upgrading kernel in opensuse 11.1

English Install/Boot/Login
#1

is there an easy way of doing this via yast?

#2

openSUSE provides security updates for the kernel that came with your release. They are installed via online update.

But I guess that’s not what you’re talking about. My guess is you want to run the latest kernel, and have it installed through Yast. Now, that’s not going to be easy since there has been a lot of changes in kernel development from kernel 2.6.30. You might get the kernel installed, but some other stuff won’t match the rest of your system, and will give you trouble installing 3rd party drivers etc.
The same goes for compiling it yourself. If your current knowledge is on a level where you have to ask whether you can install a kernel through Yast, I would not try to experiment with the kernel right now, you’re very likely going to run into trouble. Please don’t get me wrong, messing around with kernels is no sine cure.

Are you sure you need a newer kernel?

#3

i would also like to upgrade to 2.6.30 in OS11.1
any how-to or something?

#4

Im not sure if I need it, all i know is I had much better game performance using ubuntu than with open suse and the main difference (to a noob like me) is the kernel. Im using the same version of kde etc.

Do the latest milestones in open suse use a newer kernel and are they stable and functional enough to use? I have no problems trying out alpha software and understand the risks

#5

i did it to 2.26.29.4 via kernel.org sources so here is how

  1. cd usr/src
  2. tar xjf /path/to/downloaded/kernel/linux/x.y.z
    3)rm -f linux
    4)ln -s linux.x.y.z linux
    5)cd linux
    6)zypper install ncurses-devel
    7)make menuconfig
    mount your /boot if seperate
    8)make
    this takes years so go do something cool
    9)make modules_install
    10)make install
  3. if you use lilo then run /sbin/lilo
    12)reboot
    this is how i do it for my graphics card cos it is nvidia and all commands need to be run as root
#6

No mkinitrd ? Used to be necessary in the old days…

2.6.30 requires a lot of new compilers (gcc44 for example) and stuff like that. You are definitely heading for trouble if they don’t match the kernel.

Still you haven’t answered the question what you need a newer kernel for. You must have some specific reason, or don’t you?

#7

As discussed above yast way, so not going to deep about that.
But you can follow this tutorial to compile kernel.
How to: Compile Linux kernel 2.6

Best of luck and have fun.

#8

is 2.6.30 not available in factory repos? Any specific reason why it is not included in the oss repos. I’ve read it includes lot of improvements(intel video n audio) and new features.

If I compile it manually:

  1. from where I can get to know the pre-requisites like gcc 4.4 etc?

  2. What about kernel-headers?