How to update your kernel for Meltdown (LMDE)

Archived topics about LMDE 1 and LMDE 2
Locked
User avatar
xenopeek
Level 25
Level 25
Posts: 29505
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2011 3:58 am

How to update your kernel for Meltdown (LMDE)

Post by xenopeek »

To upgrade your kernel right now to fix Meltdown (variant 3), these are the general instructions. The patches for Spectre (variant 1 and 2) aren't available yet.

Make sure you have also updated your web browser and you're running Firefox version 57.0.4 or newer, as that has mitigation that makes it impossible for JavaScript on websites to exploit these bugs. Average home users only run untrusted code in their web browser so this mitigation is key to being safe from these bugs.

For more information also see Security notice: Meltdown and Spectre

Instructions for LMDE 2:
  • Find the level 4 security updates for packages Linux kernel 3.16.51-3+deb8u1 and linux-libc-dev; they should have a new version 3.16.51-3+deb8u1 or newer
  • Mark them for installation and install them; I'd suggest you install all level 4 Linux updates
  • Reboot your system
In short, right now you should be using kernel 3.16.51-3+deb8u1 or newer.
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
Image
pjc123
Level 2
Level 2
Posts: 75
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2013 2:13 pm
Contact:

Re: How to update your kernel for Meltdown (LMDE)

Post by pjc123 »

I updated my LMDE install, but the only selectable kernel in GRUB and in the boot directory is 3.16.0-5-amd64. Further investigation shows:

uname -a:
<machine name removed> 3.16.0-5-amd64 #1 SMP Debian 3.16.51-3+deb8u1 (2018-01-08) x86_64 GNU/Linux

From what I discovered:

kernel release (uname -r) = 3.16.0-5-amd64
kernel version (uname -v) = #1 SMP Debian 3.16.51-3+deb8u1 (2018-01-08)

So, I searched around, and I am still confused about the difference between these kernels and which one is actually running?
Harfud
Level 2
Level 2
Posts: 90
Joined: Tue Dec 05, 2017 3:38 pm

Re: How to update your kernel for Meltdown (LMDE)

Post by Harfud »

pjc123 wrote:I updated my LMDE install, but the only selectable kernel in GRUB and in the boot directory is 3.16.0-5-amd64. Further investigation shows:

uname -a:
<machine name removed> 3.16.0-5-amd64 #1 SMP Debian 3.16.51-3+deb8u1 (2018-01-08) x86_64 GNU/Linux

From what I discovered:

kernel release (uname -r) = 3.16.0-5-amd64
kernel version (uname -v) = #1 SMP Debian 3.16.51-3+deb8u1 (2018-01-08)

So, I searched around, and I am still confused about the difference between these kernels and which one is actually running?
I return precisely the same results as you, with the exception that I also have 3.16.04 selectable in GRUB (I always leave a second kernel)

On boot I get booting kernel 3.16.0-5

See here: https://packages.debian.org/search?keyw ... image-3.16

I believe 3.16.0-5 to be the kernel package number and 3.16.51-3+deb8u1 to be the kernel number
c30zD

Re: How to update your kernel for Meltdown (LMDE)

Post by c30zD »

xenopeek wrote: Wed Jan 10, 2018 6:37 am
  • Mark them for installation and install them; I'd suggest you install all level 4 Linux updates
I have a question regarding the level 4 updates. As they are suggested to be installed one by one, what would be the ideal way to install them? For example, should I install first the Linux kernel 3.16.51-3+deb8u1 and linux-libc-dev packages or should I install linux-3.16.0-4-common first or linux-3.16.0-4-amd64...? What is the recommended way?

These are the packages shown by the Update Manager (the ones without formatting are the actual packages to be installed):

linux-3.16.0-4-amd64
linux-headers-3.16.0-4-amd64
linux-image-3.16.0-4-amd64

linux-3.16.0-4-common
linux-headers-3.16.0-4-common

linux-amd64
linux-headers-amd64
linux-image-amd64

Linux kernel 3.16.51-3+deb8u1
linux-compiler-gcc-4.8-x86

linux-libc-dev

linux-tools
linux-kbuild-3.16

mesa
libgbm1
libgl1-mesa-dri
libopenvg1-mesa
libxatracker2

xorg-server
xserver-common
xserver-xorg-core
xwayland

xserver-xorg-video-modesetting
Locked

Return to “LMDE Archive”