[LON-CAPA-users] RPM update

[Scott Harrison]

Dear Dr. Jensen:

> When I do a CHECKRPMS, I get a message that I need to install at least
> 75 RPM's. Some of these seem to me not to matter that much, but I was

I recommend that all RPMs be upgraded.  Even RPMs that may not
seem to be associated with security often are: e.g. imlib, zlib,
diffutils, man, etc.

> wondering if I should do the kernel upgrade from the present 2.2.14 to
> the recommended 2.2.19 ? Should I anticipate any problems with the
> upgrade? Do I need to restart anything after the kernel upgrade? How
> about dependencies? Will they be satisfied if I just upgrade these
> files:
> 
> (1) kernel-2.2.19-6.2.16.i686.rpm
> (2) kernel-headers-2.2.19-6.2.16.i386.rpm
> (3) kernel-pcmcia-cs-2.2.19-6.2.16.i386.rpm
> (4) kernel-smp-2.2.19-6.2.16.i686.rpm
> (5) kernel-utils-2.2.19-6.2.16.i386.rpm
> 
> I'm upgrading our Dell dual-processor machine, so I assume that I don't
> need (3) and only one of (1) and (4) (in our case it would be (4)). Is
> this correct?

I recommend that kernel upgrades be performed by an experienced Linux
system administrator.

Detailed instructions are available at:
http://www.redhat.com/support/resources/howto/kernel-upgrade/

Some simple instructions to use AT YOUR OWN RISK:

1) Make a backup floppy bootdisk:
   mkbootdisk 2.2.14-5.0
2) Test your floppy bootdisk
3) Get kernel, kernel-headers, and kernel-smp RPMs
4) Install with '-ivh', NOT '-Uvh'
   rpm -ivh kernel-2.2.19-6.2.16.i686.rpm
   rpm -ivh kernel-headers-2.2.19-6.2.16.i386.rpm
   rpm -ivh kernel-smp-2.2.19-6.2.16.i686.rpm
5) IMPORTANT!  Since you are using the kernel-smp package, you must
   do this step (which is normally not needed)

   /sbin/mkinitrd /boot/initrd-2.2.19-6.2.16.img 2.2.19-6.2.16
   /sbin/mkinitrd /boot/initrd-2.2.19-6.2.16smp.img 2.2.19-6.2.16smp

6) Edit lilo.conf.

ASSUMING that your root partition (use the 'df' command
and see where '/' is mounted) is at /dev/sda1:

You should have something like the following in lilo.conf:

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.2.19-6.2.16smp
        label=linux
        initrd=/boot/initrd-2.2.19-6.2.16smp.img
        read-only
        root=/dev/sda1

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.2.19-6.2.16
        label=linux-up
        initrd=/boot/initrd-2.2.19-6.2.16.img
        read-only
        root=/dev/sda1

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.2.14-5.0smp
        label=linuxold
        initrd=/boot/initrd-2.2.14-5.0smp.img
        read-only
        root=/dev/sda1

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.2.14-5.0
        label=linux-upold
        initrd=/boot/initrd-2.2.14-5.0.img
        read-only
        root=/dev/sda1

7) Install the boot loader (based on the new lilo.conf).

  /sbin/lilo -v

8) Reboot and see if works.

  /sbin/shutdown -r now

Regards,
Scott

-- 
Scott Harrison, harris41@msu.edu