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I am following vanilla-sources in all my machines, which is what |
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people like Greg Kroah-Hartman actually recommends [1][2]. Since they |
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are now never stabilized [3], this means that I need to update them |
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pretty regularly to keep them safe. |
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|
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This implies that I have to change the /usr/src/linux symbolic link, |
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configure the kernel using make oldconfig, compile it, install it, |
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install its modules, reemerge any package that provides kernel modules |
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(if any), regenerate its initramfs, regenerate the GRUB2 config file |
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OR adding a new entry in GRUB. |
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|
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None of this steps are particularly difficult, but any mistake in one |
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of them can result in an unbootable system. So I wrote a little script |
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that takes care of each of this steps automagically: |
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|
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https://github.com/canek-pelaez/kerninst |
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|
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So now everytime I need to use a new kernel version, I only do: |
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|
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# eselect kernel set <new-kernel> |
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# kerninst |
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|
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Everything is done by the script. |
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|
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The script is 167 lines of Bash, and I think is pretty easy to follow |
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what it does. Any of the steps can be called individually, and I have |
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been using it in all of my machines without any problem. It works with |
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both GRUB and GRUB2, generating a very simple GRUB config file for |
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every image available in /boot, with corresponding inird line if |
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availabe. |
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|
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WARNINGS |
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|
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• If /usr/src/linux points to /usr/src/linux-3.10.10, then the script |
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deletes /boot vmlinuz-3.10.10, /boot/initrd-3.10.10 *and* |
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/lib/modules/3.10.10. |
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• The script *WILL* overwrite your GRUB/GRUB2 configuration file, so |
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make a copy before trying it. |
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• The script requires a valid kernel .config file which will be copied |
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into /usrc/src/linux, and then used to configure the kernel with: |
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|
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yes "" | make oldconfig |
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|
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Some people recommend not doing this, and it can stall if a new |
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option for the kernel requires an answer with no default value. |
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• The script only supports dracut, but adding genkernel (or any other |
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initramfs maker) should be easy. Patches accepted. Dracut should be |
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already configured. |
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• I have only tested it with vanilla-sources, but probably will work |
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with other *-sources packages. |
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|
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I have been using it in all of my machines for some days now, and it |
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works for me; but I take no responsibility if it breaks your machine, |
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or if it kills your dog. |
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|
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Regards. |
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|
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[1] http://article.gmane.org/gmane.linux.gentoo.devel/86496 |
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[2] http://article.gmane.org/gmane.linux.gentoo.devel/86506 |
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[3] http://article.gmane.org/gmane.linux.gentoo.devel/87015 |
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-- |
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Canek Peláez Valdés |
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Posgrado en Ciencia e Ingeniería de la Computación |
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Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México |
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