kernel update warning

[Ed Greshko]

Kam Leo wrote:
> 2008/2/25 Mikkel L. Ellertson <mikkel at infinity-ltd.com>:
>> Valent Turkovic wrote:
>>  > On Tue, Feb 26, 2008 at 12:01 AM, Kam Leo <kam.leo at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>>>  You are nit-picking. Most users want kernel security updates. Those
>>  >>  who have special requirements, e.g. only one particular version works
>>  >>  with their setup, will disable updating the kernel.
>>  >
>>  > There are users who aren't aware that kernel updates can stop their
>>  > vmware, vitualbox and other apps that use custom compiled kernel
>>  > modules... I know that you can argue that users should know that
>>  > breaks and what doesn't break their apps, but still a finer grained
>>  > updates would be nice.
>>  >
>>  > I also think that OpenSuse has some think like this "install only
>>  > updates that don't require a restart" (I don't use OpenSuse regulary
>>  > so I can't be absolute sure) and Mint Linux has even updates grained
>>  > with numbers 1-5, 5 being updates that are potentially dangerous to
>>  > break some functionality you have now (like kernels and graphics
>>  > drivers). So you can apply only updates with 3 and lower number and
>>  > only when you choose do the other "more dangerous" updates.
>>  >
>>  > Do you see this as a nonsense or something that fedora would benefit from?
>>  >
>>  Well, unless you change things, you are presented with a list of the
>>  packages that will be installed, removed, and updated. I guess if
>>  you blindly accept the list, you could run into problems. You also
>>  have the option of telling Yum not to consider packages for update.
>>  In any case, if the new kernel breaks things, you always have the
>>  current running kernel to fall back on. So you can try the new
>>  kernel if you want, and if it breaks things for you, go back to the
>>  old one.
>>
>>  Mikkel
> 
> With Fedora you have another kernel to fall back on. For openSUSE the
> old/running kernel is removed and only the new kernel package remains.
> If things don't work after rebooting you need to boot using safe mode
> settings; and, if that fails, dig out the install/rescue CD/DVD.
> Perhaps that's why openSUSE issues fewer kernel updates than Fedora.
> 

FWIW, I downloaded openSUSE just to give it a whirl.  It has a very nice 
install process with nice screens and is fairly easy to follow.  By default 
it creates partitions for / and /home as well as swap and does not use LVM.

As the install completes it offers to run online updates.

Too bad that after all of that it left the / partition 100% full and there 
was no easy way to increase the size of /.  With LVM it would have been a 
snap.  Oh well, I suppose all distros have their warts.  Will have to try 
installing again sometime.  Still would like to experience their kernel 
update process.

-- 
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