Install Latest Kernel

Hello! I’m old on linux but i’m new to OpenSUSE 11.1. I must say that is very reliable distro!

Well i want to install the latest kernel version (2.6.31-xx)

How can i do that?
And also how can update to the latest gnome enviroment? i don’t want the 2.24 cause it’s a bit old!

A step by step please!

Thanks!

First: if you don’t know how to install and compile a kernel, don’t even start.
Second: openSUSE 11.2 is coming on 11th of November. It will include kernel 2.6.31. Rather wait for that, than getting stuck until then.
Third: if you’re ‘old enough’ on linux, you might go for a Milestone 7 install. The Milestone releases are for testing purposes only, and may contain serious bugs, but M7 has kernel 2.6.31 rc9 so if you really need that…

If you want to keep your distro in a “reliable” state, then don’t start updating software (especially such core components like kernel or your desktop environment) to non supported versions.

Your distributor takes care of security updates and bugfixes, if you start including your self-built stuff, you are the one who has to take care of that and should very well know what you are doing.

If you start including inofficial repositories containing newer but unsupported packages, you don’t have to take care of updates yourself but still should exactly know what you are doing.

As you ask for a “step by step” help, you obviously are still far away from being experienced enough to just start messing around with unsupported packages.

//Edit:

@Knurpht As we say in german “2 Dumme, ein Gedanke” (translated “Two stupid guys having the same thought”)

i tried yesterday the openSUSE 11.2 M7. Many many bugs… The YAST failed to open (i fixed that later) but generally it hadn’t repositories, many errors on update… I spent about 7 hours determing the problem… And now i chose to install openSUSE 11.1. But my laptop works better with latest kernel (example on Fedora 11, Ubuntu 9.04/8.10/8.04, Mandriva and Gentoo) So i just want to upgrate to the latest kernel. I know that i can keep my previous kernel so if something will go wrong i don’t have problem to boot from previous kernel or to re-format to openSUSE 11.1.

I read that if i add some repositories i can install the kernel… From online update? or from command line?

Or manually download the rpm’s and install them?

On other distros i’ve done that without problem… I’m not familiar to openSUSE… The strange “like-KDE” gnome panel etc etc… General all their software etc etc

I know how to compile kernel… But i want now just an easy install

Then do it as with “other distros”, too.

Add the respective repositories and install the packages from there.

Use software.opensuse.org/search to find the respective repositories and use at your own risk.

For keeping the old kernel, use rpm in the command line (read also “man rpm” and don’t use -U but -i) or adjust your zypp.conf (not 100% sure if that will work, rpm will certainly).

Well i figured aout how to update the kernel

add this repositories /repositories/Kernel:/HEAD/openSUSE_Factory/

go to software managment and search the kernel

I just want to know how to update GNOME…

btw thaks for your advices but i’m linux user 4 years now (enough i think for knowing the basics and many advanced stuff)

and sorry for my english! i’m greek:P

What might work for you:

Use the Milestone release to upgrade the system, and then just upgrade kernel and related packages.

But know that you’re out there on your own. I don’t mean we will not help you where we can, but …

SO, then you will understand the problems you’re going to have around compilers, thirs party drivers.

Good luck

I don’t have Nvidia or ATI so…

Read the comments of my last post, if you don’t adjust your zypp.conf (don’t exactly know the option by heart atm), you will overwrite the installed kernel.

Read also this here:

Additional YaST Package Repositories - openSUSE

And use at your own risk, the more you add the more likely you will have to deal with conflicts, openSUSE has a lot more repositories than any other distro (thanks to OBS), many users packaging a lot of software in different versions, so it is impossible to avoid conflicts there, although there are not many, especially when sticking to only a few extra repos and using “well known” ones.

And what about with the Gnome enviroment? i never update Gnome before…

oh thank you so much… i found the gnome repositories

GNOME/Repositories - openSUSE

thank you all for your help and the quick response!

Holy cow, do you even read other users suggestions before answering?

With your “answer frequeny” of only one or at least less than five minutes, you certainly don’t manage to read them carefully, as you show by your answers.