Re: upgrading kernel RH6.0

[Alan Mead <adm ipat com>]

At 05:42 PM 10/8/99 -0500, Ken Teh wrote:
>I need to update the kernel on my RH6.0 system and I've been reading through
>the instructions for upgrading the kernel on RH.  It all looks rather
>complicated.  Can't I simply do the following?
>[...]

You can do as you please.  But if you can recompile the kernel, I don't
think you'll have trouble with the short upgrade HOWTO on the RH site.
You're right that they don't tell you why you're downloading things and not
everyone needs it all. I'm sure the HOWTO is oriented to those who do not
compile kernels... Use rpm to see what a package does.  

For example:

# rpm -qa | grep mkin                    
mkinitrd-2.0-1
# rpm -qi mkinitrd                    
Name        : mkinitrd                     Relocations: (not relocateable)
Version     : 2.0                               Vendor: Red Hat Software
Release     : 1                             Build Date: Sat Mar 27 10:00:44
1999
Install date: Wed Sep  8 10:06:42 1999      Build Host: porky.devel.redhat.com
Group       : System Environment/Base       Source RPM: mkinitrd-2.0-1.src.rpm
Size        : 7723                             License: GPL
Packager    : Red Hat Software <http://developer.redhat.com/bugzilla/>
Summary     : Creates an initial ramdisk image for preloading modules.
Description :
Mkinitrd creates filesystem images for use as initial ramdisk (initrd)
images.  These ramdisk images are often used to preload the block
device modules (SCSI or RAID) needed to access the root filesystem.
 
In other words, generic kernels can be built without drivers for any
SCSI adapters which load the SCSI driver as a module.  Since the kernel
needs to read those modules, but in this case it isn't able to address
the SCSI adapter, an initial ramdisk is used.  The initial ramdisk is
loaded by the operating system loader (normally LILO) and is available
to the kernel as soon as the ramdisk is loaded.  The ramdisk image
loads the proper SCSI adapter and allows the kernel to mount the root
filesystem.  The mkinitrd program creates such a ramdisk using
information found in the /etc/conf.modules file.
---
Alan D. Mead  /  Research Scientist  /  adm ipat com
Institute for Personality and Ability Testing
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