Which package to use: eos-dracut or kernel-install-for-dracut?

General system Kernel, boot, graphics & hardware
1

Today I was firing up an old VM with endeavouros and did an update. I noticed that it has eos-dracut install while my desktop PC has kernel-install-for-dracut. Both packages are in the endeavouros repo and they are in conflict with each other.

This is confusing. Which one should be used?

endeavouros/eos-dracut 1.7-1 (16.6 KiB 3.7 KiB)
    Dracut scripts and hooks for EndeavourOS

endeavouros/kernel-install-for-dracut 1.14.2-1 (19.6 KiB 21.2 KiB) (Installed)
    Enables systemd-boot automation using kernel-install with dracut

# pacman -Qi eos-dracut
Name            : eos-dracut
Version         : 1.7-1
Description     : Dracut scripts and hooks for EndeavourOS
Architecture    : any
URL             : https://endeavouros.com
Licenses        : BSD
Groups          : None
Provides        : None
Depends On      : dracut
Optional Deps   : None
Required By     : None
Optional For    : None
Conflicts With  : dracut-hook  kernel-install-for-dracut
Replaces        : None
Installed Size  : 3,71 KiB
Packager        : manuel <manuel@endeavouros.com>
Build Date      : Mi 04 Jun 2025 16:56:29 CEST
Install Date    : Mi 25 Jun 2025 07:29:15 CEST
Install Reason  : Explicitly installed
Install Script  : No
Validated By    : Signature

# pacman -Qi  kernel-install-for-dracut
Name            : kernel-install-for-dracut
Version         : 1.14.2-1
Description     : Enables systemd-boot automation using kernel-install with dracut
Architecture    : any
URL             : https://gitlab.com/dalto.8/kernel-install-for-dracut
Licenses        : GPL2
Groups          : None
Provides        : None
Depends On      : dracut
Optional Deps   : None
Required By     : None
Optional For    : None
Conflicts With  : mkinitcpio  kernel-install-mkinitcpio
Replaces        : None
Installed Size  : 21.20 KiB
Packager        : manuel <manuel@endeavouros.com>
Build Date      : Mon Jan 12 19:54:13 2026
Install Date    : Mon Jan 12 22:02:31 2026
Install Reason  : Explicitly installed
Install Script  : No
Validated By    : Signature
2

For what it is worth I did a fresh install at the beginning of this month and eos-dracut got installed, so I guess that is the way to go.
This topic might shed some light on it.

3

I think the difference is the bootloader being used from what it looks like to me. I think one is for Systemd-boot and the other for Grub

I am using Systemd-boot and eos-dracut was not found but kernel-install-for-dracut was so I’m assuming that the eos-dracut is for grub. :man_shrugging:

4

Yes I am using Grub forgot to mention that :grinning_face:

5

If that is the case I strongly suggest a name change for these packages. Or at least a more precise package description.

Also, package info has it that eos-dracut has a conflict with kernel-install-for-dracut, but kernel-install-for-dracut has no conflict with eos-dracut. That is a contradiction.

Which username belongs to " manuel <manuel@endeavouros.com>? I would love to pulll him into this thread.

6

Simply @manuel

7

For systemd: kernel-install-for-dracut
For other bootloaders: eos-dracut

See also: https://github.com/endeavouros-team/calamares/blob/calamares/data/eos/modules/eos_bootloader.conf

8

kernel-install-for-dracut is for when you use kernel-install(systemd-boot).

eos-dracut is for other bootloaders.

9

Thank you. That is good to know.

But would it make sense to reflect the differences in the package names and/or the package descriptions?

10

The description is currently: “Enables systemd-boot automation using kernel-install with dracut”.

How could we make it more clear that is for systemd-boot?

11

If 2 packages conflict, you only need to define the conflict in 1 of the packages.

Package A conflicts with package B.

Package A has the conflict listed.

Package B does not have the conflict listed.

When package A is installed, if you try to install package B pacman will alert you of the conflict.

When package B is installed, if you try to install package A pacman will alert you of the conflict.

12

For me the confusion arises from the fact that eos-dracut is not mentioning grub or systemd-boot. It just says:

Description : Dracut scripts and hooks for EndeavourOS

That is very generic and fits for grub and systemd-boot.

Also the file list for eos-dracut does not reveal that it is specifically for grub:

# pacman -Ql eos-dracut
eos-dracut /etc/
eos-dracut /etc/eos-dracut.conf
eos-dracut /usr/
eos-dracut /usr/bin/
eos-dracut /usr/bin/dracut-rebuild
eos-dracut /usr/lib/
eos-dracut /usr/lib/dracut/
eos-dracut /usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/
eos-dracut /usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/91btrfs-snapshot-overlay/
eos-dracut /usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/91btrfs-snapshot-overlay/module-setup.sh
eos-dracut /usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/91btrfs-snapshot-overlay/snapshot-overlay.sh
eos-dracut /usr/share/
eos-dracut /usr/share/libalpm/
eos-dracut /usr/share/libalpm/hooks/
eos-dracut /usr/share/libalpm/hooks/60-dracut-remove.hook
eos-dracut /usr/share/libalpm/hooks/90-dracut-install.hook
eos-dracut /usr/share/libalpm/scripts/
eos-dracut /usr/share/libalpm/scripts/dracut-install
eos-dracut /usr/share/libalpm/scripts/dracut-remove

Together with the conflict regarding kernel-install-for-dracut it made me believe that eos-dracut is a replacement for kernel-install-for-dracut fitting for systemd-boot and grub.

13

If I can make a proposition, maybe the name can be
For systemd: kernel-install-dracut-4-systemd-boot
For other bootloaders: eos-dracut-4-non-systemd-bootloaders

Just a suggestion from my side. Not intending for this to aggravate anything. Not saying something is wrong over here.

:purple_heart: