[vbox-dev] [PATCH] [SVN] Please Merge 7 VirtualBox Kernel Modules into the Linux Kernel

[Klaus Espenlaub]

On 08.05.2013 06:09, quickbooks office wrote:
> Please Merge VirtualBox Kernel Modules into the Kernel.

Sorry, this will not happen in the foreseeable future.

The VirtualBox kernel modules (especially the host ones) must match the 
VirtualBox version. Upstreaming them would severely limit our ability to 
fix bugs and introduce new product features - it would be all bolted to 
the pace of users updating their Linux kernels, i.e. for many users it 
will be every few years. I doubt that e.g. RedHat would include 
VirtualBox kernel module updates in their update packages, and to avoid 
pointing only at one distribution we wouldn't expect Ubuntu to pick up 
VirtualBox kernel module updates more often than they update the 
VirtualBox package (usually never, they're usually sticking to the 
initially available version when the Ubuntu release was made)...

For the guest additions this might eventually become a different story, 
but we're still fixing small bugs here and there with almost every 
maintenance release (every 1-2 months). So upstreaming them would mean 
most users will run the risk of hitting long fixed bugs.

Sorry to say that, but currently I think the product would only lose if 
the modules would be upstreamed. There are good reasons for handling 
them the way we're doing it now, and it's not because we're ignorant of 
the possible benefits.

If you have an idea how to avoid the mentioned drawbacks of upstreaming, 
let us know.

Klaus


> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> svn co http://www.virtualbox.org/svn/vbox/trunk vbox
> sh '/home/user/vbox/src/VBox/Additions/linux/export_modules'
> VBoxGuestModules.tar.gz
>
> Extracting VBoxGuestModules.tar.gz will give the Source Code for 3
> modules (used in a Linux Guest):
>
> 1. vboxguest (VirtualBox guest kernel module)
>
> 2. vboxsf (VirtualBox guest kernel module for shared folders)
>
> 3. vboxvideo (VirtualBox guest kernel module for drm support)
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> sh '/home/user/vbox/src/VBox/HostDrivers/linux/export_modules'
> VBoxHostModules.tar.gz
>
> Extracting VBoxHostModules.tar.gz will give the Source Code for 4
> modules (used in a Linux Host):
>
> 1. vboxdrv (VirtualBox host kernel module)
>
> 2. vboxnetflt (VirtualBox netfilter kernel module)
>
> 3. vboxnetadp (VirtualBox network adapter kernel module)
>
> 4. vboxpci (VirtualBox host PCI access kernel module)
>
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> Maintaner contacts:
>
> 1. vbox-dev Mailing List:
> https://www.virtualbox.org/mailman/listinfo/vbox-dev  (Probably
> Requires you to join the mailing list in order to post) -
> vbox-dev at virtualbox.org
>
> or
>
> 2. Public bugtracker: https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Bugtracker
> (Requires an Oracle account for sign on)
>