I do not know why, but every time i install new kernel from package (eg. Index of /repositories/Kernel:/Vanilla/openSUSE_11.0), opensuse 11 instead of adding new kernel and new entry in grub, it just replaces the existing kernel. If something goes wrong i cannot come back to the old kernel? Every other distribution of linux always installs new kernel, but does not overwrite the old one. How to change it?
First let me ask, why are you installing a vanilla kernel from that repository?
The kernel update package in the standard and updates repositories does update grub’s menu.lst and rebuilds the initrd. But yes, it does remove the current kernel and initrd. If you want to keep the current kernel for backup, why not just copy it into another directory under /boot, for example, /boot/old (I do this). You can copy the symlinks there, too, and then have a stanza in menu.lst using those symlinks (e.g., “kernel /boot/vmlinuz”); that way you don’t have to change menu.lst when a kernel is rolled over, and you will always have access to the old kernel at boot.
Because I found one and I do not have time to play with compilation and I though that it would be just easier.
Good idea… i will do like you say…
Also, talking about compilation of new kernel… since the original kernel is installed from package and contains patches form Novel, I cannot just easy compile new one from source…
Does anyone know the good tutorial that shows step by step how to compile the new version of kernel that will be similar to original one done by suse?
AFAIK the HEAD repository has the openSUSE-specific pieces included.
Here are a few links to look at. IIRC 2 of these use the openSUSE configuration as a starting point.
Configure, Build and Install a Custom Linux Kernel
Hi Mingus725
I’m compiling a new kernel right now. For some reason the only way that I could ever get my external usb drive to power down when my system shuts off is to add a patch to the kernel. I’ve done this with Kubuntu in the past.
Could you elaborate on your suggestion of copying the original kernel to another folder? What all should I copy? If I just copy the original symlinks, are they going to be pointing to the correct location? Also, as for the stanza in menu.lst, how did you add these? By using the boot loader tool in Yast?
The kernel source that I’m using is from “openSUSE-11.0 updates”. If I use this source to make my kernel will it overwrite the original as well and do you know if this includes the openSUSE specific changes?