[SOLVED] Kernel version stays at 3.1.1-1-ARCH

occam · 2011-12-04 10:44:18

The kernel version number used to change whenever a new kernel was installed. However, since 3.1.1-1-ARCH it does not!
I had to rename the module directory 3.1.2-1-ARCH to 3.1.1-1-ARCH or I could not load any modules at all. We are now at 3.1.4-1-ARCH, but I still use the old module directory from 3.1.2-1-ARCH, renamed 3.1.1-1-ARCH. Oh well, I can rename 3.1.4-1-ARCH to 3.1.1-1-ARCH, and eberything will work.
Still, I would like to know
1) is this happening only for me,and
2) any clue to why, and
3) what to do to correct it.

I have the /boot in the root partition with the files copied to /mnt/boot which is another partition, shared by all OS variants I have on my system. Currently the only other Linux I have on it is Slackware so there is no question of mixed up files.

Last edited by occam (2011-12-05 02:34:39)

karol · 2011-12-04 10:55:26

It's working for me

[karol@black ~]$ uname -r
3.1.4-1-ARCH

I'm running 32-bit.

Did you reboot after installing the new kernel?

Last edited by karol (2011-12-04 10:56:42)

occam · 2011-12-04 11:04:20

I am running the x86_64 version and yes, I have rebooted after the upgrades - every time.
uname -r still says 3.1.1-1-ARCH

wonder · 2011-12-04 11:12:07

then it either failed to generate initrd or your bootloader configuration is busted, loading the old initrd for some other location.

cybertorture · 2011-12-04 11:13:14

cybertorture@ego:~ $ pacman -Qi linux
Name           : linux
Version        : 3.1.4-1
URL            : http://www.kernel.org/
Licenses       : GPL2
Groups         : base
Provides       : kernel26
Depends On     : coreutils  linux-firmware  module-init-tools>=3.16  mkinitcpio>=0.7
Optional Deps  : crda: to set the correct wireless channels of your country
Required By    : None
Conflicts With : kernel26
Replaces       : kernel26
Installed Size : 60112,00 K
Packager       : Tobias Powalowski <tpowa@archlinux.org>
Architecture   : x86_64
Build Date     : 29.11.2011 (вт) 9,59,41 EET
Install Date   :  1.12.2011 (чт) 22,58,13 EET
Install Reason : Explicitly installed
Install Script : Yes
Description    : The Linux Kernel and modules

cybertorture@ego:~ $ uname -rm
3.1.4-1-ARCH x86_64

is /boot mounted (if it is separate partition)
what is your /boot/grub/menu.lst

occam · 2011-12-04 20:41:25

boot is on /dev/sda3 and is mounted, manually, only when a new kernel is to be installed. Arch installs the kernel to /boot, which has no separate partition, after which I copy the files, manually, to /mnt/boot (sda3) and reboot.

The non-comment part of /mnt/boot/grub/menu.lst is

# general configuration:
timeout 5
default 0
color light-blue/black light-cyan/blue

# Arch Linux
title Arch Linux
root (hd0,2)
kernel /vmlinuz-linux root=/dev/sda5 ro
initrd /initramfs-linux.img

# Arch Linux fallback
title Arch Linux Fallback
root (hd0,2)
kernel /vmlinuz-linux root=/dev/sda5 ro
initrd /initramfs-linux-fallback.img

# Slackware 13.37
title Slackware 13.37
root (hd0,2)
kernel (hd0,2)/boot/vmlinuz-huge-smp-2.6.37.6-smp root=/dev/sda7 ro

# Windows 7
title Windows 7
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
#makeactive
chainloader +1

and in both the /boot and the /mnt/boot directory is the date of the initramfs-linux.img files is 04/12/11

My pacman -Qi linux output was identical to the one showed above, except for the install date - I installed it 04/12/11

falconindy · 2011-12-04 20:50:42

occam wrote:

boot is on /dev/sda3 and is mounted, manually, only when a new kernel is to be installed. Arch installs the kernel to /boot, which has no separate partition, after which I copy the files, manually, to /mnt/boot (sda3) and reboot.

No idea why you think this is a good idea. Your problem stems from booting off the wrong (old, 3.1.1-ARCH) kernel image.

occam · 2011-12-04 23:06:58

I used to have several versions of Linux and sometimes the names of the boot files were identical; meaning that the distro assigned file names could not be used. Having a "distro local" boot for each version lets me have a "global" boot directory (which is normally NOT mounted) with unique names, without any problems.

Ok, so if I am booting from an old kernel image, even if the new modules work ok: where does the system find that kernel image? The timestamps and byte count of ALL (=both) vmlinuz-linux files are identical. Neither 'locate' or 'find' can find any other vmliuz-linux files.

cybertorture · 2011-12-04 23:51:29

root (hd0,2) - this means it boot kernel image from sda3
kernel /vmlinuz-linux - this is the name of image that should be booted (from sda3), unles it is a link to other file
initrd /initramfs-linux.img - same as previous

falconindy · 2011-12-04 23:59:19

occam wrote:

Ok, so if I am booting from an old kernel image, even if the new modules work ok: where does the system find that kernel image?

It's on your /boot partition, of course. The new one is installed to the /boot directory on the root partition. modules working between versions is a luxury that you've lucked out on. I'm surprised it works.

$ modinfo -k 3.1.4-1-ARCH i915 -F vermagic
3.1.4-1-ARCH SMP preempt mod_unload modversions

occam wrote:

The timestamps and byte count of ALL (=both) vmlinuz-linux files are identical

I have no frame of reference, so this is meaningless to me. Mount /boot, update the kernel. uname does not lie.

occam · 2011-12-05 00:54:46

Problem solved, in an unexpected way.
SInce I normally have /dev/sda3 (/mnt/boot) not mounted, I assuned that when I saw a list of files there, it was mounted. I was wrong.
So, I have diligently checked the /mnt/boot directory and copied all new files to it - but it was not mounted. Therefore, of course, the boot process uszed the 'real' boot directory but I was looking at another set of files.

So, obviously, you can use a mount point directory as a 'normal' directory which will be hidden when it is used as a mount point. I should have known..

(Now if I could only remember how to mark a topic [SOLVED])

Mavirick · 2011-12-05 01:06:52

Edit the initial post and put [Solved] in the title.

perbh · 2011-12-05 17:51:37

@occam:
I use very much the same setup as you have (*lol* even down to having slackware as well!) - _and_ I have a /mnt/boot which is never mounted (unless I need to update it).
However - I use the 'chainloader' directive instead, that way I don't need to copy files across. Each distro has its bootloader on its root filesystem (some of the others I try out are using grub2 and there's no way I'm gonna let grub2 interfer with my setup!!)
Thus - I would have the following entries in my /mnt/boot/grub/menu.lst

title archlinux
  root (hd0,4)
  chainloader +1
title slackware
  root (hd0,6)
  chainloader +1

It makes life ever so eeeezee :-)

Now - it means I can only use filesystems that grub support, but hey - I want my root filesystem to be super-stable rather than experimenting - so reiserfs/ext3 is fine with me. The more exotic fs's I leave for plain data-partitions ...

Last edited by perbh (2011-12-05 17:55:19)

occam · 2011-12-06 01:32:07

Thanks for that tip. I will follow it from now on - the ease of use is well worth the limitation in file system types.

Arch Linux

#1 2011-12-04 10:44:18

[SOLVED] Kernel version stays at 3.1.1-1-ARCH

#2 2011-12-04 10:55:26

Re: [SOLVED] Kernel version stays at 3.1.1-1-ARCH

#3 2011-12-04 11:04:20

Re: [SOLVED] Kernel version stays at 3.1.1-1-ARCH

#4 2011-12-04 11:12:07

Re: [SOLVED] Kernel version stays at 3.1.1-1-ARCH

#5 2011-12-04 11:13:14

Re: [SOLVED] Kernel version stays at 3.1.1-1-ARCH

#6 2011-12-04 20:41:25

Re: [SOLVED] Kernel version stays at 3.1.1-1-ARCH

#7 2011-12-04 20:50:42

Re: [SOLVED] Kernel version stays at 3.1.1-1-ARCH

#8 2011-12-04 23:06:58

Re: [SOLVED] Kernel version stays at 3.1.1-1-ARCH

#9 2011-12-04 23:51:29

Re: [SOLVED] Kernel version stays at 3.1.1-1-ARCH

#10 2011-12-04 23:59:19

Re: [SOLVED] Kernel version stays at 3.1.1-1-ARCH

#11 2011-12-05 00:54:46

Re: [SOLVED] Kernel version stays at 3.1.1-1-ARCH

#12 2011-12-05 01:06:52

Re: [SOLVED] Kernel version stays at 3.1.1-1-ARCH

#13 2011-12-05 17:51:37

Re: [SOLVED] Kernel version stays at 3.1.1-1-ARCH

#14 2011-12-06 01:32:07

Re: [SOLVED] Kernel version stays at 3.1.1-1-ARCH

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