Kernel changed - How do I get original back?

English Install/Boot/Login
#1

When I first installed openSUSE 11.4 the /boot directory looked like this:

-rw------- 1 root root 512 May 15 12:14 backup_mbr
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 1 Mar 2 06:49 boot → .
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 1236 Feb 21 17:34 boot.readme
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 124828 Apr 26 12:43 config-2.6.37.6-0.5-default
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 May 15 21:36 grub
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 23 May 15 21:36 initrd → initrd-2.6.37.6-0.5-default
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 10702994 May 15 12:59 initrd-2.6.37.6-0.5-default
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 165080 Feb 18 18:33 memtest.bin
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 547840 May 15 19:56 message
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 199426 Apr 26 14:40 symvers-2.6.37.6-0.5-default.gz
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 1633916 Apr 26 14:20 System.map-2.6.37.6-0.5-default
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 5121497 Apr 26 14:39 vmlinux-2.6.37.6-0.5-default.gz
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 24 May 15 21:36 vmlinuz-2.6.37.6-0.5-default
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 4015648 Apr 26 14:20 vmlinuz-2.6.37.6-0.5-default

I had installed VirtualBox through Yast and decoded to delete. After deleting
the /boot directory looked like this, pointing now to the desktop kernel.

-rw------- 1 root root 512 May 15 12:14 backup_mbr
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 1 Mar 2 06:49 boot → .
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 1236 Feb 21 17:34 boot.readme
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 124828 Apr 26 12:43 config-2.6.37.6-0.5-default
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 122368 Apr 26 12:43 config-2.6.37.6-0.5-desktop
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 May 15 21:36 grub
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 23 May 15 21:36 initrd → initrd-2.6.37.6-0.5-desktop
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 10702994 May 15 12:59 initrd-2.6.37.6-0.5-default
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 9142450 May 15 21:24 initrd-2.6.37.6-0.5-desktop
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 165080 Feb 18 18:33 memtest.bin
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 547840 May 15 19:56 message
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 199426 Apr 26 14:40 symvers-2.6.37.6-0.5-default.gz
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 195344 Apr 26 13:49 symvers-2.6.37.6-0.5-desktop.gz
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 1633916 Apr 26 14:20 System.map-2.6.37.6-0.5-default
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 1781583 Apr 26 13:23 System.map-2.6.37.6-0.5-desktop
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 5121497 Apr 26 14:39 vmlinux-2.6.37.6-0.5-default.gz
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 5738220 Apr 26 13:47 vmlinux-2.6.37.6-0.5-desktop.gz
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 24 May 15 21:36 vmlinuz → vmlinuz-2.6.37.6-0.5-desktop
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 4015648 Apr 26 14:20 vmlinuz-2.6.37.6-0.5-default
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 4508000 Apr 26 13:23 vmlinuz-2.6.37.6-0.5-desktop

I went into YAST and deleted all kernel entries that contained desktop, trying to get back to the original configuration.
After doing this, the /boot directory now looks like this.

-rw------- 1 root root 512 May 15 12:14 backup_mbr
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 1 Mar 2 06:49 boot → .
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 1236 Feb 21 17:34 boot.readme
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 124828 Apr 26 12:43 config-2.6.37.6-0.5-default
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 122368 Apr 26 12:43 config-2.6.37.6-0.5-desktop
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 122372 Apr 26 12:44 config-2.6.37.6-0.5-pae
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 May 15 21:36 grub
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 23 May 15 21:36 initrd → initrd-2.6.37.6-0.5-pae
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 10702994 May 15 12:59 initrd-2.6.37.6-0.5-default
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 9142450 May 15 21:24 initrd-2.6.37.6-0.5-desktop
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 9442982 May 15 21:36 initrd-2.6.37.6-0.5-pae
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 165080 Feb 18 18:33 memtest.bin
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 547840 May 15 19:56 message
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 199426 Apr 26 14:40 symvers-2.6.37.6-0.5-default.gz
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 195344 Apr 26 13:49 symvers-2.6.37.6-0.5-desktop.gz
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 195572 Apr 26 13:45 symvers-2.6.37.6-0.5-pae.gz
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 1633916 Apr 26 14:20 System.map-2.6.37.6-0.5-default
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 1781583 Apr 26 13:23 System.map-2.6.37.6-0.5-desktop
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 1706477 Apr 26 13:25 System.map-2.6.37.6-0.5-pae
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 5121497 Apr 26 14:39 vmlinux-2.6.37.6-0.5-default.gz
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 5738220 Apr 26 13:47 vmlinux-2.6.37.6-0.5-desktop.gz
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 5390842 Apr 26 13:44 vmlinux-2.6.37.6-0.5-pae.gz
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 24 May 15 21:36 vmlinuz → vmlinuz-2.6.37.6-0.5-pae
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 4015648 Apr 26 14:20 vmlinuz-2.6.37.6-0.5-default
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 4508000 Apr 26 13:23 vmlinuz-2.6.37.6-0.5-desktop
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 4234304 Apr 26 13:25 vmlinuz-2.6.37.6-0.5-pae

Is there any way to get back to the original kernel configuration without having to do a complete installation?

#2

You obviously did not delete anything you added more. The pae kernel.

Normally desktop is the default kernel installed unless you are doing something special. Not sure why default was installed in your case.

#3

Kernel 2.6.37.6 is the most recent kernel. Further, we normally suggest you use the kernel-desktop as it has been optimized for a normal openSUSE installation while one might use kernel-default if you were using openSUSE as a Server with no desktop. Of course you are free to use the kernel of your selection, but only the most resent kernel version for openSUSE 11.4 can be downloaded through YaST. It is not clear to me what problem you are trying to solve here. It is possible to request that YaST maintain multiple kernel versions for use in the future, providing a new one while not removing the old one. If you make the following change, and go to the versions tab of YaST / Software / Software Management and search on kernel, you will find a check block beside each loaded and available kernel version you can install.

edit the file /etc/zypp/zypp.conf to say:

   ##
    ## Packages which can be installed in different versions at the same time.
    ##
    ## Packages are selected either by name, or by provides. In the later case
    ## the string must start with "provides:" immediately followed by the capability.
    ##
    ## Example:
    ##    kernel                - just packages whith name 'kernel'
    ##    provides:multiversion(kernel)   - all packages providing 'multiversion(kernel)'
    ##                      (kenel and kmp packages should do this)
    ## Valid values:
    ##    Comma separated list of packages.
    ##
    ## Default value:
    ##    empty
    ##

    multiversion = provides:multiversion(kernel)

In the above example, one line has the comments removed, the file save and a restart of openSUSE is required. The file /etc/zypp/zypp.conf contains many more lines which you will leave unchanged. This modification will help in the future, but make no change on the past.

Thank You,

#4

I dis a complete reinstallation. /boot has all the default kernel stuff. Went into YAST and installed the desktop kernel stuff. Seemed okay to this point but the default stuff still in /boot. initrd and vmlinuz links now pointing to desktop stuff.

Went into YAST and tried deleting the default kernel stuff. /boot still has default and desktop kernel stuff but initrd and vmlinuz now point to default.

All I want if for initrd and vmlinuz to point to the desktop stuff and for all the default stuff to be gone.

#5

Can you explain why these files are bothering you?

Did you, by any chance, install the Linux Kernel Development pattern? This installs the kernel-sources and pulls in the -devel files for kernel-default, kernel-xen and so on. So removing them could bring you into trouble on a later occasion.

#6

They don’t really ‘bother’ me I just am the type of person that doesn’t like a lot of junk around and I like to know which kernel configuration is being used. I did notice that that unlike most other distros, GRUB in openSUSE does not point to the default kernel using the links but lists them all using the actual files. Why bother with the links at all?

Did you, by any chance, install the Linux Kernel Development pattern? This installs the kernel-sources and pulls in the -devel files for kernel-default, kernel-xen and so on. So removing them could bring you into trouble on a later occasion.

NO

#7

I had just the Desktop boot menu entries after installing 11.4. I installed VirtualBox, which required compiling of kernel stuff and next thing I knew, I had Default boot menu entries too. I didn’t connect it with VirtualBox until seeing this posting. Thanks for being so observant!