used to argue that Fedora should stop shipping patched kernels, as they take attention away from the upstream kernel. Up to a point such an argument is valid, too, but there are good reasons why Fedora patches its kernels.
 
=== Why did you drop the '-vanilla' postfix that normally gets added to the 'name' macro when you build Fedora's kernel RPM without patches locally? ===
 
I've thought about dropping or leaving it for a while, as both schemes have various benefits and downsides. In the end I went for dropping it due to reasons like this:
 
* nearly every other repository in Fedoraland that ships variants of a packages that are included in Fedora do not change the name
* the postfix in the name breaks some tool -- for example things like 'fedpkg srpm' on the git checkout
* external solutions that heavily depend on the naming scheme Fedora uses (like the akmod/kmod stuff used in some external repositories) would break with the -vanilla postfix in the name
* yum would not recognize kernel packages with a '-vanilla' postfix as 'installonly' and thus would perform a regular update for vanilla packages instead of installing them parallel to the current one
 
=== What kernel versions do the repos currently contain? ===
 
See yourself with a small script like this:


<pre>
<pre>
releases="19 20"; branches="mainline stable stable-testing"; for branch in ${branches} ; do
dists=(38 39 rawhide)
    for release in ${releases} ; do
dnf clean all > /dev/null
        echo -n "${branch} ${release} "
for repo in fedora stable{,-rc} mainline{-wo-mergew,} next; do
        repoquery --repofrompath=repo,http://repos.fedorapeople.org/repos/thl/kernel-vanilla-${branch}/fedora-${release}/x86_64/ --disablerepo=* --enablerepo=repo --qf '%{evr}' -q kernel
[[ ${repo} =~ (fedora|next) ]] && unset repostring
    done
repostring="${repostring} --repofrompath=kvr-${repo},https://download.copr.fedorainfracloud.org/results/@kernel-vanilla/${repo}/fedora-\${distro}-x86_64/"
done | column -t
for distro in ${dists[*]} ; do
    queryresult="$(eval dnf repoquery ${repostring} --disablerepo=* --enablerepo=kvr-* --latest-limit=1 -q kernel --arch x86_64 --qf '%{version}-%{release}')"
  printf '%-20s %-10s %s\n' "${repo}" "${distro}" "${queryresult:-lookup failed}"
done
done
</pre>
</pre>


= Known issues and differences =
== Developers behind the effort and point of contact  ==
 
The following sections will list differences to Fedora's proper kernel packages that might be relevant to users. It will also lists known problems specific to the packaging of the vanilla kernels.
 
Please note that these section will not lists any issues known in kernel version that are packaged, as it's best to maintain that information in a central place. So for a list of known bugs in the kernels packaged look at the [https://bugzilla.kernel.org/ the upstream bugtracker] and the [[http://news.gmane.org/gmane.linux.kernel|archives]] of mailing lists like the [http://www.tux.org/lkml/ LKML]].
 
== General ==
 
No issues known.
 
== F19 ==
 
No issues known.


== F20 ==
The Linux kernel vanilla repositories for Fedora are maintained by [[user:thl|Thorsten Leemhuis (aka "knurd")]] since [https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/kernel@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/NNSLWMKQSGALKX7VGWATKWTGAOU6LZ5I/ late 2012]. The packages they provide are build using a RPM spec file that is nearly identical to the one used to build Fedora’s kernel. Note though that none of the maintainers of the the official Fedora Linux kernel are involved in the maintenance of these repositories.


No issues known.
For any feedback or questions regarding the kernel vanilla repositories contact [[user:thl|Thorsten Leemhuis (aka "knurd")]].


= ToDo list =
== What’s the goal of these repositories? And are these kernels as good as Fedora’s? ==


* enable some of the staging drivers Fedora avoids (basically those a well known add-on repository for Fedora ships as add-on package)
These and many other questions are answered in the [[Kernel_Vanilla_Repositories-FAQ|FAQ about the Linux kernel vanilla repositories for Fedora Linux]].

Latest revision as of 08:10, 21 March 2024

Linux kernel vanilla repositories for Fedora Linux

The kernel vanilla repositories allow you to quickly, comfortably, and cleanly install the latest upstream Linux kernel versions on Fedora Linux. Six 'coprs' offer various ready-to-use kernel packages built from upstream Linux series like ‘mainline’ and ‘stable’; the provided RPMs are ideal for both quick tests and regular day-to-day use.

To install the latest kernel version deemed for end users, follow the instructions in the next section. For various other use cases, head over to the second section below to check which of the six coprs provides the Linux kernels you want; then enable the selected copr and install its latest kernel as explained in the third section. When you later want to remove the kernel vanilla repositories and all packages retrieved from them, consult the fourth section.

Note, the instructions in those sections are meant for users of Fedora variants like Workstation, Server, or KDE Plasma Desktop. Fedora Atomic Desktops like Silverblue or Kinoite need different commands described in a fifth section below.

Install the latest Linux version meant for end users

To install the latest Linux kernel meant for regular end users run the following commands:

sudo dnf -y copr enable @kernel-vanilla/stable
sudo dnf upgrade kernel
mokutil --sb-state

The first two commands enable the ‘stable’ copr, which then is used via DNF to install the latest mainline kernel (say 6.1) or the latest version from a stable series derived from it (e.g. 6.1.1, 6.1.2, …). The third command will tell you if UEFI Secure Boot is active on your system. If that's the case you have to either disable it in your system's BIOS Setup or through a process initiated through mokutil --disable-validation; that's required, as your firmware will otherwise reject booting kernels installed from these repositories.

Linux kernels offered in the six kernel vanilla coprs

The kernel vanilla repositories for Fedora Linux provide six @kernel-vanilla coprs to serve different use-cases. Use the following table to decide which of them you want to use: ‘fedora’, ‘stable’, ‘stable-rc’, ‘mainline-wo-mergew’, ‘mainline’, or ‘next’.

@kernel-vanilla copr description example version sequence target users
fedora The latest kernel version from the stable series the latest Fedora Linux release currently uses. …, 6.0.18,
6.0.19,
6.1.5,
6.1.6, …
This is mainly meant for users that want to check if a bug that happens with Fedora's kernel also occurs with the latest upstream version from the same kernel series.
stable The latest kernel version meant for regular end users, e.g. either the latest mainline release or the newest version from a stable series derived from it. …, 6.0.15,
6.1,
6.1.1,
6.1.2, …
Anyone who wants the latest and greatest kernel.
stable-rc Pre-releases of the next release from the latest stable series. …, 6.0.15-rc1,
6.0.15,
6.1,
6.1.1-rc1,
6.1.1, …
Anyone who wants to help testing Linux kernels from the latest stable series about to be released.
mainline-wo-mergew The latest mainline kernel, either built from a proper release, a pre-release (aka "rc kernel"), or a git snapshot – albeit the latter only after -rc1 was released. …, 6.1-rc8-20221211,
6.1,
6.1.1-rc1,
6.1.1,
6.2-rc1,
6.2-rc1-20221226, …
Anyone who wants to run a kernel built from the latest Linux codebase, except when mainline is in a 'merge window' – that is the phase right after a new mainline release (say 6.1) when the bulk of changes (including all riskier ones!) are merged for the next mainline version; this phase ends with the publication of that kernel version's first pre-release (e.g. "6.2-rc1").
mainline The latest mainline kernel, either built from a proper release, a pre-release (aka "rc kernel"), or a git snapshot. …, 6.1-rc8-20221211,
6.1,
6.2-rc0-20221213,
6.2-rc0-20221214, …
Anyone who wants to run a kernel built from the latest Linux codebase.
next Linux-next kernels. …, 6.1-0.0.next.20221209,
6.2-0.0.next.20221212,
6.2-0.0.next.20221213, …
Anyone who wants to run linux-next or test if the changes slated for inclusion in the next mainline cycle fix a problem.

Note, only the fedora and next coprs are stand-alone; the other four each include coprs mentioned earlier in the table as a runtime dependency. Users of the ‘stable-rc’ copr thus will receive packages from the ‘stable’ or ‘fedora’ coprs when the latter contain kernels which package managers like DNF will considers newer. That way users of stable-rc copr won't be stuck on a -rc release with known problems that were fixed between the -rc and the final release.

Another note relevant for users of Fedora versions in development, e.g rawhide and beta releases: be aware that these repositories will not provide kernel versions older than the one the particular Fedora release uses by default, as doing so could lead to problems. Rawhide for example regularly uses the latest mainline snapshots; that’s why rawhide users that have one of these repos enabled will receive vanilla mainline snapshots as well, even if they chose the ‘stable’ or ‘mainline-wo-mergew’ repos. Users of Fedora pre-releases (e.g. beta versions) might see similar effects, but once the Fedora version gets closer to its release things will start to work as advertised.

How to install a kernel from the vanilla repositories

First enable the kernel vanilla copr you want to use – for example the one shipping a kernel built from the latest mainline code:

sudo dnf -y copr enable @kernel-vanilla/mainline

Now update your system to install the latest package from the copr:

sudo dnf upgrade kernel kernel-devel

If you’re on a x86-64 (aka AMD64) system execute the following command as well:

mokutil --sb-state

If it tells you ‘SecureBoot enabled’ you will have to turn it off either in your BIOS Setup or through a process initiated with sudo mokutil --disable-validation. That sadly is needed, as your system otherwise will reject booting any kernels from these repositories: it's technically impossible to sign the kernels in copr with a key typical x86-64 systems will trust.

Once you booted your vanilla kernel you have two options:

(1) In case you want to use the chosen copr regularly, be aware that for frequently updated kernel vanilla coprs like mainline there is quite a risk that DNF misses the latest kernels and installs obsolete ones. To prevent that, tell dnf to check the kernel vanilla repositories more often than usual with a command like this one:

sudo sed -i 's!baseurl=https://download.copr.fedorainfracloud.org/results/@kernel-vanilla/\(mainline\|stable-rc\|next\).*!&\nmetadata_expire=1h!g; s!baseurl=https://download.copr.fedorainfracloud.org/results/@kernel-vanilla/\(stable\|fedora\)/.*!&\nmetadata_expire=3h!g;' /etc/yum.repos.d/_copr:copr.fedorainfracloud.org:group_kernel-vanilla:*.repo

(2) In case you installed a vanilla kernel just for a quick test, consider removing the just configured copr immediately, as explained in the next section. It also explains how to later uninstall packages installed from the kernel vanilla coprs, which is needed to ensure you retrieve newly released kernels from Fedora again.

How to remove the kernel vanilla repositories and uninstall kernels installed from them

Disable any kernel vanilla copr you enabled:

dnf copr list | grep 'group_kernel-vanilla' | xargs -r sudo dnf copr remove

Now downgrade the kernel and a few related packages to the latest versions Fedora provides:

sudo dnf --refresh distrosync bpftool 'kernel*' 'libperf*' perf python3-perf rtla rv

It's not strictly required, but highly recommended to boot into the latest official Fedora kernel now. To do so, restart and choose the top-most kernel from the boot menu that does not have 'vanilla' in the name.

Now remove all kernels installed from the kernel vanilla coprs:

rpm -qa 'kernel' 'kernel*core*' 'kernel*modules*' 'kernel*devel*' | grep '.vanilla' | xargs -r sudo dnf remove

If you disabled UEFI Secure Boot, you might want to turn it on again using the path you took to disable it, e.g. either through your BIOS Setup or a a process initiated with sudo mokutil --enable-validation.

From now on your system will behave like one that never had these repositories enabled or kernels installed from it.

Instructions for Fedora Atomic Desktops

Important note: the following instructions only work as intended for the @kernel-vanilla coprs 'fedora' and 'next', as those are the only ones that are stand alone. The instructions most of the time will do the right thing on 'mainline-wo-mergew' copr as well; but with the @kernel-vanilla coprs 'stable', 'stable-rc', and 'mainline' they will often install an obsolete kernel and remain on it. That's because the latest versions suitable for users of those coprs in about 50 to 80 percent of the time is distributed through a higher level copr the repo files for those coprs enable as coprdep. The note under the table above explains this scheme in more detail. This approach works well with DNF, but to our knowledge is unsupported by 'rpm-ostree overlay', as it ignores the coprdep repos.

Use the following commands to install the latest kernel from the 'mainline-wo-mergew' copr on Fedora Atomic Desktops like Silverblue or Kinoite:

copr="mainline-wo-mergew"
curl -s "https://copr.fedorainfracloud.org/coprs/g/kernel-vanilla/${copr}/repo/fedora-rawhide/group_kernel-vanilla-${copr}-fedora-rawhide.repo" | sudo tee "/etc/yum.repos.d/_copr:copr.fedorainfracloud.org:group_kernel-vanilla:${copr}.repo"
sudo rpm-ostree override replace --experimental --from repo="copr:copr.fedorainfracloud.org:group_kernel-vanilla:${copr}" kernel kernel-core kernel-modules kernel-modules-core kernel-modules-extra

To later remove the kernel vanilla packages and the repository configuration, run the following commands:

sudo rpm-ostree override reset kernel kernel-core kernel-modules kernel-modules-core kernel-modules-extra 
sudo rm "/etc/yum.repos.d/_copr:copr.fedorainfracloud.org:group_kernel-vanilla"*

How vanilla kernels compare to Fedora’s

Most of the time kernels from the kernel vanilla coprs will work roundabout as well and secure as Fedora’s. Sometimes though the kernels from these repositories will work better, as they contain drivers or security fixes that haven’t reached the kernel used by Fedora Linux yet; other times it's the other way around, as Fedora sometimes includes fixes that upstream hasn't picked up yet. Those differences rarely matter much.

Empty or apparently coprs are normal

Please be aware that at least one and up to three out of the six kernel vanilla coprs will always look empty or outdated when you check copr’s web interface or look straight at the package repositories. That is totally normal, as it will look like that when the most recent build suitable for users of that copr is found in one of the other copr included as a runtime dependency. See the note under above table for a more detailed explanation.

Linux kernel versions currently offered

A repostatus file shows what the repositories currently provide. Alternatively, execute the following script to query the latest packages locally:

dists=(38 39 rawhide)
dnf clean all > /dev/null
for repo in fedora stable{,-rc} mainline{-wo-mergew,} next; do
	[[ ${repo} =~ (fedora|next) ]] && unset repostring
	repostring="${repostring} --repofrompath=kvr-${repo},https://download.copr.fedorainfracloud.org/results/@kernel-vanilla/${repo}/fedora-\${distro}-x86_64/"
	for distro in ${dists[*]} ; do
  	  queryresult="$(eval dnf repoquery ${repostring} --disablerepo=* --enablerepo=kvr-* --latest-limit=1 -q kernel --arch x86_64 --qf '%{version}-%{release}')"
		  printf '%-20s %-10s %s\n' "${repo}" "${distro}" "${queryresult:-lookup failed}"
	done
done

Developers behind the effort and point of contact

The Linux kernel vanilla repositories for Fedora are maintained by Thorsten Leemhuis (aka "knurd") since late 2012. The packages they provide are build using a RPM spec file that is nearly identical to the one used to build Fedora’s kernel. Note though that none of the maintainers of the the official Fedora Linux kernel are involved in the maintenance of these repositories.

For any feedback or questions regarding the kernel vanilla repositories contact Thorsten Leemhuis (aka "knurd").

What’s the goal of these repositories? And are these kernels as good as Fedora’s?

These and many other questions are answered in the FAQ about the Linux kernel vanilla repositories for Fedora Linux.