This morning when I booted up my laptop I got a message about updating some things. There was a couple of things that were updating including a kernel update that won’t finish.
I get the following error: "Subprocess failed. Error: RPM failed:
installing package kernel-desktop-2.6.37.6-0.7.1.i586 needs 9MB on the /boot filesystem"
I assume I need to increase the size of my boot partition, is that right?
Currently my /boot partition is about 100MB. Last week or maybe the week before there was another kernel update I believe, which installed just fine. I can see in GRUB that I have more options then usual to, I guess boot from an older kernel in case of a problem.
If I increase the size of the boot partition will it be adding more kernels to boot to from GRUB? Is increasing the size of /boot what I should do? If so what is the best way to do this?
If anyone knows the best way to go about this please feel free.
Also, should I do something like creating a backup image or something like that before updating the kernel?
The simplest thing would be to delete some kernels. However do not do that right now.
Post your /boot/grub/menu.lst and then specify which option you boot into the most.
cat /boot/grub/menu.lst
# Modified by YaST2. Last modification on Tue Aug 2 13:32:59 EDT 2011
# THIS FILE WILL BE PARTIALLY OVERWRITTEN by perl-Bootloader
# Configure custom boot parameters for updated kernels in /etc/sysconfig/bootloader
###Load the first entry by default, after the 'timeout' is reached:
default 4
###After 8 seconds boot to the specified default selection (defined above):
timeout 8
###If, for any reason, the default option won't boot, boot to the Windows 7 partition:
fallback 2
##YaST - generic_mbr
gfxmenu (hd0,4)/message
##YaST - activate
###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title openSUSE 11.4 - 2.6.37.6-0.7 (default)
root (hd0,4)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.37.6-0.7-default root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST9250410AS_5VG9JNPG-part7 resume=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST9250410AS_5VG9JNPG-part6 splash=silent quiet showopts vga=0x314
initrd /initrd-2.6.37.6-0.7-default
###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe -- openSUSE 11.4 - 2.6.37.6-0.7 (default)
root (hd0,4)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.37.6-0.7-default root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST9250410AS_5VG9JNPG-part7 showopts apm=off noresume nosmp maxcpus=0 edd=off powersaved=off nohz=off highres=off processor.max_cstate=1 nomodeset x11failsafe vga=0x314
initrd /initrd-2.6.37.6-0.7-default
###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title openSUSE 11.4 - 2.6.37.6-0.7 (pae)
root (hd0,4)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.37.6-0.7-pae root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST9250410AS_5VG9JNPG-part7 resume=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST9250410AS_5VG9JNPG-part6 splash=silent quiet showopts vga=0x314
initrd /initrd-2.6.37.6-0.7-pae
###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe -- openSUSE 11.4 - 2.6.37.6-0.7 (pae)
root (hd0,4)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.37.6-0.7-pae root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST9250410AS_5VG9JNPG-part7 showopts apm=off noresume nosmp maxcpus=0 edd=off powersaved=off nohz=off highres=off processor.max_cstate=1 nomodeset x11failsafe vga=0x314
initrd /initrd-2.6.37.6-0.7-pae
###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title Desktop -- openSUSE 11.4 - 2.6.37.6-0.5
root (hd0,4)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.37.6-0.5-desktop root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST9250410AS_5VG9JNPG-part7 resume=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST9250410AS_5VG9JNPG-part6 splash=silent quiet showopts vga=0x314
initrd /initrd-2.6.37.6-0.5-desktop
###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe -- openSUSE 11.4 - 2.6.37.6-0.5
root (hd0,4)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.37.6-0.5-desktop root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST9250410AS_5VG9JNPG-part7 showopts apm=off noresume nosmp maxcpus=0 edd=off powersaved=off nohz=off highres=off processor.max_cstate=1 nomodeset x11failsafe vga=0x314
initrd /initrd-2.6.37.6-0.5-desktop
###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows 1###
title Windows 7
rootnoverify (hd0,1)
chainloader +1
###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows 2###
title Windows Recovery
rootnoverify (hd0,2)
chainloader +1
###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: floppy###
title Floppy
rootnoverify (fd0)
chainloader +1
I’m trying to remember which one it was that I ALWAYS boot to. I’m pretty sure it’s not the one’s that have “pae” in their name.
Whichever one is the one that is selected by default, that is the one I always boot to.
If that doesn’t help I will reboot for you and see which one it is.
IMO it will be easier and possibly safer if You remove the unneeded kernels using Yast and the package manager. These files and menu.lst entries should be removed automatically once You uninstall the unneeded packages. Please verify menu.lst before rebooting after changes with kernel packages.
I was trying to post a picture of my GRUB menu, but it wouldn’t let me.
Ok right now I booted to: OpenSUSE 11.4 - 2.6.37.6-0.7 (pae)
By default I have been booting to: Desktop – openSUSE 11.4 -.2.6.37.6-.05
I’m curious to know why you ALWAYS supposed to boot into “pae” one? Because I haven’t seen that in my GRUB since I started using OpenSUSE this past February.
What does “pae” mean anyway?
glistwan,
So what I should do first is backup my older kernels? How do I do that? Do I just save these files from /boot: /boot/vmlinux-2.6.37.6-0.5-desktop.gz
/boot/initrd-2.6.37.6-0.5-desktop
/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.37.6-0.5-desktop
And would an external HDD be ok to back them up to?
PAE is not necessary, it’s to support some situations where there is 3GB+ RAM
But kernel-desktop supports it too.
I suspect you installed something else that dragged PAE in, I have seen it before.
Delete it in software manager. but it’s not easy, because the system will have a wobbly. So you have to get brutal, but be careful.
You don’t need to back up as long as You will be careful enough to leave one kernel installed. Any kernel will do in case of problems because once You boot to your system You can install any other kernel You like and remove the redundant ones. So just like caf4926 already pointed out be careful. Once I managed to delete all of my kernels by accident but still I managed to recover
So if the worst comes to the worst which most likely will not here’s how I installed a kernel without any kernel on my system : How to recover from a deleted kernel
Sorry I haven’t gotten back to this in a few days. Been busy with a project at work.
So basically I can delete all the old kernels (maybe leave one of them just in case of a problem?), and keep ALL the newer *2.6.37.6-0.7 ones?
Yes I think that is the case. The latest desktop will most likely be the best for your needs and most likely the only one You need as a final solution. Leaving an older version is also very reasonable in case of problems.
Sounds good… Thanks for all your help and everyone else who responded. If I have any more question I’ll post back.
But for now it looks like this one is solved.
Sorry, I have another question. I was going to just delete those old kernel files from the command line, then I remembered someone said that it would be better idea to use 'Software Management" to remove the old ones.
But when I am in Software Management I’m not really sure which one to uninstall. It only looks like there is one possibility though.
Since I can’t post a screenshot for some reason, here is what it looks like:
________________NAME____________________________________________VERSION______________
|kernel-desktop 2.6.37.6-0.7.1 patch |
|Kernel optimized for the desktop 2.6.37.6-0.5.1 |
The entry above is like you’d see in the Software Manager after I searched for “kernel”, it is only one entry above. The ‘patch’ part of it has a button next to it to install the patch.
So would that be the one that I want to uninstall?
# zypper rm kernel-pae-devel kernel-pae kernel-default-devel kernel-default
Loading repository data...
Reading installed packages...
Resolving package dependencies...
The following NEW package is going to be installed:
kernel-pae-base
The following packages are going to be REMOVED:
kernel-default kernel-default-devel kernel-pae kernel-pae-devel nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-default preload-kmp-default
1 new package to install, 6 to remove.
Overall download size: 11.3 MiB. After the operation, 234.3 MiB will be freed.
Continue? [y/n/p/?] (y):
This one is a long one:
It would not let me post the entire thing because it was soo long. I had to delete most of the lines in it first.
rpm -e kernel-pae-devel kernel-pae kernel-default-devel kernel-default
error: Failed dependencies:
ksym(pae:__FIXADDR_TOP) = a51cdfe8 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:__bitmap_weight) = 4cbbd171 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:__const_udelay) = eae3dfd6 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:__get_free_pages) = 93fca811 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:__init_waitqueue_head) = e174aa7 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:__kmalloc) = 12da5bb2 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:__pci_register_driver) = cd0929b is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:__register_chrdev) = 82805ea2 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:__release_region) = 7c61340c is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:__request_region) = 1fedf0f4 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:__tasklet_schedule) = faef0ed is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:__tracepoint_kmalloc) = 4aabc7c4 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:__tracepoint_module_get) = 94d32a88 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:__udelay) = 9e7d6bd0 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:__unregister_chrdev) = 6bc3fbc0 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:__vmalloc) = 5705088a is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:__wake_up) = f09c7f68 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:_copy_from_user) = 33d169c9 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:_ctype) = 11089ac7 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:_raw_spin_lock_irqsave) = 587c70d8 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:_raw_spin_unlock_irqrestore) = 88941a06 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:acpi_bus_get_device) = 28561b86 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:acpi_bus_register_driver) = fbf7bb91 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:acpi_bus_unregister_driver) = 98d4a29e is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:acpi_evaluate_integer) = f2357254 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:acpi_evaluate_object) = c0a8ff16 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:acpi_get_handle) = 2bfeb410 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:acpi_install_notify_handler) = d9091363 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:acpi_os_wait_events_complete) = c9ab2eef is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:acpi_remove_notify_handler) = 2bb55d6e is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:acpi_walk_namespace) = fb80c7a0 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:acquire_console_sem) = f174ed48 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:agp_allocate_memory) = ee02d973 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:agp_backend_acquire) = 3f55d861 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:agp_backend_release) = 3dac69c is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:agp_bind_memory) = 64493652 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:agp_bridges) = 673f815e is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:agp_copy_info) = d87ee87 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:agp_enable) = ddf770a4 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:agp_free_memory) = e48b83b5 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(pae:agp_unbind_memory) = 50af1f59 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-pae-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
.
.
.
.
ksym(default:copy_to_user) = 2da418b5 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-default-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(default:copy_to_user) = 2da418b5 is needed by (installed) preload-kmp-default-1.2_k2.6.37.6_0.7-6.7.12.i586
ksym(default:cpu_number) = 47c7b0d2 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-default-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(default:cpu_number) = 47c7b0d2 is needed by (installed) preload-kmp-default-1.2_k2.6.37.6_0.7-6.7.12.i586
ksym(default:cpu_online_mask) = da1ce447 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-default-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(default:cpu_online_mask) = da1ce447 is needed by (installed) preload-kmp-default-1.2_k2.6.37.6_0.7-6.7.12.i586
ksym(default:cpu_possible_mask) = 657349c3 is needed by (installed) preload-kmp-default-1.2_k2.6.37.6_0.7-6.7.12.i586
ksym(default:tasklet_kill) = 82072614 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-default-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(default:tsc_khz) = 44aaf30f is needed by (installed) preload-kmp-default-1.2_k2.6.37.6_0.7-6.7.12.i586
ksym(default:unregister_cpu_notifier) = 74cc1cbe is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-default-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(default:unregister_kprobes) = 171b577b is needed by (installed) preload-kmp-default-1.2_k2.6.37.6_0.7-6.7.12.i586
ksym(default:unregister_kretprobes) = c7a4e7ac is needed by (installed) preload-kmp-default-1.2_k2.6.37.6_0.7-6.7.12.i586
ksym(default:up) = 57b09822 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-default-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(default:up_read) = d6147ae2 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-default-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(default:vfree) = 999e8297 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-default-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(default:vga_set_legacy_decoding) = 2e25ff36 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-default-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(default:vga_tryget) = b773887b is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-default-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(default:vm_insert_page) = d7188372 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-default-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(default:vmap) = d98de1c5 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-default-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(default:vscnprintf) = 81799cee is needed by (installed) preload-kmp-default-1.2_k2.6.37.6_0.7-6.7.12.i586
ksym(default:vsnprintf) = 57a6504e is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-default-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(default:vunmap) = 94961283 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-default-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(default:wait_for_completion) = 83636ee3 is needed by (installed) nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-default-275.21_k2.6.37.1_1.2-6.1.i586
ksym(default:yield) = 760a0f4f is needed by (installed) preload-kmp-default-1.2_k2.6.37.6_0.7-6.7.12.i586