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10 October 2024
FOSS activity in September 2024
- I continued to attend and soemtimes chair Debian kernel team meetings
- For the Debian firmware-nonfree package:
  - I opened the MRs:
    - !105: nvidia-graphics: Add versioned Breaks on initramfs-tools to avoid bug #1076539
    - !107: Update to 20240909; improve orig tarball generation
  - I reviewed the MRs:
    - !79: Improve maintainer scripts of firmware-nonfree
    - !102: Backport firmware-nonfree 20240709-2~bpo12+1 to Bookworm (merged)
    - !103: Add missing symlinks for tas2563 and tas2781 (merged)
    - !106: Update to 20240811 (merged)
  - I merged my own MRs:
    - !104: Update to linux-support-6.10.6
    - !105: nvidia-graphics: Add versioned Breaks on initramfs-tools to avoid bug #1076539
  - I uploaded:
    - version 20240709-2 to unstable
    - version 20240709-2~bpo12+1 to bookworm-backports
  - I respnded to bug reports:
    - #1080492: firmware-nonfree: [i915] With 20240709-2, the external monitors randomly blank for 2-3 seconds (regression) (closed)
- For the kernel-team repository:
  - I reviewed and merged the MR !5: git-format-patch-for-debian: Support for sourcehut
  - I deleted some obsolete text from the kernel upload checklist
- For the Debian linux package:
  - I announced the end of i386 kernel packages
  - I opened or updated the MRs:
  - I reviewed the MRs:
    - !675: [arm64] drivers/usb/host: Enable USB_XHCI_PCI_RENESAS as module (Closes: #1032671)
    - !1732: [x86] linux-cpupower: Add intel-speed-select command (rebased and merged)
    - !1038: debian/rules.real: export LANG = C.UTF-8 for sphinx (closed)
    - !1041: Add “-b” flag to genorig.py (closed)
    - !1065: Enable UBSAN_BOUNDS and UBSAN_SHIFT (closed)
    - !1166: [amd64] Enable CRYPTO_DEV_IAA_CRYPTO (merged)
    - !1169: [arm64] Add additional kernel with 64k page size
    - !1172: debian/config: add DAMON support for debian kernel (merged)
    - !1177: powerpc: Explicitly disable CRASH_DUMP on 32-bit” (merged)
    - !1178: mm: set CONFIG_ZONE_DEVICE=y on most 64-bit architectures, not only amd64 (merged)
    - !1185: riscv64: fix module duplication detected by kernel-wedge starting with version 2.106 (merged)
    - !1186: [arm64] udeb: fix duplicated modules (merged)
    - !1192: [loong64] enable LBT, KVM and para-virt support (merged)
    - !1193: [arm64] Update rk3588 platform support (merged)
    - !1195: [arm64] enable Qualcomm X Elite support (merged)
    - !1196: [arm64] include modules for Rockchip RK3588 (closed)
    - !1198: Revert “Make linux-libc-dev provide all cross packages” (merged)
    - !1204: [arm64] Enable drivers for K3-AM642 SoC on SolidRun HummingBoard-T
    - !1207: [rt] Update to 6.11-rc5-rt5 (merged)
    - !1208: Support some Wi-Fi 7 devices (merged)
    - !1211: Set CONFIG_I2C=y on alpha and sparc64 (closed)
    - !1214: [loong64] Enable USB EHCI and OHCI host support (merged)
  - I merged my own MRs:
    - !741: Fix most reproducibility issues
    - !1182: [x86] ACPI: Enable ACPI_EC_DEBUGFS as module (Closes: #980555)
    - !1188: [arm64] udeb: fix duplicated modules
    - !1199: [i386] Stop building kernel packages
    - !1200: Backport CI support to bullseye
    - !1209: Build fixes for rtla
    - !1215: d/rules.real: Try harder to set the locale to C.UTF-8
    - !1218: Clean up udeb configuration
  - I uploaded:
    - linux-6.1 versions 6.1.106-3~deb11u1, 6.1.106-3~deb11u2, and 6.1.106-3~deb11u3 to bullseye-security
    - linux version 6.11-1~exp1 to experimental
  - I updated the bullseye-security branch to upstream version 5.10.226
  - I responded to bug reports:
  - I sent patches upstream:
    - wifi: iwlegacy: Fix “field-spanning write” warning in il_enqueue_hcmd() which is meant to fix bug #1062421
    - tools/rtla: Fix installation from out-of-tree build
  - I sent a new response to Proposal: Switch to linear git history
- For the Debian nfs-utils package:
  - I reviewed the MRs:
    - !8: Fixes for bugs #849942 and #849608 (closed)
    - !32: d/control: nfs-common: Move python3 to Recommends (merged)
  - I closed my own old bug report #711021: mount.nfs timeout for GETPORT is much too short
- For diffoscope:
  - I commented on issue #100: Excessive memory use when comparing Linux Debian .dbg packages to report that the issue still exists, and to provide a reproducer
  - I commented on issue #342: Gets killed trying to diff very large (~5GB) images which seems like a duplicate of #100
  - I opened the MR !145: Draft: Reduce memory usage by revert to using popen() for diff input and output which fixes #100 but needs work to avoid regressions for other cases
- For the Debian nss-wrapper package, I opened MR !4: Replace wrap-and-sort autopkgtest with a CI job
- For the Debian pam-wrapper package, I opened MR !4: Replace wrap-and-sort autopkgtest with a CI job
- For initramfs-tools:
  - I opened the MR !136: Fix copy_file again; expand documentation and add tests
  - I reviewed the MRs:
  - I responded to bug report #1082647: copy_exec: [regression] ignores trailing slash, installs file as directory name (pending)
- For debian-kernel-handbook:
  - I reviwed the MRs:
    - !7: Add disabling SECURITY_LOCKDOWN_LSM to chapter-common-tasks
    - !8: Disable dwarf toolchain default to really disable debug info (merged)
- I responded (belatedly) to Debian tech-ctte bug #1065416: linux-libc-dev claims to provide linux-libc-dev-ARCH-cross, but it doesn’t do that completely
10 September 2024
FOSS activity in August 2024
- For the Debian firmware-nonfree package:
  - I opened the MR:
    - !104: Update to linux-support-6.10.6
  - I reviewed the MRs:
    - !102: Backport firmware-nonfree 20240709-2~bpo12+1 to Bookworm
  - I responded to a query about backporting.
- For the Debian linux package:
  - I opened or updated the MRs:
  - I reviewed the MRs:
  - I merged my own MRs:
    - !1161: Fix and clean up Build-Depends
    - !1164: d/config: Fix broken configs that were being resolved differently by kconfig
    - !1175: Fix perf build failure on many architectures
  - I uploaded:
    - linux version 6.11~rc4-1~exp1 to experimental.
    - linux version 6.11~rc5-1~exp1 to experimental.
    - linux version 6.10.6-1~bpo12+1 to bookworm-backports.
  - Upstream, I commented on additional backports required to address CVE-2024-26621 and CVE-2024-42258.
  - I responded to bug reports:
    - #1072004: linux: regression in the 9p protocol in 6.8 breaks autopkgtest qemu jobs (affecting debci)
  - Upstream, I submitted the patch aacraid: Fix double-free on probe failure which should fix part of bug #1075855.
  - Upstream, I pointed out that the fix in !1175 is needed in Linux 6.11.
  - I updated the bullseye-security branch to upstream version 5.10.224, but didn’t make a new upload.
  - I updated the bullseye-security-6.1 branch, merging changes from version 6.1.106-3.
- For initramfs-tools:
  - I opened and later merged the MRs:
  - I reviewed the MRs:
    - !128: Put compressed kernel modules and firmware in an uncompressed cpio
  - I uploaded:
    - version 0.144 to Debian unstable.
    - version 0.145 to Debian unstable.
    - version 0.142+deb12u1 to Debian bookworm.
  - I responded to Debian bug reports:
- For the Debian iproute package, I reverted the recent removal of the /usr/sbin/ip symlink and uploaded version 6.10.0-2.
- For kernel-wedge:
  - I fixed a bug in duplicate detection that linux !1176 had revealed.
  - I added support for packages installing modules under /usr/lib/modules, and a test case for this.
  - I uploaded version 2.106 to Debian unstable, including the above and some other bug fixes.
- For the Debian sgt-puzzles package, I responded to and wrote a patch for bug #1079717: sgt-puzzles: [Mozaic] crashes when copying the game.
10 September 2024
FOSS activity in July 2024
- I continued participating in Debian kernel team meetings.
- For the Debian linux package:
  - I investigated a regression for nftables introduced in my final upload of linux to buster-security, and passed on the information to the Freexian ELTS team.
  - I uploaded:
    - linux version 6.1.94-1~bpo11+1 to bullseye-backports.
    - linux version 6.8.12-1~bpo12+1 to bookworm-backports.
    - linux version 6.9.7-1~bpo12+1 to bookworm-backports.
    - linux version 6.10-1~exp1 to experimental.
    - linux version 6.1.99-1~bpo11+1 to bullseye-backports (but it was never accepted).
    - linux version 6.10.1-1~exp1 to experimental.
    - linux version 6.9.10-1~bpo12+1 to bookworm-backports.
  - I opened or updated MRs:
  - I reviewed MRs:
  - I merged my own MRs:
    - !1110: d/l/p/debian_linux/firmware.py: Handle RawFile fields
    - !1112: Update d/l/p/debian_linux/firmware.py for current WHENCE format
    - !1119: Update d/b/test-patches to work with current package
    - !1126: [alpha] scsi: Disable SCSI_IMM (fixes FTBFS)
  - To support Debian ELTS, I created branches of the Linux 5.10 and 6.1 packaging with backports of the change to use an ephemeral module signing key.
  - I answered a query about use of the linux-image-*-unsigned packages.
  - I responded to bug reports:
  - Upstream, I commented on how to detect 32-bit architectures in order to fix CVE-2024-42258.
  - Upstream, I submitted the patch xhci-pci: Make xhci-pci-renesas a proper modular driver which is a prerequisite for merging MR !675.
  - I asked the Debian Super-H porters whether the sh7785lcr kernel flavour was useful.
- In dput-ng, I merged my own MR !36: rsync, scp: Fix username lookup.
- In devscripts, I updated and merged my own MR !292: uscan: Allow compression of VCS exports to be disabled. This can make uscan a lot faster for packages that use a VCS as upstream and exclude some files from it.
- For the Debian firmware-nonfree package:
  - I opened MRs:
    - !98: Include or exclude most unpackaged firmware
    - !101: Update to 20240709 and remove some file exclusions
  - I reviewed MRs:
    - !97: misc-nonfree: Add firmware for Gen10 Arm Mali GPUs (merged)
    - !99: ti: Include tas2563 and tas2781 DSP firmware (merged)
    - !100: d/copyright: reenable firmware for Qualcomm qcm2290 and qrb4210 (closed)
  - I merged my own MRs:
    - !96: Update to 20240610
    - !98: Include or exclude most unpackaged firmware
    - !101: Update to 20240709 and remove some file exclusions
  - I uploaded versions 20240610-1 and 20240709-1 to unstable.
  - I responded to bug reports:
    - #1076500: firmware-brcm80211: Contains .txt files with a space
- In the kernel-team repository:
  - I reviewed MRs:
    - !2: Check for the kconfig in /lib/modules/ too (closed)
    - !4: process.py: friendlier error on missing featureset source (merged)
  - I deleted the obsolete script that !2 would have updated.
- For the Debian wireless-regdb package:
  - I reviewed MRs:
    - !4: merge stretch-elts 2022.04.08-1~deb9u1 upload (closed)
    - !5: Upload For LTS (buster) (merged)
- For the Debian nfs-utils package:
  - I opened MR !31: Fixes for handling of state files in /var/lib/nfs in response to bug #1074359: nfs-kernel-server: Updating package unexports all filesystems, and later merged it.
  - I reviewed and merged MR !15: A couple more DEP8 tests.
- For the Debian klibc package:
  - I reviewed MRs:
    - !12: d/i/h/klibc-utils: Fix compatibility issue with busybox and improve verbose debug output. (closed)
    - !13: d/i/h/klibc-utils: Pass --update=none instead of -n to cp (closed)
- For the Debian ktls-utils package:
  - I updated to upstream version 0.11 and uploaded version 0.11-1 to unstable.
- For the Debian initramfs-tools package:
  - I uploaded version 0.143.1 to unstable, with no changes from version 0.143. One of the changes in 0.143 happened to fix the newly reported #1076539: plymouth: Updating plymouth fails with “No space left on device” (and its many duplicates).
  - I reviewed MRs:
  - I responded to bug reports:
- I reported Debian bugs:
- For the Debian a56 package, which is a build-dependency of firmware-free, I made an NMU fixing a build failure with gcc-14 and many compiler warnings. These changes were included in version 1.3+dfsg-11.
2 July 2024
FOSS activity in June 2024
- I continued participating in Debian kernel team meetings.
- For initramfs-tools:
  - I reviewed several more merge requests and merged some of them.
  - I released version 0.143 and uploaded it to Debian experimental.
- For the Debian firmware-free package:
  - I responded to an update on the bug report “firmware-linux-free uses prebuilt blobs instead of building from source” and the accompanying merge request “Build some firmware files from source”.
  - I split off the new issue into a separate bug report “firmware-free: Incomplete source for carl9170-1.fw”, and merged the MR.
  - I made some other necessary changes to the package and uploaded version 20240610-1 to unstable.
- For the Debian linux package:
  - I responded to the following bug reports:
    - linux: ext4 corruption with symlinks I bisected this and (re-)reported it upstream. I tested the upstream fix for this, but it hasn’t yet been applied.
  - I answered questions about its required build environment.
  - I uploaded:
    - linux version 6.9.2-1~exp1 to experimental.
    - linux version 4.19.316-1 to buster-security, for which I issued DLA 3840-1.
    - linux-5.10 version 5.10.218-1~deb10u1 to buster-security, for which I issued DLA 3843-1.
  - I issued DLA 3841-1 and DLA 3842-1 for the earlier uploads of linux-5.10 that I had failed to announce.
  - I reviewed and merged the following merge requests:
    - Update to 6.9.x
    - [arm64] Disable RELR
  - I opened merge requests:
    - d/l/p/debian_linux/firmware.py: Handle RawFile fields
  - I started a backport of Linux 6.1 to bullseye, for when bullseye enters LTS and bullseye-backports is closed.
- For the Debian linux-base package:
  - Following discussion on a systemd merge request and in a kernel team meeting, I added the linux-sysctl-defaults package to provide a default sysctl configuration independent of which init system or kernel packages are used. I also requested that procps Depend on or Recommend it.
  - I updated the debian/copyright file and fixed most of the open bugs.
  - I uploaded version 4.10 and version 4.10.1 to unstable.
- For the Debian firmware-nonfree package:
  - I finished reviewing and merged Diederik de Haas’s major (non-upstream) update to firmware-nonfree.
  - I uploaded version 20230625-3~exp1 to experimental, but it was auto-rejected. I fixed a lintian override to satisfy the older lintian version on ftp-master, then uploaded version 20230625-3~exp2.
  - I merged my changes to support and use wildcards in file lists.
  - Diederik’s changes included package splits that could cause file loss in conjunction with the /usr-move in this release cycle. I applied Helmut Grohne’s fix from the above bug report, then uploaded version 20230625-3~exp3 to unstable.
  - I prepared an update to the latest upstream version.
2 July 2024
FOSS activity in May 2024
- For the Debian kernel security tracker:
  - I implemented some static checks in CI.
  - I continued work on automated handling of kernel CVEs, but it is still not quite ready to merge.
  - I implemented improved reporting on top of those changes.
- For the Debian linux package:
  - I reviewed and merged the following merge requests:
  - I reviewed but did not merge:
    - Enable UBSAN_BOUNDS and UBSAN_SHIFT
  - I responded to the following bug reports:
  - I opened my own merge requests:
  - I uploaded:
    - linux-5.10 version 5.10.216-1~deb10u1 to buster-security.
    - linux version 6.1.90-1~bpo11+1 to bullseye-backports.
    - linux version 6.7.12-1~bpo12+1 to bookworm-backports.
    - linux version 6.8.9-1 to unstable.
- I attended the mini-DebConf in Berlin and very much enjoyed it. Thanks to all the organisers, volunteers and presenters.
- I supported Salvatore Bonaccorso’s proposal of regular kernel team meetings, and attended the first one.
- I answered Andreas Tille’s questions about the kernel team.
- I uploaded ktls-utils version 0.10-1 to unstable.
- I uploaded wireless-regdb version 2024.05.08-1 to unstable.
- I reviewed all open merge requests for initramfs-tools, and merged most of them.
- For the Debian firmware-nonfree package:
  - I started reviewing Diederik de Haas’s major (non-upstream) update to firmware-nonfree.
  - I opened a merge request intended to simplify future work: Add support for and start using wildcards in package file lists.
- I uploaded iw version 6.9-1 to unstable.
2 July 2024
FOSS activity in April 2024
- I answered a query about the continued need for an executable stack on Linux/m68k.
- I reported and fixed some regressions on the Linux 4.19-stable branch.
- I proposed a fix for the regression of rsync and scp support in dput-ng.
- I updated the linux (4.19) package for Debian 10 “buster” to upstream version 4.19.311, but didn’t make an upload this month.
- I started work on more automated handling of kernel CVEs for Debian.
1 April 2024
FOSS activity in March 2024
- I updated the Linux (4.19) package for buster to upstream version 4.19.311, but I did not make an upload this month.
- I triaged recent CVE IDs assigned for kernel security issues, and queried some duplicate and trivial issues, which have now been rejected.
- I reviewed and applied a fix for klibc’s inet_pton() function. I then added some test cases for it, and made further fixes.
3 March 2024
FOSS activity in February 2024
- I updated the Linux kernel packages in various Debian suites:
  - buster: Updated linux-5.10 to the latest security update for bullseye, and uploaded it, but it still needs to be approved.
  - bullseye-backports: Updated linux (6.1) to the latest security update from bullseye, and uploaded it.
  - bookworm-backports: Updated linux to the current version in testing, and uploaded it.
- I reported a regression in documentation builds in the Linux 5.10 stable branch.
25 February 2024
Converted from Pyblosxom to Jekyll
I’ve been using Pyblosxom here for nearly 17 years, but have become increasingly dissatisfied with having to write HTML instead of Markdown.

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