[arch-general] New kernel packages and mkinitcpio hooks? What does this mean to the average user?

[David C. Rankin]

All,

  I have read the latest note from 11-10-19 at archlinux.org, e.g.

New kernel packages and mkinitcpio hooks
https://www.archlinux.org/news/new-kernel-packages-and-mkinitcpio-hooks/

However, I'm still left confused exactly "What this means to the average
user?" When I read:

<quote>
All our official kernels: linux, linux-lts, linux-zen and linux-hardened, do
not install the actual kernel to /boot anymore.

The installation is done by mkinitcpio hooks and scripts, as well as removals.
There is no need for any manual intervention.
...
</quote>

That tells me that I am not going to have to change the way I update kernels
and that I won't have to do anything special to ensure all current hooks are
run (mdadm_udev, etc...). The only changes I see in the mkinitcpio.pacnew file
is that all double-quotes have been replaced by parenthesis, e.g.

HOOKS="base udev autodetect modconf block mdadm_udev filesystems keyboard fsck"

to

HOOKS=(base udev autodetect modconf block mdadm_udev filesystems keyboard fsck)

Which appears to effectively turn HOOKS into a bash array instead of a simple
list/string.

But beyond that I don't see anything that will have an impact on how kernels
are installed or removed on update. Am I missing something there?

-- 
David C. Rankin, J.D.,P.E.