On Fri, 2018-12-14 at 14:13 +0100, Enrico Weigelt, metux IT consult wrote:
> Hi folks,
>
>
> while trying to build a debian kernel w/ some minor config changes
> (actually, just need the gpio keyboard modules), I've stumpled across
> several strange problems and finally found out that the patches
> haven't been applied on the main tree (in contrast to rt tree) .. this
> ate up a lot of time, as the build takes so long (unfortunately, I don't
> have the luxory of possessing a 120 core machine ;-)).

There is a script to do what you want, debian/bin/test-patches.

> When I look at the build rules, I really wonder why it's all so complex.
>
> Some things that IMHO contribute to that complexity:
>

> * several source trees - rt vs none:
>   --> can't we do this with one tree ?
>   --> if necessary, fixup the rt patches, so they don't do anything in
>       non-rt build (eg. proper #ifdef's) ?

That would be a huge amount of work to maintain.

> * arch specific patches - same story like rt

There aren't arch-specific patches - that is, they aren't applied only
when building a particular arch.

> * auxillary tools
>   --> can't we build them completely separately ?
>       (IMHO, shouldn't have an hard dependency on currently running
>       kernel)

They can be disabled with the "pkg.linux.notools" profile.

> If it's just a matter of resources, I'd like to join in and do the job.

If you want to help simplify - and I'm sure some simplification is
possible - you have to start by understanding why the complexity is
there in the first place.

Ben.

--
Ben Hutchings
If you seem to know what you are doing, you'll be given more to do.