From Fedora Project Wiki
Executive summary: Comparing kmods and kmdls
Cleaned up a bit by spot for accuracy, simplification, and legibility.
| kmods | kmod with kver in name | kmdls | |
| features | |||
| kernel's version | available as provides | embedded in name & available as provides | embedded in name & available as provides |
| specfiles/src.rpm | split for userland vs kernelland | split for userland vs kernelland | merged together with macros |
| helper applications | kmodtool | kmodtool | none necessary |
| kernel agnostic | yes, with kmodtool | yes, with kmodtool | yes |
| kernel flavour agnostic | yes, with kmodtool | yes, with kmodtool | yes |
| comparison | |||
| rpm | |||
| rpm -U | Will update all kmod packages and replace with one (not really what you want) | will update packages on a per kernel basis | will update packages on a per kernel basis |
| rpm -i | works | works | works |
| $1 in scriplets | does not work | does not work | works |
| yum w/o plugin and module coinstalls | works | does not work | does not work |
| yum w/o plugin and module upgrades | does not work | works | works |
| yum w/ full plugin support | possible | possible | possible |
| other depsolvers (smart/apt) | possible | possible | possible |
| maintenance | every new kernel/flavour needs full rebuild | every new kernel/flavour needs full rebuild | every new kernel/flavour needs full rebuild |
| existing standard of Fedora | yes | no | no |
| existing kmods/kmdls in Fedora | yes, only one, but half a dozen in queue and half a dozen in livna | no | no, but ATrpms has several dozens |
| debuginfos | ok | ok | ok |
| kabi support | possible | possible | possible |
| buildsystem | needs special handling | needs special handling | needs special handling |
| rpmbuild | no changes | no changes | no changes |
| mock, mach, etc. | no changes | no changes | no changes |