Multi Kernel Support in Base APT

[Arulpandiyan Vadivel]

Hello Community, 

  We have a requirement to have a multikernel support for a base apt in downstream layer. We wanted to build base-apt to support multiple kernel versions for multiple distros as like below and generate base-apt with all supported kernels.

I was analysing reprepro as we use it to generate base-apt, It has some options likely below. but it was not helpful while exporting it overwrites the older versions.

$ reprepro -b debian --keepunreferencedfiles --ignore=ignore includedeb trixie /path/to/linux-image-cip-amd64_6.1.145-cip44+ind1_amd64.deb

$ reprepro -b debian --keepunreferencedfiles --ignore=ignore includedeb trixie /path/to/linux-image-cip-amd64_6.12.41-cip6+ind1_amd64.deb

Like Debian kernel package nomenclature  `linux-image-6.1.0-40-amd64_6.1.153-1_amd64.deb` of using the approach what debian uses to generate linux-image-$PV-$ARCH_$PV_$ARCH.deb.

Any pointers would be helpful

Regards,
Arulpandiyan V

[Arulpandiyan Vadivel]

Attaching image again

On Wednesday, 15 October 2025 at 14:55:43 UTC+5:30 Arulpandiyan Vadivel wrote:

Hello Community, 

  We have a requirement to have a multikernel support for a base apt in downstream layer. We wanted to build base-apt to support multiple kernel versions for multiple distros as like below and generate base-apt with all supported kernels.

 

[Jan Kiszka]

On 15.10.25 11:25, Arulpandiyan Vadivel wrote:
> Hello Community, 
>
>   We have a requirement to have a multikernel support for a base apt in
> downstream layer. We wanted to build base-apt to support multiple kernel
> versions for multiple distros as like below and generate base-apt with
> all supported kernels.
>
> image
>

> I was analysing reprepro as we use it to generate base-apt, It has some
> options likely below. but it was not helpful while exporting it
> overwrites the older versions.

One step back: What is the use case here?

Also, the base-apt in isar so far acts as an upstream package cache for
enabling re-builds of specific images - together with isar-apt. In
isar-apt, you have the self-built packages, not in base-apt (unless I
confuse something right now).

Are we talking about the same "base-apt" here?

Jan

--
Siemens AG, Foundational Technologies
Linux Expert Center

[Arulpandiyan Vadivel]

Sorry for the confusion,  we have our downstream layer changes on top of base-apt recipe which will cache
both upstream packages, locally built packages, and sources for our customer delivery.

We are also extending base-apt recipe from isar and using it 'meta/recipes-devtools/base-apt/base-apt.bbappend`
to populate the extended packages of base-apt.

Use case is very simple, from the customer perspective, the can configure and select the kernel version on their wish

from the list from Kconfig possibly cip kernel versions (5.10, 6.1, 6.12) and 6.17 stable kernel version.

[Jan Kiszka]

But then you are here talking about YOUR base-apt, not the one of isar.
You either have to sell your full use case to upstream or live with
downstream patches to address what you decide to do differently.