How To: Upgrade your kernel, painlessly.

[vrkalak]

I just upgraded my Debian 'testing' -Xfce install from 2.6.32-5 amd-64 ... to the new Liquorix 2.6.34-39_amd-64 Kernel.

The download and install went smoothly.
I just had to make sure to install the 2 Images and the Header in the correct order.
Followed the directions from the OP in this thread ... no problems.

The re-boot was unremarkable ... and slightly faster.
Opened a Terminal and checked that, indeed, the new Kernel was there ...
Internet connection works great.

Seems to be 'all systems go'

I'll let you know if I notice a marked performance upgrade.

[kidambi502002]

nice post, the upgrading the kernel painlessly I did it without any pain. thanks.

[jlr1701]

I updated to the 2.6.34-lucid kernel with no problems except that the boot splash screen is gone now. I get no video at all until the desktop appears. Don't understand why that is, but it's no biggie. The kernel update seems to have solved a couple of minor but annoying issues and all seems well so far otherwise, so I'm happy. Thanks!

[Old Ruler]

Thanks for the tutorial Kendall. I found it easy to follow and painlessly installed v2.6.34.1-maverick. It works fine and I didn't have to do anything to make it work with nvidia proprietary drivers or VirtualBox. Was kinda expecting trouble with both of those.

I mainly needed a kernel with 'discard' capabilities as I'm using SSDs...

Is there anything I can do to protect the system from kernel upgrades? Synaptic still thinks I'm using 2.6.32.24, but uname tells me '2.6.34-02063401-generic'.

Ol' Drooler.

[vrkalak]

On my Debian install with a mixed testing/unstable sources.list I downloaded and installed the 2.6.34 Liquorix Kernel quite easily.

But, for my Mint-9 Xfce rc install .. I downloaded a Generic (vanilla) 2.6.34 kernel from the Linux Kernel site.
I still followed the directions obtained in this tutorial ... and all went fast and easy.

Linux Kernel Archives >> http://kernel.org

The Linux Kernel Archives have every Linux Kernel available since the Linux Kernel first started.

Note: Don't install of try to configure a new Kernel if:
1. You are really new to Linux ... get a little GNU/Linux experience under your belt, first.
2. This is the main OS, on your only computer ... in case, it breaks.

The Kernel that your OS distro is using has been tried and tested and has been released as 'stable' ... with any new version above what is in the repositories, is still in the testing and development stages for your OS. This does not mean that your OS distro is using the 'latest and newest' stable version of the Linux Kernel ... usually, that will be out with the next Final Release of your OS Distro.

[alpha1]

What perceivable benfits would one see on upgrading kernel?

I for one - have found that newer kernels instead of supporting more hardware - actually drop support for some stuff that was earlire working.


Take the case in hand:
Mint 8 vs Mint 9.

Mint 8 could detect my Huawei modem painlessly - I oculd configure and run the modem.
Mint 9 - only detects is as a USB storage device. I have to install usb-mode-swtich to get this thing working.

Similarly - in one of the sidux forums - I read that old nvidia cards (like mine mx4000 ge force) drivers - have issues with newer kernels - but kernels older than 2.6.28 work fine.

So why upgrade?

[hotshot247]

another easy way to upgrade your kernel is simply type in the terminal: sudo apt-get dist-upgrade and it will get the kernel files you need and it updates grub also.

[vrkalak]

another easy way to upgrade your kernel is simply type in the terminal: sudo apt-get dist-upgrade and it will get the kernel files you need and it updates grub also.

This works fine and well. However, this method will only upgrade the Kernel, to the newest Kernel version for your particular Linux OS distribution.
To whatever Ubuntu/Debian says is the newest 'stable' release of the Linux kernel. Which is not necessarily the newest 'stable' Kernel released.

For example:
Debian Lenny has a 2.6.28 (i think) as the newest stable kernel; while Debian 'testing' has 2.6.32-5 as the newest 'stable' kernel release.
While GNU/Linux has released 2.6.34-0 as the newest 'stable' release of its Kernel.

There are even newer versions of the Linux Kernel still in Alpha, Beta or RC releases . . . I think that, at the moment, the newest release of the Linux Kernel is 2.6.35rc6

But, again, like with any Linux OS or the various Distros -- you don't have to update/upgrade to a new version, just because it's there or supposedly 'stable'

I just noticed in the Linux.com website, that the new 2.6.35 kernel has been released as 'stable' . . . today.

[vincent]

What perceivable benfits would one see on upgrading kernel?

I for one - have found that newer kernels instead of supporting more hardware - actually drop support for some stuff that was earlire working.

It depends entirely on your hardware, really. My Ralink wireless adapter didn't work properly with WEP/WPA authentication with the default kernel in Lucid/Isadora (2.6.32). Every possible tweak I could think of didn't help the situation, until I read about the fact that the 2.6.33 kernel had the Ralink drivers I needed, built into the kernel. For me, a kernel upgrade got my wireless working perfectly.

However...I've recently tested the 2.6.35 kernel and my wireless no longer worked out-of-the-box, like it did with 2.6.31 (Karmic/Helena), 2.6.33, and 2.6.34. Authentication problems again...hooray for kernel regressions!

[watcheroftheskies]

I second the last post: I installed the latest stable maverick kernel on my laptop. Result: after reboot no wireless. Uninstalled the broadcom driver. Reinstalled via 'hardware' > System error: Install files () failed. Booting grub on original 2.6.32 kernel (Mint 9) doesn't help: So...I wrecked my system. So, I think I'll try the full Ubuntu maverick until Mint 10 comes along.

No I,m no renegade: I just have a problem with the present sun-java jre/plugin which may be connected with 2.6.32; this kernel get a lot of bug reports it seems. I already have maverick on my old Dell dimension 2400 (2002 I think); works like a charm, where Mint 9 fails: Lucid X server freeze problem (flashing lines on top half screen)

Well, the guy did warn me.... ;(

[piratesmack]

I second the last post: I installed the latest stable maverick kernel on my laptop. Result: after reboot no wireless. Uninstalled the broadcom driver. Reinstalled via 'hardware' > System error: Install files () failed. Booting grub on original 2.6.32 kernel (Mint 9) doesn't help: So...I wrecked my system. So, I think I'll try the full Ubuntu maverick until Mint 10 comes along.

The broadcom sta driver needs to be patched to build on new kernels
You should be able to build and install the driver by running the commands below one line at a time, but I highly recommend you just use the b43 driver if that works.

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get remove bcmwl-kernel-source
sudo apt-get install build-essential

mkdir /tmp/broadcom && cd /tmp/broadcom

wget http://www.broadcom.com/docs/linux_sta/hybrid-portsrc-x86_32-v5.60.48.36.tar.gz
tar xvf hybrid-portsrc-x86_32-v5.60.48.36.tar.gz

wget http://www.broadcom.com/docs/linux_sta/sta_5.60.48.36_2.6.33_kernel_patch.zip
unzip sta_5.60.48.36_2.6.33_kernel_patch.zip
patch -p0 < patch

wget http://www.broadcom.com/docs/linux_sta/sta_5.60.48.36_2.6.34_multicast_kernel_patch.zip
unzip sta_5.60.48.36_2.6.34_multicast_kernel_patch.zip
patch -p0 < patch_hybrid_multicast

make
sudo make install
sudo depmod -a

echo -ne 'blacklist b43\nblacklist ssb\n' | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-b43.conf


[Orographic]

This tutorial worked well for me but I have just one question:

Is it okay to delete the downloaded kernel files from my 'downloads' folder after i have installed a newer kernel?

What I mean is: The new kernel files that I originally downloaded into my downloads folder, is it okay to delete them now that the new kernel is installed?

[vincent]

You mean those .deb packages? Sure, go right ahead and delete them if you want. You won't need them again, unless you choose to re-install the kernel that you downloaded.

[Orographic]

Yes, that is what I meant. Sorry, didn't explain it that well, i was cooking at the time and nearly burnt my lunch!

I have returned to Mint after two years with Ubuntu as I want to use it regularly to get a really good feel for it as I think it is the best distro for folk that are new to Linux.

The help box on the desktop is very good - it really helps people get setup.

[Orographic]

Can I ask, does installing a new kernel (my 2.6.35 is running great after two weeks) have any effect on Mint 9 at all? Is the vanilla Maverick Kernel installed from the link in this thread on page one much different to the default Mint 9 one?

[vincent]

The deb package of the 2.6.35 kernel you got from Ubuntu's mainline kernel repo (kernel.ubuntu.com) are strictly vanilla kernels (compiled and built in an Ubuntu environment); it'd be the same as if you went to www.kernel.org, and picked up the official kernel sources there and built it yourself (although it would be different if you decided to play around with the kernel's config file prior to compiling it). The default Mint 9 kernel = the default Ubuntu 10.04 kernel, which is a 2.6.32 kernel patched every so often with security patches and critical bug fixes released upstream; Ubuntu cherry-picks those patches amongst the thousands of commits into Linus' tree (the official kernel sources) which eventually make up the new point releases of the kernel when it's released. So, is Ubuntu's heavily-patched 2.6.32 kernel different from a vanilla, mainline 2.6.35 kernel? Definitely. What exactly are the differences? Well...it's kind of hard to summarize everything, due to the rapid development typical of open-source projects...if you're interested, this is a list of patches that have been backported to the 2.6.32 kernel branch since it was first released: http://www.kernel.org/diff/diffview.cgi?file=/pub/linux/kernel/v2.6/patch-2.6.32.24.bz2

If you want something a bit more legible for non-kernel hackers, check the following links out:
What's new in Linux 2.6.33? http://www.h-online.com/open/features/What-s-new-in-Linux-2-6-33-933312.html
What's new in Linux 2.6.34? http://www.h-online.com/open/features/What-s-new-in-Linux-2-6-34-1000122.html
What's new in Linux 2.6.35? http://www.h-online.com/open/features/What-s-new-in-Linux-2-6-35-1047707.html

2.6.36 is the Linux kernel version being worked on right now, due to be released soon; here's some info about it: http://www.h-online.com/open/features/Kernel-Log-Coming-in-2-6-36-Part-1-Graphics-1075471.html

[vrkalak]

The deb package of the 2.6.35 kernel you got from Ubuntu's mainline kernel repo (kernel.ubuntu.com) are strictly vanilla kernels (compiled and built in an Ubuntu environment); it'd be the same as if you went to http://www.kernel.org, and picked up the official kernel sources there and built it yourself.

The key words here are ".deb package" . . . no need to compile anything ... just install.

[Orographic]

Brilliant, thanks guys, will look into it more when i get some more time, really appreciate the reply.

[mzsade]

Just installed 2.6.33.5-lucid following the OP's instructions, everything went smoothly as per the terminal, sudo update-grub shows the kernel while the boot loader is updated along with the older kernels, only it won't show in the boot options.

Code: Select all

sudo update-grub
Generating grub.cfg ...
Found Debian background: linuxmint.png
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.33-02063305-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-2.6.33-02063305-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-25-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-25-generic
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
Found Linux Mint 10 Julia (10) on /dev/sda4
done
sade@sade ~ $


[mzsade]

I don't know how it happened but the third reboot after updates seems to have done it for me;

Code: Select all

sade@sade ~ $ uname -r
2.6.33-02063305-generic
sade@sade ~ $