I read on a site that a guy had kernel 2.4.22 with Mandrake 9.0. I have Mandrake 9.1. which has kernel 2.4.21.0.13mdk Does this mean you can upgrade the kernel without updating the distro?
Shurely, everything will break? I have heard about this before but I thought some newbie like me was just getting confused

just download a newer kernel from kernel.org and compile it.there are lots of kernel compiling how-to are available in the net.or just read the README file that came along with the kernel.go for 2.6.test7 (BETA) or something.

Yes - you can upgrade the kernel without upgrading the distro. The kernel is the heart of the OS, the distro is a particular look and feel, giving programs and packaging tools, etc.

Totally unlike Windows!

Yes - you can upgrade the kernel without upgrading the distro. No you don't have to recompiling it. MDK has them already as rpms's just dl the newone and install it.

Hey! Just download a kernel at http://www.kernel.org
and take a look at this tutorial placed here in LQ!

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...threadid=49035

pretty good and easy to understand. Made for newbies.

Hope it helps

I have decided I would like to "upgrade" my kernel, but I have some newbie questions. I read the "linux kernel howto" but it raised even more questions. I have mandrake 9.1. boxed version and there is no linux directory in usr/src/ directory - RPMS is the only directory. Why? Does this mean I have to compile the kernel source?
Unfortunately, the Mandrake Source CD just has "kernel-2.4.21.0.13mdk-1-1mdk.src.rpm" in the Mandrake/SRPMS directory i.e. it does not have kernel-headers*.rpm or kernel-sources*.rpm as required in the "linux kernel howto". I ran "rpm -i kernel-2.4.21.0.13mdk-1-1mdk.src.rpm" but it didn't create a linux directory or anything that I can tell.
In /usr/src/RPM/SOURCE there is a README.kernel-sources document that talks about the /usr/src/linux directory. Maybe I cannot upgrade the kernel because I never selected the "development" options in my original install.
I would appreciate some guidance/help in what I am doing wrong.
Thanks

Ok. Let's start from the ver beginning. After this you can follow the instructions on the guide:

1.) Download this file: linux-2.4.22.tar.bz2
(this is the latest stable version)
2.) Move it to /usr/src;
3.)uncompress it with the Ark utility from KDE or simply type in the console:

tar -xjvf linux-2.4.22.tar.bz2
(remember, you must be in the /usr/src directory to use the the line above)

4.)Create a link to the new directory typing:

ln -s /usr/src/linux-2.4.22 /usr/src/linux

You could just rename the folder to linux but you do this because next time you want to upgrade your kernel you'll always have the old to come back if you have problems with the new one.
(You need to have the link or the folder with linux name 'cause the source will look for this folder.)

5.) I think you're done with this beginning! Now you can move on to the kernel compilation guide. If you have any problems post'em here and we'll gladly with you!

hope it's enough to go ahead,

As I said before YOU Don't have to recompile the kernel to upgrade! You don't even need the source period. If you grab the kernel source www.kernel.org you will be in more of a headache than you want. MDK add patches to all it kernels. The kernel from kernel.org are stock kernels. If you go to the url: http://rpms.mandrakeclub.com/rpms/ma...S/KByName.html
you can dl the latest kernel for 9.1(You don't have to be a club member to dl updates) The kernel is in rpm form for MDK9.1 No source needed. The source for it is their if you want it. I haven't recompiled a kernel for years now. I'am running 9.2 with the latest kernel without recompile.

I agree to a point. But in some cases you need support for hardware that isnt always compiled into pre made kernels. For example I have the PDC20276 chipset, for this to work it needs to be specified in the kernel. In premade kernels this hasnt been selected.

Also there is a lot of software out there that depends on you having the kernel sources there, as it needs some of the includes that come with the source.

Also, your system will run smoother, and will boot quicker, I you have compiled your own kernel. Premade kernels are made to support most hardware (ie they have most of the options selected), whereass builing your own cuts out the support for hardware you don't even have, therefore it doesnt load it or probe for it. In addition to this it uses less memory, vital for people who have limited resources or use software that hog's the memory.

But for a newbie, if you dont completely understand how your box is working, then the pre-built option is ideal.

Yes. I agree with both of you. I just wanted to explain how to do it if he ever think about (re)compiling his kernel. As for a newbie it's not a good idea, but as the needs improve someone may need to do it. So, as I said before, just wanting to help.

I want to upgrade the kernel to get better device drivers so that my webcam, pcmcia firewire external drive, pcmcia wireless card and trackpoint would work. I also want my ps/2 wheel mouse and trackpoint to work at the same time - this happened briefly but I mucked it up when I got the wheel in the mouse working. There was also a time the external harddrive worked but it hasn't worked since I hotplugged it one day, even when its connected before boot.
I read on the net my wireless card *will* work with kernel 2.4.22 as pcmcia has been rewritten. Hopefully, this rewrite will resolve my pcmcia firewire external drive problem too. There was a kernel patch for my webcam in May, so I am hoping that made it to the 2.4.22 kernel. As for the trackpoint/PS/2 problem, according to the net Mandrake keeps patching and then breaks it with subsequent patch, etc.
Courtrrb, I appreciate your link to Mandrake Kernel RPMs (I could only find ftp cooker when you first mentioned it), but the Mandrakes kernel is only 2.4.21 while I need kernel 2.4.22. If installing a kernel rpm is as simple as installing an application rpm, although I suspect this is not the case, then I can cope with clicking an RPM file. Thanks for your concern.
Frandalla, thanks for your excellent instructions - you should submit them to the "kernel how to" as its meant for newbies. Based on your answer, I assume that the "linux" directory did not exist because I orginally installed with binaries rather than source code.
Voldermort, I appreciate your concern too, but I can only hope I don't have to specify drivers in the kernel. Sounds scary. Thats too much for me right now.
I'll report back to this thread any problems/solutions

Hey! Thanks! Glad to help you! And glad to see that you got the folder and source stuff well. About your kernel's configuration, don't worry, You'll see it can be very easy indeed. Lots of help stuff inside there. I was doing some search inside Mandrake's online documentation and found an excellent tutorial about how to upgrade, reconfigure, recompile and reinstall your kernel by yourself. Very easy, they give you all the tips. I'm sure you'll get it done in a while. Just follow their notes. And More: As they are guiding there, if you mess everything up while configuring the kernel you'll always have the old kernel ready for emergencies!

Here's the Documentation

just a tip: When deciding for which mode to choose when configuring, I advise you to choose the xconfig, the configuration will occur in a beautiful window in your KDE or GNOME, lots of help, any doubt and the help isn't there go to the net and search for it. Any doubts get here. We'll help you as we can!

P.S.: (I really don't know if I'm missing any point so just ask, OK?)

The kernel that you said you needed 2.4.22 is indeed in the cooker site. I was just their. I'am running that kernel now. As for installing an rpm kernel yes it's just as easy as installing a regular rpm.

Initally, I tried installing the mandrake rpm kernel, but I got a dependency request so I decided to give that game of soldiers up.
Then I decided to install the "stock kernel"i.e. 2.4.22. I unzipped the kernel tar in /usr/src/ and created a softlink which in windows means a shortcut... I am learning. I did "make clean" and "make mrproper" and "make clean" again. Then I tried to run startx but I got server already running, which is probably true (guess?) as I am running kconsole in my session. How do I get round this problem?

What run-level are you in? - you can compile a kernel in graphical mode from a command line.