RHEL kernel update install problem!

[Herta Van den Eynde]

Sancho,

Your story sounds familiar in that I once screwed up an update because 
of lack of space on the disk.

Did you do an install (rpm -i) or an update (rpm -U) of the kernel? 
Because if you did an install, the previous version should still be 
there, and it should be simple to get you en route again.

If you did an update instead, could you post and 'ls -l /boot', so that 
we can see what is still there to work with?

Here's what my /boot/grub/grub.conf looks like on a 2.4.21-37.EL system:

==== begin grub.conf
default=0
timeout=10
title Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS (2.4.21-37.EL)
         root (hd0,0)
         kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.21-37.EL ro root=LABEL=/
         initrd /initrd-2.4.21-37.EL.img
==== end grub.conf

If you still have previous versions of the kernel online, the easiest is 
really to substitute vmlinuz-2.4.21-37.EL and initrd-2.4.21-37.EL.img
by the filenames of those working versions.  (/ is relative to /boot - 
i.e. my /vmlinuz-2.4.21-37.EL is actually in /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.21-37.EL).

"default=0" means use the first entry (an entry starts at "title")

"title ..." can be followed by anything.  It's what will be displayed in 
the boot menu.

"root (hd0,0)" means that grub is installed on the first partition of 
the first hard drive.  (grub starts counting at 0, not 1)
If you don't remember where yours is installed, try booting from the CD 
in rescue mode, do a 'chroot /mnt/sysimage', entered 'grub' and at the 
prompt type 'find /grub/stage1'.
(If it doesn't find anything, you need to re-install grub. 
http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/manual/html_node/Installing-GRUB-natively.html 
explains how to do that in a few easy steps.)

If you installed '/' (i.e. the root filesystem) on /dev/sda1, 
"root=LABEL=/" on the kernel line can also be "root=/dev/sda1".

That's basically it.  'ln -s /boot/grub/grub.conf /etc/grub.conf' will 
recreate the softlink you seem to be missing.

All that needs to be done now, is boot the older kernel, remove the 
potentially defective new one (rpm -e), and free enough space on /boot. 
  Then re-install the new kernel, verify /etc/grub.conf was updated 
properly, and reboot once more.

Hope this helps,

Herta

Sancho Panza wrote:
> Herta and all,
> 
> Please pardon my copy of the preceeding message text, but it is needed 
> here. /etc/grub.conf (1) does not seem to be where it is supposed to be 
> or softlinked... I found some hand scribbled notes from 2 years ago 
> indicating that the /boot partition had run out of room for additional 
> updates, so the additional attempts at kernel update went into /boot 
> directory on main partition BUT did not get registered to show in the 
> GRUB menu... problem is I don't have the other part of the note... the 
> paper was in a pile of admin stuff that I was entering into my 
> maintenance database... but no entries are in the database. Must be the 
> the digital gremlins stole it (evil grin).
> 
> It has been quite a while since I set up "giskard" and it underwent a 
> transition to the current OS from a server configured with RH 7.2.... 
> since it is getting de-activated in June, I may just let it be for now. 
> I am moving the web stuff to another site and will convert the machine 
> to a satellite link based netserver at my office.
> 
> All that being said- if there are any other considerations, I would love 
> to hear about them.
> 
> Herta Van den Eynde wrote:
> 
>> Sancho,
>>
>> The grub boot list is constructed from /etc/grub.conf which normally 
>> is a softlink to /boot/grub/grub.conf.  Each entry in the grub menu 
>> starts with the "title" tag, so you can try to construct a new entry 
>> along the same lines, referencing your new kernel and (usually) 
>> corresponding initrd.  The "default" tag indicates which entry will be 
>> started by default.  First entry is entry 0.
>>
>> Hope this helps,
>>
>> Herta
>>
>>
>> Sancho Panza wrote:
>>
>>> I have tried to perform the last two kernel updates and for 
>>> what--ever reason the kernels 37.0.2EL and wound up in the /boot 
>>> directory but do not appear in the GRUB boot list.
>>>
>>> This problem occurred once before but I cannot locate my notes about 
>>> the way I solved the problem. I vaguely recall that I had to get into 
>>> the *boot partition* (as opposed to /boot as I see it mounted)  to do 
>>> something-- but don't have the time to fool around.
>>>
>>> Would some kind soul send a FAQ ref or give me a clue as to where to 
>>> turn to solve the issue.
>>>
>>> Many thanks in advance....
>>> Jack
>>>
>>
> 
> 

-- 
Herta Van den Eynde              -=- Toledo system management
K.U. Leuven - Ludit              -=- phone: +32 (0)16 322 166
                                  -=- 50°51'27" N 004°40'39" E

"Life on Earth may be expensive,
  but it comes with a free ride around the Sun."

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