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I'm a bit confused about updating my system in general because I haven't done so in a long, long time, and when I try, it says that there are no update! I've done so from the terminal...
Code:
[root@localhost ~]# urpmi --auto-update
Tous les paquetages sont déjà installés
[root@localhost ~]#
...and from the GUI tool and get the same results.
My kernel has been acting funny (or at least the verbose information on boot) and I was wondering if it would be a good idea to update or upgrade. When I first installed Mandriva, the info listed on the screen during boot was impeccable (French accents in place, no problems). Now, the French accents are replaced by several different characters and I have to choose between "default" or "default.backup" configuration when booting. All of this occurred, I think, when I tried to install a driver (which, to add insult to injury, was the wrong one anyhow!)... This link explains some of what I was trying to do... Keep in mind that I'm no expert at all of this!: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=560419
I would like to install some drivers, and, in fact, one of the drivers I want to install is a webcam driver which hasn't been tested on my current kernel (2.6.17-5mdv). It's only been tested on 2.6.15 and 2.6.18... Now don't scream... I'm already in the middle of installing this webcam driver... I'm about half way there... I keep getting an error message (if you want more information about this, check this out: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=560059
Keep in mind that everything seems to be working okay on my system, more or less. However, I read that you need to include the kernel source with the actual kernel installation if you want to install extra drivers on your system, and I'm not sure that this is the case.
How can I know whether my kernel source is on my computer? Just out of curiosity, if I update/upgrade my system after installing a webcam driver, will that webcam driver keep working? Would I have to reinstall it? Are there other programs which would stop working if I updated/upgraded the kernel? Any other useful information regarding all of this?)...
Would it be a good idea to change my current kernel version to 2.6.18? Here's some more info:
Upgrading a kernel in a binary distribution like Mandriva is usually a matter of obtaining the new kernel and it's dependencies trough a package manager (easier; you can get the rpm packages too, and install manually, but it's a hazzle). The GUI update tools are, if I'm right, just the same as console update tools, or rather the GUI tools actually use the same console tools you do, so there's no difference which one you use.
I'm not familiar to urpmi, so can't help out with that. How old exactly is your Mandriva? Updates are available for a distribution usually only a limited time, like 6 or 12 or 18 months, depending on the distribution (Ubuntu offers normal versions, and has till day one long term support version which is supported for five years from release, a new one coming when the older one's support stops I think). If your Mandriva is not supported anymore, updates may not be there for it. Another thing is that packages for binary distributions are usually upgraded only if there are bugs or security flaws in them, and not every time a new version comes out (some binary distributions have newer packages and release them more often than others; some binary distributions' users have their own, unofficial reposities where you can get newer packages not officially released).
You can also recompile a kernel from source, it's rather easy, but it'll break up your kernel upgrade using the package manager. Kernel source is distributed, in your case, in an rpm file too; you can get it trough your package manager like you can get the kernels, if available. The source code version must match exactly the running kernel or it's no use. If you've got the source, it's usually in /usr/src/linux -- you can check that out first. A driver compilation usually warns you if you don't have the full kernel soure tree installed, as it needs it to continue. If you use a Mandriva kernel (which is probably patched in some way that the original vanilla kernel is not), you'll need the source from Mandriva too (so it matches the running kernel).
LQ has a super search function, and Im encourage you to try it.
quote"when I try, it says that there are no update!"
To upgrade your kernel you'll need to update your package repo list (db)
do that by typing in a console, "urpmi.update -a" (-a for all)(without the quote marks) but there is no need if you've done it lately.
once that has finished, then type in "urpmi kernel" .
that should get you a nice and new shiny (unchanged) kernel. if not you may have to edit skip.list in /etc/urpmi/skip.list. Just #(hash) the line to skip from the skip list.
You may also need the sources for the kernel, may be hash that one too for now.
Once it is installed go back and reset the changes you made in skip.list to save upgrading for trivial updates.
btw, just go for the standard kernel (eg, kernel-2.6.17.14mdv), i586 for pentium class or better, smp for multiprocessor, ia64 for intel 64 bit and x86_64 for amd 64 bit processors
regards, Glenn.
(edit) you may also need to setup your package repositories, if so google easy-urpmi.
Follow the instructions given and try the above.
You should be able to undo any patches with a full kernel*.rpm install.
You'll need sources if you want to compile your sources into modules for the kernel. (kernel-sources for kernel modules)
Last edited by GlennsPref; 07-07-2007 at 08:00 AM.
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