kernel update warning
Kam Leo
kam.leo at gmail.com
Tue Feb 26 05:33:24 UTC 2008
On Mon, Feb 25, 2008 at 8:39 PM, Ed Greshko <Ed.Greshko at greshko.com> wrote:
>
> 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.
If I'm not mistaken this partitioning scheme is new for 10.3. Default
for older releases had / and /home sharing the same partition like
Fedora before LVM. Hope they fix it for 10.4.
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