How to update your kernel for Meltdown and Spectre

[Termy]

Oh wow, no 4.8 or 4.13, and I'm seeing 3-series kernels. 'o.O Which version of Mint are you on? Perhaps you're on an older version. I have a virtual machine with Mint 18.3 and just checked it, I got the same as i did on my Ubuntu setup.

[br1anstorm]

@ br1anstorm, .......
......
Whether you choose kernel 3.13.139 or 4.4.109 mainly depends on the age of your computer. In general, newer kernels are compatible with newer hardware, and vice versa.

Eg a 2008-released Intel Core2Duo processor should be running kernel 3.13 and LM 17.x, and not kernel 4.4. Whereas, this link ... viewtopic.php?f=46&t=261751 says Intel 6th-gen Skylake processor should not be running kernel 4.4.

Thanks Michael - I was unaware of that 'hardware' aspect. In my case, I have Mint 17.3 'Rosa' 64-bit installed on a Samsung RF511 laptop (about 5 years old?) with an Intel Core i5-2450M processor. I suppose this means I should be looking at the 4.4 kernel as an upgrade from my current 3.19 one?

[Cosmo.]

@Spearmint2: a code block would be really nice.

[michael louwe]

@ br1anstorm, .......

...

.
Likely, yes.

[Cosmo.]

4.13.0-26-29 breaks Virtualbox

Not really. Kernel 4.13 breaks the long outdated VB version 5.0.x. This is known and documented. VB 5.1.x and 5.2.x work, as a number of users, which I advised to update their museum piece, reported.

[smurphos]

@ br1anstorm, .......
......
Whether you choose kernel 3.13.139 or 4.4.109 mainly depends on the age of your computer. In general, newer kernels are compatible with newer hardware, and vice versa.

Eg a 2008-released Intel Core2Duo processor should be running kernel 3.13 and LM 17.x, and not kernel 4.4. Whereas, this link ... viewtopic.php?f=46&t=261751 says Intel 6th-gen Skylake processor should not be running kernel 4.4.

Thanks Michael - I was unaware of that 'hardware' aspect. In my case, I have Mint 17.3 'Rosa' 64-bit installed on a Samsung RF511 laptop (about 5 years old?) with an Intel Core i5-2450M processor. I suppose this means I should be looking at the 4.4 kernel as an upgrade from my current 3.19 one?

For the record my two machines one with a Sandybridge Intel Core i5-2430M (2011) with integrated Intel Gfx and another with an Intel Core2 T5500 (2007) again with integrated Intel Gfx have both run fine on 4.4, 4.8, 4.10 and 4.13 kernels. I intend to upgrade both to Mint 19 to get at least another 5 years out of them both so keeping fingers crossed that 4.15 works on both.

[curtvaughan]

4.13.0-26-29 breaks Virtualbox

Not really. Kernel 4.13 breaks the long outdated VB version 5.0.x. This is known and documented. VB 5.1.x and 5.2.x work, as a number of users, which I advised to update their museum piece, reported.

Couple of things, not necessarily but possibly related. I put up the software manager on my XPS 13 with I7 7th gen, which will not update the kernel via UKUU to 4.14, and select the non-"ancient" versions of Vbox - 5.1 and 5.2. They are both greyed out for installation - as in "not available". I get on my HP Omen laptop with I7 6th gen, which allowed UKUU to update to kernel 4.14.13, and I can install either 5.1 or 5.2. So, the Dell XPS 13 360, hardly a "museum piece", which ran the museum vintage Vbox 5.0.x just fine on kernel 4.10.x, can neither install kernel 4.14.x, nor can it install non-museum vintages of Vbox. That must be my fault, as a lover of old crap. I thank you, Cosmo, for your support. In the meantime, SA-00086 is a curse to my machines, and none of the patches, kernel or BIOS, have so far made me confident in being immune to Intel's snafu. BTW, both the Dell and the HP are running Linuxmint 18.3 Cinnamon.

[blueredgreen]

Kernel update to 3.13.0-139 is not loading on 17.1 mate.

This kernel update appeared in my update manager even though I did not have levels 4 & 5 enabled, so I waited a few days and then installed it from update manager.
Old kernel was 3.16.0-157

The package manager shows both kernels installed but my grub version 2.02~beta2-9ubuntu1.14 only shows 3.16.0-157

In the update manager - view - linux kernels 3.16.0-57 shows as loaded and installed but the 3.13.0-139 kernel is not listed - the 3.13 kernel list stops at 3.13.0-98

Any help appreciated

[MrEen]

Kernel update to 3.13.0-139 is not loading on 17.1 mate.

This kernel update appeared in my update manager even though I did not have levels 4 & 5 enabled, so I waited a few days and then installed it from update manager.
Old kernel was 3.16.0-157

The package manager shows both kernels installed but my grub version 2.02~beta2-9ubuntu1.14 only shows 3.16.0-157

In the update manager - view - linux kernels 3.16.0-57 shows as loaded and installed but the 3.13.0-139 kernel is not listed - the 3.13 kernel list stops at 3.13.0-98

Any help appreciated

Look up instead of down. 0-129 will come BEFORE 0-98

[blueredgreen]

"Look up instead of down. 0-129 will come BEFORE 0-98"

That was easy, thanks, it shows on grub under previous linux versions, would be nice if it was first on list so it would be the default boot, I guess I will make sure new kernel works fine and then remove the old one from update manager so new kernel shows on top ... unless there is a better way.

[piroska]

So...being a noob, if I do this and get an issue where it isn't booting.....exactly how do I get Timeshift to restore? I go into the CD I'm guessing? Can I then run timeshift? I'd just tell it to do a restore? Is that it?
Or something more?

[Spearmint2]

So...being a noob, if I do this and get an issue where it isn't booting.....exactly how do I get Timeshift to restore? I go into the CD I'm guessing? Can I then run timeshift? I'd just tell it to do a restore? Is that it?
Or something more?

No need to restore, just boot to the old kernel. It will still be available from the grub menu, in Advanced or Previous Versions.

[piroska]

That means nothing to me:
No need to restore, just boot to the old kernel. It will still be available from the grub menu, in Advanced or Previous Versions.

IS this the thing when I boot? I have no advanced or previous thing there at all.
So, I'd then have one?


Actually, mainly I ask because the situation is this:

sda1 is boot. In fact it complains.
Partition 1 does not start on physical sector boundary.

/home/me is on sda2.

This irritates me. I want them both on sda1 and nothing on sda2.

So I can I do this without a starting over?
I wipe it, reinstall ignoring the second partition totally, then run timeshift and all my personalisation comes back?
Or not because of the way it's structured now?

[Anoep]

Linux Mint 18.2 shipped with 4.8 kernel. 18.3 shipped with 4.10 kernel. Hence I suggest to upgrade to 4.13 and not downgrade.

These are the hwe kernels from Ubuntu and Update Manager provides you with the new hwe kernel once your current hwe kernel goes out of support. For 4.8 that happened in August 2017. For 4.10 that will happen in February 2018. Ultimo August 2018 the hwe kernel will upgrade to 4.15. 4.4 and 4.15 will be supported for the remainder of the lifetime of the release. See https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/LTSEnabl ... el_Support

hello xenopeek

is this correct you said above? i have checked my Mint 18.3 install and i noticed that i have 4.13.0-26 kernel already. do i need to update my kernel?

[Cosmo.]

sda1 is boot. In fact it complains.
Partition 1 does not start on physical sector boundary.

This sounds like y problem with your partition table, very most likely not related to an update (also not to a kernel) and it means, that you have to create a new partition table at first. This is destructive, nothing on your drive will survive this action, so back up at first. This can be done from the live system.

/home/me is on sda2.

The Linux Mint installer does not do this on its own, you must have done it yourself.

I wipe it, reinstall ignoring the second partition totally, then run timeshift and all my personalisation comes back?

This depends, what you mean with personalization. Most users mean with this term the settings in the system and in applications, which they do as user. These are in your home and this has nothing to do with TimeShift.

If you have more questions regarding that create a new thread. This is not related to this topic.

[Spearmint2]

sda1 is boot. In fact it complains.
Partition 1 does not start on physical sector boundary.

You may have an Advanced 4K Format drive. Those have 512b logical sectors which are actually 4096b in size. For full speed and full use of the drive, they need to be set to start on the proper sector. Typically starting at a 1MB setoff will work OK, but starting at 0 or 63 sector doesn't seem to, and that error msg results.

https://www.seagate.com/tech-insights/a ... master-ti/

[piroska]

So I'll rephrase it.

I want something that will allow me to wipe the install, re-do it so it's on sda1 properly, then restore my personal o/s.

Like an image you do with C: and windows.

SO I don't have to re-do everything from scratch.

Timeshift, I ticked the bit that said backup /home/me as well, which is what I thought is half the point.

I also downloaded systemback in case that is better....

[Moem]

I want something that will allow me to wipe the install, re-do it so it's on sda1 properly, then restore my personal o/s.

That question is off topic in this thread. Please stick to your own thread about this question.

[ZakGordon]

An Acer Travelmate 5730 (Intel Centrino) running Mint 17.1 32bit, all running well and correct after update from kernel 3.13.0-100 to 4.4.0-109.

Thanks for the guide Xenopeek.

[ravenise]

I successfully booted into the new 3.13.0-139 kernel; however when I try to uninstall the previous kernel (3.19-0-32) in synaptic package manager, mint installer, or terminal, I get "To be installed" kernel 4.4.0-109... I'm assuming mint will automatically boot into this newer kernel; how do I get around this so mint will automatically boot into kernel 3.13??