I have read and read the kernel upgrade posts and I have looked at the documentation on Slackware.org and I have two questions.

I have a symbolic link to linux-2.6.7, but I still boot in 2.4.26?

In the post by DaOne; it states:
That doesn't make any sense?

What I really need to know is if I download a kernel from www.kernel.org:

1. Where do I extract the kernel too?

2. When does any of the instructions to compile and install a new kernel apply?

If I run the 'make' commands in: /usr/src/linux, doesn't that mean that their needs to be a symbolic link to the new kernel folder first?

Again, I have:

/usr/src/linux -> linux-2.6.7

I am lost, the make commands listed in order is helpful, but what about setting up to get to that point?

Thank you for reading this post.

what you have done will have no effect whatsoever... not a clue what instructions you might have got hold of. you have not actually compiled a thing, a process that from scratch would take a nebie the best part of an hour most likely...

so anyway. that symlink is an extremely basic starting point, but the point where the kernel compilation stuff comes in is right now. all you currently have is an obscenely large amount of source code.

- download a kernel or use the sources on your Slackware cd
- extract the tarball to /usr/src , it will be extracted to /usr/src/linux-<version>
- if you wish, you can make a symlink to the new source dir of the kernel , but this is not necessary
- cd /usr/src/linux-<version>
- make menuconfig
- etc. etc.

So the link is voluntary, you don't need it but it doesn't harm.

OK the easyest way is to go to slackware.com and go under testing and download the 3 files i believe there 3 and download them to where ever you wanna it doesnt matter. Then use installpkg to install all three. Then read the INITRD.README file in the /boot dir and it should work that worked for me!!!!!

Matt3333

hi there,

i always thought that the "/usr/src/linux" symlink was important, but i think
rotvogel is right.
read this ( from Linus anno 2000) : http://www.linuxmafia.com/faq/Kernel...x-symlink.html

egag

Hello there!
to answer your first question, the Kernel Source should be extracted to /usr/src
and then you make the sym link for the 'linux' folder point to the new kernel source tree

once you have that done, cd into the /usr/src/linux folder and open Makefile in your favorie txt editor (uncomment "export INSTALL_PATH=/boot") on line 450. This will automatically update the kernel image in the /boot folder

from the terminal execute make mrproper

copy the .conf file from the old kernel source tree (linux-2.4.xx) to /linux

As root:
open the terminal and cd to /usr/src/linux and execute the following commands:

make oldconfig (copies and uses as many options from the old kernel as possible)
make xconfig (to graphically review new kernel options and include them if you want to)
make
make modules_install
make install


Once that is done make sure that the lilo.conf file in /etc points to the correct BzImage and reboot, it should boot with the new kernel!

You have to run lilo after editing the config no? and its best to create an old image entry too in case something goes boom.

Ah yes! You are correct you do need to run lilo (i forgot that step, I'm working on using grub on my system ) and also adding the linux.old entry is as simple as copying everything from the current kernel boot section install and just having it point to the old .bzimage and naming it "linux.old"

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

This information is exactly what I needed.

I will go to work on this right now...