remove kernel

praveen_2003 · 07-19-2003, 02:48 AM

i have installed different versions of kernel on one distro.but if i want to remove any one of those is there any command to uninstall it?these days i was removing the modules manually from /lib/modules and i'll remove some files from /boot.i want to know whether is there any command to make clean uninstall?or else how to remove it completely.

Thetargos · 07-19-2003, 03:08 AM

You may use a script you make with the recursive option of rm. For example if the kernel version you want to remove is 2.4.21, you'd put in your script:

Code:

!#/bin/bash
rm -rf /lib/modules/2.4.21
rm -f /boot/*2.4.21

Asuming you installed the kernel with the make install method, thus using vmlinuz and initrd<kernel>.img (sysimage, etc).

You may even have the script to "read" from the console the version you type in, for example: rmkernel 2.4.21 and it will remove that version (without having to "code" the version in the script) How to do that is something I've been wrestling with myself, but as soon as I have the solution, I'll let you know

Thetargos · 07-19-2003, 03:29 AM

Got your solution: Just make a script like this:

Code:

#!/bin/bash

#Script to recursively erase a kernel install
rm -rf /lib/modules/"$1"
echo "Deleting direcotry /lib/modules/$1"
rm -f /boot/*"$1"
echo "Deleting kernel $1 from boot"

I can't make any promisses about the functionality of this script, it is VERY basic. Anyway it is a good idea to read about bash scripts before attemptint to use it.

Remember that you'd need to make executable by chmod u+x <scriptname>

You'd run it:
# <script> <kernel version to remove>

Hope this helps.

EDIT: Remember normally only root has write access to /boot and /lib/modules, so it would be advisable to save the file in /sbin or /usr/sbin

PS: This method works (as stated in the previous post) if you installed a kernel using the vmlinuz-<kernel version> way (make install) otherwise (bzImage) you would still need to manually remove the bzImage file.

Thetargos · 07-19-2003, 05:48 AM

I hope you find this script useful

It tooke me a while to figure out how to polish it a little, there's still much functionality to add... but geee!! Look at the hour

Code:

#!/bin/bash 

# Shell script designed to erase a kernel from the system. It will prevent you remove any
#currently running kernel version via the 'uname -r' command. It could use a lot of refinement,
#since it does not check whether the calling user has or not write permission on the target
#directories, besides a lot of style polish. Also I would have wanted the script to run untill
#a valid option was entered, and add a "usage:..." echo statemen. But it is REALLY late and I am
#about to fall asleep on the keyboard :)
#Script made by Gian Paolo Mureddu on july 19th 2003@4:46 CST (10:46 GMT)


echo "Kernel version you want to delete?"
read KERNVER

TRY=`uname -r`

LIST=`ls /lib/modules/ | grep $KERNVER`

if [ "$LIST" != "$KERNVER" ]
   then
	echo "Kernel version does not exist!"
	exit 1
fi

if [ "$KERNVER" = "$TRY" ]
   then
	echo "You are trying to delete your currently running kernel!!"
	echo "aborting"
	exit 1
   else
	echo "Deleting modules for kernel $KERNVER"
	rm -rf /lib/modules/"$KERNVER"
	echo "Deleting kernel from /boot"
	rm -f /boot/*$KERNVER
	
fi


echo "Kernel removal concluded"

I hope this helps

camelrider · 07-19-2003, 10:58 PM

Very nice.

praveen_2003 · 07-20-2003, 01:53 AM

thank you very much thetargos.it helped me.but i ran this script which u posted earlier.i ran it without specifing the kernel's version to remove which ended in ^^^^.i did "#<script>" that's all.all the files in my /boot and modules folder disappeared.this is what the script i ran.
#!/bin/bash
#Script to recursively erase a kernel install
rm -rf /lib/modules/"$1"
echo "Deleting direcotry /lib/modules/$1"
rm -f /boot/*"$1"
echo "Deleting kernel $1 from boot"