[ale] kernel upgrade newbie

James P. Kinney III jkinney at localnetsolutions.com
Tue Jul 16 09:01:29 EDT 2002


OK. You've received the brief litany of "download source, compile,
etc..." from others so I won't repeat it. (It is a great learning curve
however).

You can upgrade your running kernel with a new kernel.rpm quite easily.
Get the new rpm from the GaTech site. 
ftp.gtlib.cc.gatech.edu/pub/redhat/linux/updates/7.2/en/os/i[3456]86 
You will need to select an appropriate x86 for your system. 

Then, as root, rpm -ivh kernel-<version>.rpm

The rtpm scripting in the kernel will detect whether you are running
grub (a good idea) or lilo (outdated) and make the appropriate entries
into each config file as needed. It won't remove the existing kernel or
config entries if you do the rpm -i. If you use rpm -Uvh, it will
replace the old kernel with the new one.

The kernel in the rpm's is not a lean and fast (almost no one will
notice the speed difference) as a custom compiled on. It does, however,
work! It has nearly every module available. RedHat does some tweaks and
a lot of work to add some features that are not in the stock kernels
from kernel.org sources. They patch in things that are nice (low latency
patches in the 2.4.18-3 series).

Learn how to do both process, rpm upgrade and source compile. They are
both very useful skills as a fledgling (or seasoned and crusty) admin.

On Mon, 2002-07-15 at 21:48, Cade Thacker wrote:
> Hi all,
> I am feeling rather brave tonight and I am going to try and upgrade my
> kernel. I am currently running RH7.2 2.4.7-10 and would like to upgrade to
> 2.4.16+.
> 
> As stated in the subject, I have never upgrade a kernel so I have dug
> around but I have not found exactly what I am looking for. RH has an RPM
> for 2.4.18 but they say it is for 7.3. Can I use that? Can I just go and
> download the kernel from kernel.org or should I use the rpm?
> 
> ANY direction is helpful. I am definitly in water over my head(but still
> having a blast!)
> 
> TIA....
> 
> --cade
> 
> On Linux vs Windows
> ==================
> Remember, amateurs built the Ark, Professionals built the Titanic!
> ==================
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ---
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-- 
James P. Kinney III   \Changing the mobile computing world/
President and CEO      \          one Linux user         /
Local Net Solutions,LLC \           at a time.          /
770-493-8244             \.___________________________./

GPG ID: 829C6CA7 James P. Kinney III (M.S. Physics)
<jkinney at localnetsolutions.com>
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