Installing with latest kernel

[Andreal]

Hi there, I am new to linux and have made a few mistakes. However through these mistakes I have learnt alot and I want to start fresh with a new install. I am going to wipe fedora, however when I reinstall I want to install with the latest kernel. Now findint the kernel has proven to be quite a mission. I went here http://download.fedora.redhat.com/pu...pdates/4/i386/ and so far I think I need to download kernel-2.6.14-1.1644_FC4.i686 is that right? Also what is a kernel-devel and do I need it? I will run a yum update after installing so I really just need the kernel to be 100%. Thanx for any help on the matter.

[multescugeorge@]

You can't install with the latest kernel from the cd's.
After the install give the commands:
rpm --import /etc/pki/rpm-gpg/*
yum -y update
and the latest kernel will be installed, with a LOT of updates (5-600MB in my experience, much, i know, but it's worth it).
for just the kernel:
yum -y update kernel*
kernel-devel is usefull, you'll know when you don't have it, and you'll curse your decision not to install it.
If you want the "shaveing" edge for the kernel, go to www.kernel.org and download the source for the latest kernel and compile it, but that's a different matter. Try it next month, just for phun.

[Andreal]

Oh cool, thanx multes...wow hell of a name you got there...

Yeah I remember the first time I updated...it was 1.5GB...but thats because the first time I installed linux I didnt want to miss anything important so I just told it to install everything :P. I wont be that stupif this time.

Anyway, I remember from the first time I ever updated that the kernel was exempt and didnt get updated. Will those commands ensure that it is updated this time.

And 1 last thing, I should update the kernel before I install any drivers right? I heard somewhere that if I update the kernel after installing drivers then I will have to re-install them all.

Thanx for all your help so far, I really appreciate it.

[multescugeorge@]

Yes, this is a issue especially when you install the drivers for the video card. Always upgrade the kernel (and kernel devel, that's a must for compileing new drivers) then reinstall the drivers.
For the video card driver i recomand you copy the /etc/X11/xorg.conf in a place you can remember, update the kernel, restore the original xorg.conf(the one that is created when you first install) reboot with the new kernel, and then reinstall the driver. This way it's easy. The alternative is to boot in a text console and reinstall from there, it's possible but more difficult.
Also, for a little help on this(text console and such) install "mc"(yum -y install mc), it's a "norton comander", but more powerfull.

[multescugeorge@]

quote: "kernel was exempt and didn't get updated"
that's another issue, for that check your /etc/yum.conf and see if you have a line like this:
exclude= kernel*
that line tells yum not to update any packages that begin with kernel (like: kernel, kernel-devel...)
a, and i recomand you put this line:
exclude= *debuginfo*
you don't need any debugging info. After you are happy with the kernel and the drivers then change that line and add kernel:
exclude = kernel* *debuginfo*
this way you are in controll of what kernel is installed(or not) in an update. When you want a kernel update, remove the "kernel*" and update...

[Andreal]

Oh cool, thanx so much multescugeorge, heh I finally understand what I am doing and one step closer to mastering linux!

i have installed kernel 2.6.15-1.1831_fc4 and i have found wlan drivers. but there is one problem.
that is..wen i try to create initial image with mkinitrd for this new kernel , i get an error message "no dep found for 2.6.15-1.1831_fc4". what does this mean? i dont knw wat to do. shud i upgrade mkinitrd too ? plz tell me n the simplest words

[multescugeorge@]

so, your mkinitrd command was ?
# mkinitrd /boot/my_initrd.img 2.6.15-1.1831_fc4
and that gave an error ?
Anyway, is this a stock kernel, i.e installed from a rpm? because if it came from an rpm you won't have to worry about the initrd, it will be installed automaticly.

i dont knw wat is a stock kernel but the rpm i downloaded is kernel-2.6.15-1.1831_FC4.i686.rpm and i installed it using rpm -ivh ..... after this wenever i tried to execute the command :

mkinitrd /boot/initrd-2.6.15-1.1831_FC4.img 2.6.15-1.1831_FC4

i also tried after this : depmod 2.6.15-1.1831_FC4 but den my sys. hanged for some time and den the login screen appread. after that i tried again the above mkinitrd .... command but no image was created. and i got an error msg that " no dep found for the new kernel"

[multescugeorge@]

A stock kernel is an official fedora core kernel, just like the the one you installed.
Just check in:
/boot
for some file named initrd-2.6.15-1.1831_FC4.img
or more general: *kernel_version*.img
if there is one, you are ok.
Then open /boot/grub/grub.conf
and check that these kind of lines are there:
title ....something..2.6.15-1.1831_FC4
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.15-1.1831_FC4 *some_parameters*
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.15-1.1831_FC4.img

just compare with the lines from your normal kernel, and there should be those 2 main lines: kernel... and initrd...
if all of these are ok, reboot and try the new kernel
I just hope you didn't delete the original kernel that was installed by the install program.

[multescugeorge@]

http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showth...400#post465400