Linux kernel security update

[oldcpu]

I confess, I'm mostly too lazy to test if graphics work after a new kernel update. Even if one reboots, finds graphics work, maybe (albeit highly unlikely) there will be some obscure side effect that one encounters later. Hence I simply rebuild the graphic driver as a matter of course.

Once one is familiar with a simple rebuild of the graphic driver (for a new kernel) its very fast to simply reboot to run level 3, and rebuild the graphic driver (for both ATI and nVidia graphics) and voila ... all should be wonderful.

I note audio "just worked" after the 2.6.27.37 update on 11.1, which is not a surprise. Still, I also note there are new alsa rpms packaged for the 2.6.27.37 kernel in case one had audio problems.

I had to rebuild Virtual Box after the 2.6.27.37 update. No problem as Virtual Box tells one EXACTLY what to do. But that simple fix has stumped MANY a new user and we could have some users new to Virtual Box report a problem.

I note my webcam driver just worked after the kernel update, although I did see a difference in how an ffmpeg based application worked with the web cam what should have been a full screen but was not (using an ATI driver) after the 2.6.27.37 update (and also after a proprietary ATI driver update). So something puzzling (but not worth the time fixing) was introduced there.

I have not yet updated my wife's PC to the 2.6.27.37 kernel (it uses an Atheros wireless) so I have not yet checked to see if it has a problem, but I seriously doubt it will, as her PC now uses the ath5k driver, as opposed to using the madwifi.

[Akoellh]

Originally Posted by oldcpu

I have not yet updated my wife's PC to the 2.6.27.37 kernel (it uses an Atheros wireless) so I have not yet checked to see if it has a problem, but I seriously doubt it will, as her PC now uses the ath5k driver, as opposed to using the madwifi.

As ath5k is part of mainline, it will be updated automatically.

BTW:

Instead of recompiling NVidia-"hard way" installed or VirtualBox kernel modules, just copying the module(s) from the "old" to the "new" module directory works _if_ there was no ABI change (which is the same rule that applies to wether one has to build new kmp-packages).

[hendersj]

On Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:12:00 +0000, palladium wrote:

> but, rather i was thinking about the inexperienced user base who elected
> to do things "the easy way" with the One Clicks available via
> http://software.opensuse.org/search

Fair enough.

Jim
--
Jim Henderson
openSUSE Forums Moderator