[OE-core] [PATCH 0/2] Support for VirtualBox guest additions

[Bystricky, Juro]

I agree, the name "kernel-headers" may not be the most fortunate, "linux-headers" 
is probably more fitting.  The recipe installs the files in a similar fashion that is done by 

apt-get install linux-headers-$(uname -r)

Typical contents can be viewed for example here:
https://www.archlinux.org/packages/core/i686/linux-headers/

These files are needed to allow building  of kernel drivers against the running
Linux kernel. In a way, it is a subset of kernel-devsrc, but including
 ".config" file used for the actual running kernel.

Having these files installed, it is possible  to compile additional
kernel drivers that are not part of the kernel-devsrc .
 VirtualBox compiles some of their own drivers this way, others as well. 
There are many other scenarios where you may want to add a new kernel 
driver to an already installed Linux kernel. 

Juro



> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mark Hatle [mailto:mark.hatle at windriver.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, August 4, 2015 9:20 AM
> To: Bystricky, Juro; openembedded-core at lists.openembedded.org;
> jurobystricky at hotmail.com
> Cc: Purdie, Richard
> Subject: Re: [OE-core] [PATCH 0/2] Support for VirtualBox guest additions
> 
> On 8/3/15 3:35 PM, Juro Bystricky wrote:
> > In order to support VirtualBox guest additions, kernel headers need to
> > be present in the VM. I am aware we already have two packages/recipes
> > that are somewhat similar (kernel-devsrc.bb, linux-libc-headers), but none
> of them is suitable for this purpose.
> > Besides the kernel headers, some additional files (scripts, Makefiles,
> > .config, etc) are also required.
> 
> linux-libc-headers is only for building applications.  kernel-devsrc is for
> building modules on the target.
> 
> What do these specific modules need that are not present in kernel-devsrc?
> (I really don't want 'yet another' confusing package added to the system.)
> 
> > The new recipe "kernel-headers.bb" can in principle be used by other
> images as well.
> > It is not limited to the Build Appliance and hence is not a part of
> > the Build Appliance recipe.
> 
> I think kernel-headers is a bad name for a package.  It could be confusing.
> 
> --Mark
> 
> > Juro Bystricky (2):
> >   kernel-headers: linux kernel headers
> >   build-appliance-image: support for VirtualBox guest addtions
> >
> >  .../README_vbox_guest_additions.txt                | 78
> ++++++++++++++++++++++
> >  .../images/build-appliance-image_12.0.1.bb         |  4 +-
> >  meta/recipes-kernel/linux/kernel-headers.bb        | 66
> ++++++++++++++++++
> >  3 files changed, 147 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)  create mode 100644
> > meta/recipes-core/images/build-appliance-
> image/README_vbox_guest_addit
> > ions.txt  create mode 100644
> > meta/recipes-kernel/linux/kernel-headers.bb
> >