Public bug reported: Hello, At the moment, the only way to install linux-modules-extra and keep it up-to-date is to rely on linux-image-generic: # lsb_release -rd Description: Ubuntu 20.04.3 LTS Release: 20.04 # apt-cache policy linux-image-generic linux-image-generic: Installed: (none) Candidate: 5.4.0.89.93 Version table: 5.4.0.89.93 500 500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates/main amd64 Packages 500 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security/main amd64 Packages 5.4.0.26.32 500 500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/main amd64 Packages # apt rdepends linux-modules-extra-5.4.0-89-generic linux-modules-extra-5.4.0-89-generic Reverse Depends: Depends: linux-image-generic
However, installing linux-image-generic pulls linux-firmware: # apt depends linux-image-generic linux-image-generic Depends: linux-image-5.4.0-89-generic Depends: linux-modules-extra-5.4.0-89-generic Depends: linux-firmware Depends: intel-microcode Depends: amd64-microcode Recommends: thermald I specifically need linux-modules-extra because it contains the r8169 module which some Ethernet controllers require. The driver doesn't need any of the firmware blobs but because of the way it is packaged, I end up creating Ubuntu installations several hundred megabytes larger than necessary (in my case, these extra megabytes do matter). The initramfs also gains a few dozen megabytes. Would it please be possible to either: - mark linux-firmware as "Recommends" instead of "Depends"? - create a metapackage that pulls only the latest version of linux-modules-extra and nothing else? In addition, I'm not 100% sure linux-modules-extra should have a hard dependency on crda or wireless-crda, maybe they could also be marked as recommended instead? ** Affects: linux-meta (Ubuntu) Importance: Undecided Status: New -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Kernel Packages, which is subscribed to linux-meta in Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1948669 Title: linux-image-generic should suggest linux-firmware instead of depending on it Status in linux-meta package in Ubuntu: New Bug description: Hello, At the moment, the only way to install linux-modules-extra and keep it up-to-date is to rely on linux-image-generic: # lsb_release -rd Description: Ubuntu 20.04.3 LTS Release: 20.04 # apt-cache policy linux-image-generic linux-image-generic: Installed: (none) Candidate: 5.4.0.89.93 Version table: 5.4.0.89.93 500 500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates/main amd64 Packages 500 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security/main amd64 Packages 5.4.0.26.32 500 500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/main amd64 Packages # apt rdepends linux-modules-extra-5.4.0-89-generic linux-modules-extra-5.4.0-89-generic Reverse Depends: Depends: linux-image-generic However, installing linux-image-generic pulls linux-firmware: # apt depends linux-image-generic linux-image-generic Depends: linux-image-5.4.0-89-generic Depends: linux-modules-extra-5.4.0-89-generic Depends: linux-firmware Depends: intel-microcode Depends: amd64-microcode Recommends: thermald I specifically need linux-modules-extra because it contains the r8169 module which some Ethernet controllers require. The driver doesn't need any of the firmware blobs but because of the way it is packaged, I end up creating Ubuntu installations several hundred megabytes larger than necessary (in my case, these extra megabytes do matter). The initramfs also gains a few dozen megabytes. Would it please be possible to either: - mark linux-firmware as "Recommends" instead of "Depends"? - create a metapackage that pulls only the latest version of linux-modules-extra and nothing else? In addition, I'm not 100% sure linux-modules-extra should have a hard dependency on crda or wireless-crda, maybe they could also be marked as recommended instead? To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux-meta/+bug/1948669/+subscriptions -- Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~kernel-packages Post to : kernel-packages@lists.launchpad.net Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~kernel-packages More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp