What is it exactly for ? I been using rpm based kernel's that are non modulated

drwxr-xr-x 4 root root 1024 Dec 30 03:27 ./
drwxr-xr-x 22 root root 4096 Jan 7 16:08 ../
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 5824 Jun 24 2001 boot.b
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 612 Jun 24 2001 chain.b
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 1024 Nov 2 23:08 grub/
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 473 Dec 30 2003 kernel.h
drwx------ 2 root root 12288 Jan 3 2003 lost+found/
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 23108 Jun 24 2001 message
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 20 Jan 3 2003 module-info -> module-info-2.4.18-3
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 640 Jun 24 2001 os2_d.b
-rwxr--r-- 1 root root 0 Jul 28 11:37 quota.user*
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 30 Dec 30 03:27 System.map -> /boot/System.map-2.6.9-SMP_1.0
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 363385 Jul 27 2003 System.map-2.4.21
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 394458 Nov 19 2003 System.map-2.4.22-ow1
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 536278 Apr 22 2004 System.map-2.4.26-UP_1.0
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 560864 Aug 24 17:52 System.map-2.4.27-SMP_1.0
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 711970 Nov 22 09:22 System.map-2.6.9-SMP_1.0
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 393748 Sep 14 2003 System.map.old
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 18 Nov 19 2003 vmlinuz -> vmlinuz-2.4.22-ow1
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 745931 Jul 27 2003 vmlinuz-2.4.21
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 827964 Nov 19 2003 vmlinuz-2.4.22-ow1
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1610180 Apr 22 2004 vmlinuz-2.4.26-UP_1.0
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1790028 Aug 24 17:52 vmlinuz-2.4.27-SMP_1.0
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2180783 Nov 22 09:22 vmlinuz-2.6.9-SMP_1.0
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 823835 Sep 14 2003 vmlinuz.old

Just curious

vmlinuz is the Linux Kernel. don't delete it

If your booting into a 2.6.9 what does vmlinuz -> vmlinuz-2.4.22-ow1 serve?

thanks

Its actually quite useful if your using something like LILO where you have to rewrite the mbr everytime you upgrade your kernel.

What some people do is instead tell LILO to boot vmlinuz and then just point the vmlinuz symlink to a new kernel when they upgrade, and point the vmlinuz.old to there older kernel. Then they don't have to keep reinstalling LILO evertime they upgrade.

If your using Grub ( as it appears you are ), then its no use to you.

Ok cool perfect answer thanks