Problem with kernel upgrade.

[Jeff Vian]

On Thu, 2004-07-15 at 19:00, Geoff Hacker wrote:
> Hi everyone,
> 
> I wanted to upgrade my kernel from version 2.4.22-1.2115.nptl to
> 2.6.5-1.358. I wanted to do it via the rpms in the Fedora Core 2
> distribution. I have used the rpm -Uvh command with all the kernel*
> packages in that distro. It does seem to have replaced the old version
> of the kernel with the new version. I have looked in the /boot
> directory. All the files that have kernel version numbers in their
> names--such as vmlinuz and System.map--all have the new kernel version
> number. I have looked in /lib/modules. The only two subdirectories
> there are also named after the new kernel version number--one has
> something like 'smp' on the end of it. I have looked in both
> /boot/grub/grub.conf and /etc/lilo.conf. Both files seem to be
> pointing to the new version of the kernel, not the old. I don't even
> know where the old version of the kernel would even be if that is what
> is still being booted up. But every time the machine boots up, it says
> it's starting the old version! Even worse, when it does a modprobe, it
> is looking in the old directories for the modules. But they're not
> there anymore! Consequently, I have no access to my CD drive or the
> internet. Fortunately, I dumped all the rpms from Fedora Core 2 into a
> single directory on my home drive, so I still have access to them. But
> I am largely flying blind right now, and have to write this email from
> work.
> 
> Performing a uname -a gives me '2.4.22-1.2115.nptl'. So if the new
> kernel version is booting, it definitely still thinks it's the old
> version. And if it's still the old version that is booting, then I
> don't know how that's possible. I don't see any file with that version
> number in /boot. If the new version of the kernel is simply having
> identity problems, then I don't know how to solve them. What else can
> I do to try to get the correct version of the kernel to boot, and/or
> report its version number correctly?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Geoff
> 
1.  You used rpm -Uvh.  this REPLACES the original kernel, so if there
are problems you cannot go back.
if you had used rpm -ivh it would have added the new kernel without
replacing the original.

These problems are why up2date and yum were modified to default to an
install instead of an update for kernels.  
("yum update kernel" actually does a "yum install kernel")

2.  Have you rebooted?  If not the old kernel is still running.

3.  The new 2.6 kernel uses /etc/modprobe.conf and not
/etc/modules.conf. Thus that is where you would look for modules to be
loaded and if necessary you may need to move modules entries over.

4.  Are you using grub or lilo to boot? grub should read the grub.conf
file, but lilo may need the lilo command run to fix the boot sector.