I think I should update

BCarey · 03-09-2008, 02:39 PM

From the /etc/slackpkg/blacklist file:

Code:

# Automated upgrade of kernel packages aren't a good idea (and you need to
# run "lilo" after upgrade). If you think the same, uncomment the lines
# below

Brian

2.718281828 · 03-09-2008, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zoran119

So will every kernel patch make a new kernel? If it does will there be the old one to go back to if there is trouble?

The Slackware updates don't really "patch" anything; if you run upgradepkg it just uninstalls the old package and installs the new package. If you want to keep the old kernel around just in case, you can run installpkg on the new kernel and kernel modules packages, rather than upgradepkg. I just checked your first post though, and it says you're using the 2.6.21.5-smp kernel, which is the most recent Slackware 12 kernel, so you won't need to worry about it right now.

The kernel packages contain only three files and three symbolic links. The 2.6.21.5-smp kernel package installs these files to /boot:

Code:

System.map-generic-smp-2.6.21.5-smp
config-generic-smp-2.6.21.5-smp
vmlinuz-generic-smp-2.6.21.5-smp

And then it creates symbolic links named System.map, config, and vmlinuz pointing to those files. If you use installpkg on some other kernel, it won't overwrite the files but it will replace the symbolic links. Also, you can have as many kernel module packages installed as you want, because each package creates its own directory and they won't conflict with each other. So you can have lots of kernels installed and then switch between them by changing the three symbolic links in /boot, and then running lilo again.

By the way, if you didn't know, you can see what files each package installed by looking at the contents of /var/log/packages/. That's how I got the information on the kernel packages.

zoran119 · 03-10-2008, 03:24 AM

Excellent, this is really good. As far as the kernel goes I was asking because of the kernel exploit fix found here. http://www.slackware.com/lists/archi...ecurity.562341

Now I just go back in time through slackware-security and get the packages up to the latest version?

Also, can you tell me what to do with PHP. I installed it manually using instructions found here http://cowbox.coe.uky.edu/stu/linux/apache/php.php. I did this before I knew much about Slackware. I can see there there is an update on slackware-security. I don't really use PHP apart on my LAN (a couple of computers) so it doesn't really need an update, but if I wanted to how would I update it?

Thank you so much for your help everyone!

EDIT: There are updates for apache and httpd. What is the difference?

2.718281828 · 03-10-2008, 04:03 AM

Yes, just find whatever updates that you don't have installed, and install them with upgradepkg or one of the other tools people have mentioned. I suspect that you already have the kernel in the link you gave, since your uname -a says 2.6.21.5-smp #2 SMP but now I'm not 100% sure about that. In any case, you can check your list of installed packages in /var/log/packages/ and see if you have any of the updates already, or you can just download everything. Updatepkg will tell you if you already have the version you're trying to install.

So you installed PHP from the source code? Slackware ships with a PHP package already, and as you've seen, you can get version 5.2.5 from the list of updates. If you want to install that version, I think you'd have to uninstall your current version of PHP first. You can probably do it by running "make uninstall" on it, just like when you installed with "make install". Then you can download the PHP package from the list of updates and install it with installpkg.

For apache vs. http: I don't see any Slackware packages with apache in the name. Are you referring to the link to apache.osuosl.org that you can see from here? Because that's probably the Apache source code or something else mirrored from apache.org. You probably want to use the Slackware package httpd instead.

zoran119 · 03-10-2008, 04:55 AM

There are some updates on http://slackware.osuosl.org/slackwar...ches/packages/ that are not on slackware-security (mkinitrd for example and glibc-zoneinfo is newer). Should they be updated?

Also, there are updates for apache and httpd. What is the difference?

2.718281828 · 03-10-2008, 05:13 AM

I always install everything that's available in the list. As you can see from the ChangeLog, the updates to the stable branch of Slackware are usually security updates, but once in a while other updates make it in, like mkinitrd and glibc-zoneinfo. I'd just install everything unless you have a reason not to.

I still don't see any Slackware packages named apache though. What are you referring to?

zoran119 · 03-10-2008, 05:25 AM

Thanks for pointing out the ChangeLog. I was only looking at the ChangeLog of each package in slackware-security archive.

Apache and httpd: have a look at the line 4 and 5 at http://www.slackware.com/lists/archi...ecurity&y=2008

2.718281828 · 03-10-2008, 07:21 AM

Oh, OK. If you look in the emails that you linked to, the apache package is only available for Slackware versions 8.1 through 11. The httpd package is for Slackware 12, so that's the one you want. I guess the package name changed from apache to httpd when Slackware 12 came out.

The security patches emails announce patches for every recent version of Slackware, so you need to make sure you only get the Slackware 12 updates. Also, sometimes I don't get the emails so it pays to take a look at the ChangeLog or the list of available updates now and then to make sure you didn't miss any.

zoran119 · 03-11-2008, 02:50 AM

I believe I'm up to date now. As much as my skills allow me anyway. Haven't done:
- PHP (compiled it myself)
- jre (scared of touching java)
- any of the kernel packages (scared of playing with kernel)

I might write a script to pull data off the ChangeLog every few days to let me know what is happening. How come some updates don't appear in the mailing list but are in the ChangeLog?

Thank you for all your help!!!