Currently there are mixed names for kernel module packages, for example: media-sound/alsa-driver media-video/nvidia-kernel sys-apps/thinkpad are all kernel modules. It makes sense to name them all with a common convention, such as *-driver: media-sound/alsa-driver media-video/nvidia-driver sys-apps/thinkpad-driver *-module could also be used (I am opposed to *-kernel however, as I think it is confusing).
ALSA-driver is the actual project name / tarball release name, so we get less confusion by calling it that. NVIDIA-kernel is 'kernel' as opposed to 'driver' as drivers can include components like the GLX 'driver'. Which is another thing. Although I guess we can do something about thinkpad and change it to thinkpad-kernel as they are kernel modules? But I guess we will also make mass hysteria if we rename nvidia-kernel to nvidia-module?
i think we should name packages the way the upstream has them thus we would not change alsa or nvidia ...
In the past we've tried keeping the name changes to a minimum to avoid confusing packages, etc. I don't think there's a compelling reason to change that behavior now.
I think we should have catagories more dedicated to kernel related stuff: kernel-sources kernel-drivers kernel-utils I have suggested this long ago, but it got past without notice. Will ease the search for drivers much more than appending -driver.
Maybe 'kernel-headers' as well, if we are going to have a few of those ...
Are any changes going to be made under the portage tree concerning this? I think that we should stay as it is now. Changing the naming schemes away from the the way upstream has them would be more troublesome.
my $0.02 is that it's not worth the time to do this... but that's just my thought.
Agreed. The current method works anddoesn't break upstream naming conventions.
