Kernel replacement process and bf kernel - confirmation?
Thanks for the responses to my previous post. Here's the procedure I've
worked out for replacing the kernel:
1) Went into /boot and renamed the old kernel to ".old"
2) Performed the following move: user@server:/boot$ sudo mv
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4 /lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4.old
3) Entered "sudo apt-get install kernel-image-2.4.18-bf2.4"
4) basically followed the prompts as below:
You are attempting to install a kernel version that is the same as
the version you are currently running (version 2.4.18-bf2.4). The
modules
list is quite likely to have been changed, and the modules dependency
file /lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/modules.dep needs to be re-built. It can
not be built correctly right now, since the module list for the
running kernel are likely to be different from the kernel installed.
I am creating a new modules.dep file, but that may not be
correct. It shall be regenerated correctly at next reboot.
I repeat: you have to reboot in order for the modules file to be
created correctly. Until you reboot, it may be impossible to load
some modules. Reboot as soon as this install is finished (Do not
reboot right now, since you may not be able to boot back up until
installation is over, but boot immediately after). I can not stress
that too much. You need to reboot soon.
Please Hit return to continue.
/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.18-bf2.4 points to /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.18-bf2.4 --
doing nothing at /var/lib/dpkg/info/kernel-image-2.4.18-bf2.4.postinst
line 442, <STDIN> line 1.
A new kernel image has been installed, and usually that means
that some action has to be taken to make sure that the new
kernel image is used next time the machine boots. Usually,
this entails running a ``bootloader'' like SILO, loadlin, LILO,
ELILO, QUIK, VMELILO, ZIPL, or booting from a floppy. (Some
boot loader, like grub, for example, do not need to be run on
each new image install, so please ignore this if you are using
such a boot loader).
A new kernel image has been installed. at /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.18-bf2.4
(Size: 1235kB)
Symbolic links, unless otherwise specified, can be found in /
LILO sets up your system to boot Linux directly from your hard
disk, without the need for booting from a boot floppy.
WARNING
If you are keeping another operating system or another version
of Linux on a separate disk partition, you should not have LILO
install a boot block now. Wait until you read the LILO documentation.
That is because installing a boot block now might make the other
system un-bootable. If you only want to run this version of Linux,
go ahead and install the boot block here. If it does not work, you
can still boot this system from a boot floppy.
Would you like to create a boot floppy now? [No] no
You already have a LILO configuration in /etc/lilo.conf
Install a boot block using the existing /etc/lilo.conf? [Yes] yes
Testing lilo.conf ...
Testing successful.
Installing the partition boot sector...
Installation successful.
user@server:/boot$ reboot
The server re-booted and all seems to be well. Here's the output of
uname -a:
user@server:~$ uname -a
Linux srpva 2.4.18-bf2.4 #1 Mon Apr 12 11:37:50 UTC 2004 i686 unknown
Does this look OK? Anything else I should do?
A Debian user informed me that the "bf" versions of the kernel are
"boot floppy" versions and that I should avoid running them in
production. This sounds like good common sense. However, the guy who
originally set this up is formidably knowledgeable about UNIX and
Debian and had a rationale for using this kernel that I didn't quite
comprehend at the time. Is he indisputably incorrect, or was there some
method there?
Thanks,
Danny O'Brien
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