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-   -   Updated Kernel not being picked up after reboot - Ubuntu 8.10 (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-newbie-8/updated-kernel-not-being-picked-up-after-reboot-ubuntu-8-10-a-933913/)

anirvana 03-11-2012 01:13 PM
Updated Kernel not being picked up after reboot - Ubuntu 8.10
 
Hello all,
I am trying to update the kernel on a VPS I inherited. The system runs Ubuntu 8.10, and we cannot upgrade the entire distr. (for some reason), hencewe are trying to upgrade at least the kernel.

This is what I did :
- download the linux headers and images for a newer kernel
- install using dpkg -i
- reboot the server

The problem:
- system does not boot with new kernel
- I cannot locate any grub/lilo config files! so that I can try to modify them and force boot with new kernel

What I need:
- Any advice/pointers about what am I doing wrong, or any suggestions about how to locate bootloader and modify it will be great!

Commands I ran:
Code:
wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v2.6.38-natty/linux-headers-2.6.38-020638_2.6.38-020638.201103151303_all.deb
wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v2.6.38-natty/linux-headers-2.6.38-020638-generic_2.6.38-020638.201103151303_amd64.deb
wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v2.6.38-natty/linux-image-2.6.38-020638-generic_2.6.38-020638.201103151303_amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i linux-headers-2.6.38-020638_2.6.38-020638.201103151303_all.deb
sudo dpkg -i linux-headers-2.6.38-020638-generic_2.6.38-020638.201103151303_amd64.deb
wget http://mirror.anl.gov/pub/ubuntu//pool/main/w/wireless-crda/wireless-crda_1.12_amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i wireless-crda_1.12_amd64.deb
(the first time round it complained about this wireless-crda package so I installed it and redid the process)
sudo dpkg -i linux-image-2.6.38-020638-generic_2.6.38-020638.201103151303_amd64.deb
sudo reboot
What I see after reboot:
- kernel 2.6.24 is in use
- when I look in /boot/ I can see the 2.6.38 kernel present, same for when I use dpkg --list | grep linux-images, I see the new kernel
- there is no /boot/grub/menu.lst file
- there is /sbin/grub-install
- there is grub on my system
Code:
$whereis grub
grub: /usr/sbin/grub /etc/grub.d /usr/lib/grub /usr/share/man/man8/grub.8.gz
I used the steps I listed below on another local virtual machine that I installed from a 8.10 CD and followed the steps. Kernel got upgraded easily, no problems. So the process works! However, it did not work on the vps.

Any insight is very appreciated.

AlucardZero 03-11-2012 02:18 PM
What kind of VPS? You are probably booting the provider's kernel. You may not be able to boot your own.

k3lt01 03-11-2012 03:07 PM
Ubuntu 8.10 is not supported anymore, that is why you cannot update the entire distro. Unless you compile a kernel on the machine you are using I doubt anyone else would provide a kernel for Ubuntu 8.10 anymore. I know the liquorix kernel wont work in anything that old and I don't know of any others that target unsupported releases.

The best thing you can do is download 10.04 and install it and then about June or July download 12.04 and install it.

anirvana 03-11-2012 11:23 PM
@AlucardZero - you are absolutely right. I am using Rackspace, and I have to let them install pv-grub on my system to let me boot in with a new kernel..


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