[gentoo-server] Testing and Installing New Kernel Remotely

[Karl Zander]

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