Using the 10.2 CD packages to upgrade kernel
 

Sorry about starting another thread regarding kernel upgrades, but I'm having a hard time finding information on how to use the provided packages (on CD 2) to upgrade to 2.6.13.
I've been using linux for quite a while now, but have only once before (on debian) upgraded a kernel. I could just use the regular method for doing it, as other threads in this forum explain, but I'm curious to know what to do if I just install the packages on the CD.

Its pretty straightforward I've done it before and just did it with 10.2 after starting off with the 2.4.31 bare.i from install.

You can keep your original kernel if you want too.

First remove the existing alsa-driver package then just cd into the linux-2.6.31 directory on your cd and do a installpkg ./*tgz.

That'll put the kernel in /boot the modules and headers where they belong and the source in /usr/src and make a new symlinked linux pointing to the 2.6.13 source. If you don't want the source install all the other packs individually

You will then have to edit your /etc/lilo.conf. I'm just testing things right now so have it on spare partitions but heres my lilo stanzas for your referernce.

image = /mnt/hda9/boot/vmlinuz-ide-2.4.31
root = /dev/hda9
label = test-2.4.31
# don't use the next line unless you want burn access to cdrom using this kernel
# fstab would probably be set up different for scsi emulation e.g. /dev/scd0 and not /dev/hdc
#append = "hdc=ide-scsi"
vga = 791
read-only

image = /mnt/hda9/boot/vmlinuz-generic-2.6.13
initrd = /mnt/hda9/boot/initrd.gz
root = /dev/hda9
label = test-2.6.13
vga = 791
read-only

Cheers

this is just my humble opinion, but if GNU/Linux users would keep their /home directory in its own separate disk partition then wiping the OS and doing a clean install is not going to be such a problem, i recently wiped slackware-10.1 off completely and done a clean install of 10.2 and when asked about mounting my other linux native partitions i selected my partition i keep as home and mounted it as /home and did not format it, then when the install was done i used kuser to add my users and their personal desktop configurations & files were all intact exactly as they were before i re-installed the OS - i did this all in under 30 minutes

i even copied all of /etc in to my backup partition and when the install was over i copied a few files back and i did not have to re-configure CUPS or add extra name-servers to resolve.conf, even xorg.conf i copied back with my settings...

--this is not to criticize, just time & labor saving advise :)

"--this is not to criticize, just time & labor saving advise"

Where's this coming from?

I've been keeping /home and /usr/local on their own paritions for yonks. Nuthin new with any of that and I've had my /home the /home for more than one install at a time more than one time. I've kept my /etc's since 8.2 just cuz I'm silly and they don't take up much room.

What does that have to do with installing a 2.6 kernel from disk 2 and setting up lilo to boot it?

Thank you for your replies! Yes I've been keeping my /home on a seperate partition for yonks as well; I also reuse a lot of stuff in /etc (xorg.conf, fstab...stuff like that..etc.) because my system pretty much keeps the same configuration regardless. So reinstalling for me is generally quite painless; all personall settings stay. Call me lazy if you will.
As far as updating the kernel, I have been lazy in this respect up till now. As a rule I usually don't bother until my distro puts out a new release and then I just go with that. And this bad habit I want to break.
So I have other partitions, one with Ubuntu, one with Zenwalk(Slackware based) and one partition where I install Slackware. Then I have other partitions which are there for backup and storage purposes. Anyway, thanks again for your advice, I will give it a try asap. I may yet change my mind though and do a kernel upgrade the more traditional way, just for comparison.
BTW, still looking forward to receiving my Slackware 10.2 CD's I ordered; can't wait!
I'll post back again to say how it went.
Cheers!

Sorry to interruption you guys, but I have only one question regarding your topic.

When you are talking about upgrade (Kernel), I would like to know if there are any measures I can take before upgrading? I am curious about the new release of Slackware 10.2 (Now with 10.1 on my workstation & server). What should I back up if I want to whip out my 10.1 and install a fresh copy of 10.2? Or do you guys have any links regarding this?

Sorry for the interruption but please give me some advice.Thanks a billion! :)