Re: [gentoo-server] Testing and Installing New Kernel Remotely

[Andrew Gaffney]

Is there a way to do this with GRUB?

Dan Podeanu wrote:
> Hello Karl,
>
> My personal experience (with lilo, you'll see why its important) says
> that best practice is to install the new kernel with a different bootloader
> label, leave the default to the working kernel and then run "lilo -R
> <label of the new kernel>". This basicly means that only the next boot
> will be done using the new kernel, subsequent boots will revert to the
> default (that is, the working kernel).
>
> This way, if it doesn't boot you can just get the colo staff to reboot your
> server and you're up with the old, working kernel.
>
> Until now I've never managed to leave a server completely unusable,
> even while doing crazy stuff such as installing gentoo on the swap
> partition of a linux running suse ;)
>
> Of course, other ideas are more than welcome ;)
>
> Cheers,
> Dan.
>
>
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "Karl Zander" <gentoolist@××××××××××××.com>
>>To: <gentoo-server@l.g.o>
>>Sent: Monday, February 09, 2004 12:59 AM
>>Subject: [gentoo-server] Testing and Installing New Kernel Remotely
>>
>>
>>
>>>Server will be at a colo site and run Gentoo.  I am tying to think
>
> through
>
>>>how to handle kernel updates.  Compiling is fine.  But after copying the
>>>new kernel to /boot and configuring Grub, do I just re-boot and hope for
>>>the best?    When I am at the console I can choose the kernel to load.
>
> I
>
>>>can then test the new kernel before setting it as the default in Grub.
>
> If
>
>>>the new kernel has a problem, I  restart the server  and choose a known
>>>working kernel.  So far the kernels I have done have worked fine.  But I
>>>have to think that sometime in the future I will manage to mess up my
>>>configuration.  Mistakes happen.  Its not like I will recompile the
>
> kernel
>
>>>every week.  But from time to time I will want to take advantage of
>
> fixes
>
>>>or security patches.
>>>
>>>Still new to Gentoo so was wondering if there are any best practices for
>>
>>this.
>>
>>>-Karl
>>>
>>>
>>
>
>
>


-- 
Andrew Gaffney
Network Administrator
Skyline Aeronautics, LLC.
636-357-1548