Quote:
Originally Posted by barjac
Since the root (hd1,9) has already been specified, why is it necessary to use root=/dev/sdb10 on the kernel line?
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"root (hd1,9)" instructs GRUB where to find the kernel image whereas "root=/dev/sdb10" is an argument passed to the kernel instructing the kernel where to find the filesystem it is to use. If the kernel has no "root=" argument then it would default to the device upon which it was originally compiled.
Quote:
Originally Posted by barjac
Can that be replaced with a UUID, as I don't like using sdxx etc. in grub, as these assignments can change if the partition table changes.
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The kernel understands UUIDs and thus you can certainly pass it an argument such as "root=UUID=7fead33e-163f-419f-b999-779acae48f1".
I do not know if GRUB understands UUIDs as I do not use GRUB; but be mindful that GRUB's "root" command specifies something completely different then the kernel's "root=" argument (GRUB's "root" is akin to the PATH to an executable whereas the kernel's "root" is like specifying a working folder for that executable to use). While they can be -- and often are -- the same device, they do not have to be. You could, for example, have GRUB load a kernel from a floppy and then have that kernel use a harddrive partition for its root device.
Quote:
Originally Posted by barjac
Does a kernel update in Slackware (however that happens - I have yet to discover!) automatically update vmlinuz to point to the new kernel?
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Yes, IF you are updating your kernel by using 'upgradepkg' with a Slackware package. If instead you are compiling your own kernel from source then you need to use the '/sbin/installkernel' script to update those links (or do so manually).
Quote:
Originally Posted by barjac
If it does am I not better off leaving just vmlinuz in my grub entry?
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If you only want one Slackware kernel available in your GRUB menu then: yes, let GRUB use the vmlinuz link (though my personal preference in such a scenario would be to chainload to LILO on the Slackware partition).
Quote:
Originally Posted by barjac
One other question - why does the Slackware installer insist on re-formatting my swap partition and changing it's UUID? I now have about six other systems to repair because the UUIDs for swap in fstab, menu.lst and the initrd.img are all wrong. :-(
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Good question; there probably should be a "cancel" option when SETUP asks about formatting a specified swap partition. However, you don't
have to specify your swap partition during SETUP; if you already have a swap partition shared with other OSes then just skip the ADD SWAP step and later edit your /etc/fstab (this should be easier than having to repair your UUIDs in all of your other OSes).