Help File Library: Updating a Kernel

By: rpmilius

I had Red Hat Linux 6.1 with the 2.2.12-20 kernel installed. For various reasons, I wanted to update the kernel to 2.2.13.

I performed the following steps, which seem to have worked.

1. Download the latest stable kernel from www.kernel.org into your home directory.
2. Type the following commands

   su -
   cd /usr/src
   ls -l 
   

   This showed that /usr/src/linux was a link to /usr/src/linux-2.2.12-20, the current kernel.
   
3. Type:

   rm /usr/src/linux
   tar xzvf ~home/linux-2.2.13.tar.gz
   

   This last command creates a new Linux sub directory containing new kernel source files
4. Now type:
   mv /usr/src/linux /usr/src/linux-2.2.13
   ln -s /usr/src/linux-2.2.13 /usr/src/linux
   This ln command links the linux directories just as in the prior configuration, for consistancy's sake.
5. After linking the new kernel directory to /usr/src/linux, type:
   cd /usr/src/linux
   
6. If you haven't done so, be sure to read through the README file, which explains the make commands you're about to enter:
   

   make mrproper
   

   This preserves the previous configuration options
7. Type

   cp /usr/src/linux-2.2.12-20/.config  /usr/src/linux
   make oldconfig
   

   When prompted, enter m to make a module for new options
8. Type:

   make dep
   make bzImage
   make modules
   make modules_install
   cd /boot
   ls -l
   

   This last command shows that old System.map is now a link to System.map-2.2.12-20 and that the old vmlinuz is a link to linuz-2.2.12.20
9. Enter these commands:

   rm /boot/System.map
   rm /boot/vmlinuz
   

   This will copy the newly created kernel and system.map to /boot
10. Type

    cp /usr/src/linux/arch/i386/boot/bzImage /boot/vmlinuz-2.2.13
    ln -s /boot/vmlinuz-2.2.13 /boot/vmlinuz
    cp /usr/src/linux/System.map /boot/System.map-2.2.13
    ln -s /boot/System.map-2.2.13 /boot/System.map
    

11. Create /boot/initrd.2.2.13.img by typing:
    

    /sbin/mkinitrd /boot/initrd-2.2.13.img 2.2.13
    

12. Edit the /etc/lilo.conf by copying the linux section and giving it a new label and updating the image and intitrd files. An example lilo.conf file appearers here:

    boot=/dev/hda
    map=/boot/map
    install=/boot/boot.b
    prompt
    timeout=50
    default=win98
    
    image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.2.12-20
    label=linux
    initrd=/boot/initrd-2.2.12-20.img
    read-only
    root=/dev/hda5
    
    image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.2.13
    label=newlinux
    initrd=/boot/initrd-2.2.13.img
    read-only
    root=/dev/hda5
    
    other=/dev/hda2
    label=win98
    

13. Type

    /sbin/lilo
    

    To run the new kernel, I enter

    newlinux
    

    at the lilo prompt.

If you have problems, you can go back and run "linux" at the LILO prompt to get original kernel.

Once satisfied it works okay, update /etc/lilo.conf so that the new Linux kernel is labeled "linux" and original Linux is labeled "oldlinux" and re-run /sbin/lilo.