I have a linux server running centOs. The current linux-headers and kernel devel do not match the running kernel. Do I need to uninstall the newer versions of the headers and devel before installing the set that matches the running kernel? And if so, will that cause problems with any other installed drivers? I have ran the following commands before asking this question.


root@server [/home]# uname -a
Linux 2.6.18-128.1.10.el5 #1 SMP Thu May 7 10:39:21 EDT 2009 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux
root@server [/home]# yum install kernel-headers
Excluding Packages in global exclude list
Finished
Setting up Install Process
Package kernel-headers-2.6.18-164.6.1.el5.i386 already installed and latest version
Nothing to do
root@server [/home]# yum install kernel-devel
Excluding Packages in global exclude list
Finished
Setting up Install Process
Package kernel-devel-2.6.18-164.6.1.el5.i686 already installed and latest version
Nothing to do
root@server [/home]# dmesg
cisco_ipsec: version magic '2.6.18-164.2.1.el5 SMP mod_unload 686 REGPARM 4KSTACKS gcc-4.2' should be '2.6.18-128.1.10.el5 SMP mod_unload 686 REGPARM 4KSTACKS gcc-4.1'
root@server [/home]#

Thank you in advance.

You can install the older version without any issue to the system(no need to remove newer one). Unfortunately in order to use yum to install it you have to give the FULL name of the rpm. This is where a gui comes in handy. Both yummex(most popular) and smart (my preference) are in the repos. They will show you all versions of all packages that are in the repo(not just the most current).

Why not just upgrade the running kernel to the current release?

Is at least available as kernel-2.6.18-128.el5.src.rpm

http://mirror.centos.org/centos/5.3/...28.el5.src.rpm

The headers package is also available:

http://mirror.centos.org/centos/5.3/...0.el5.i386.rpm

The client doesn't want to do that yet (upgrade kernel). I downloaded both the headers and the devel as rpm packages but I didn't want to install them until I was sure it wouldn't hurt anything currently running on the system. Thank you again for all of your help, its greatly appreciated.