Ok so in a terminal I type rpm -q kernel. I get two responses: kernel-2.4.18-14 and kernel-2.4.20-13.8 -- this means the new kernel is installed right? If so I think I know how to access grub, type /sbin/grub into a terminal right? then I try kernel /kernel-2.4.20-13.8 root=/dev/hda0 and get a bad string error. What am I doind wrong. Am I doing anything right? Ohh, and just so you know, this is my 25th hour using linux. The only reason for the upgrade is so my sound built into my via southbridge will work.
Thanks ahead of time for any help.

TC

How did you install the kernel? Did you just install the source and not compile it?

I just did a variation of this the other day, when I ran the Update Agent. Like you, when I ran <<rpm -q kernel>>, I got 2 outputs. Thus. the new kernel is installed, but not necessarily running.

In my case, I had to make a separate boot disk to boot into the new kernel. You can tell which kernel is running at the login screen, just before RH progresses into the GUI.

Sorry I can't help you with the grub part. I'm still working out my hard drive boot.

Well editing grub.conf is not hard I just don't understand why it was not done when the kernel was installed. If you do have the new kernel installed and this is just a grub issue then do a search on this site. There are a million threads on configuring grub.

I'm not sur if i compiled or not, I let RHN do all the work. How do you make the boot disk for the new kernel. And I have read all the articles I can on grub, I just cannot understand any of it. Thanks for the input thus far.

TC

I had this from up2date, in theory, if you don't edit grub.conf you'll have hundreds of extra lines in grub.

As root (su) open a text editor, go to /etc and open grub.conf
either delete the unneeded lines or (as I did) use the # key to rem out the unwanted lines - this means that if you have problems, you can re edit and boot to the old kernel.

Ok, this was wierd. I had a hard freeze just occure and whn I rebooted I was presentd with options for the old kernel, the nw kernel and the old kernel again. I picked the new one and now my sound works, YAY. I don't know what happened but it works. Now I just have o figue out how to remove the old kernel selections for my wives simplicity.

Thanks for all of the advice.
TC

Experienced users will correct me if I'm wrong, but I read in the RH Reference Guide a suggestion that you hang on to your old, stable kernel at least until you're sure that the new kernel is functioning flawlessly.

In my case, I have both the old and the new installed, but always boot into the newer version. Having both hasn't hurt anything on my system.