Arch Linux

gtmshrm

Member

Registered: 2018-01-26

Posts: 20

Not updating the kernel

In an Arch Linux Maintainence video, it was suggested to add the kernel to the package ignore list of pacman.
1. Is it a good practise to do so?
2. Is nvidia package dependent on the kernel?
3. If this is not a good practise, then how to keep the kernel from crashing (after an incompatible kernel update)?

rdeckard

Wiki Maintainer

Registered: 2015-01-28

Posts: 137

Re: Not updating the kernel

1. It's always recommended to keep a fully updated system:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Sy … the_system

2. pacman -Si nvidia

3. That link also discusses how to deal with updates that break the system.

jasonwryan

Anarchist

From: .nz

Registered: 2009-05-09

Posts: 30,424

Website

Re: Not updating the kernel

1. No. Whoever made the video is an idiot.

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Registered Linux User #482438

loqs

Member

Registered: 2014-03-06

Posts: 17,321

Re: Not updating the kernel

Other confusing points from the author of the video.

• Frequent updates makes it harder to pinpoint the cause of the issue.
  How updating less at once providing a smaller change set makes it harder is beyond me.

• You need to immediately update when the frontpage announces manual intervention required to avoid having multiple incompatible manual interventions pending.
  Has this ever happened even if you used the an update interval of two months?

• Putting the kernel packages on ignore because virtualbox modules did not load due to version mismatch.
  This should not stop the system loading and downgrading the kernel if needed.
  As the virtualbox-host-modules-arch and virtualbox-guest-modules-arch are now repackaged versions of dkms built on the updated kernel the sync issues should no longer be occurring.

gtmshrm

Member

Registered: 2018-01-26

Posts: 20

Re: Not updating the kernel

@loqs Completely agree with you. Those were the tips I found really weird!

2ManyDogs

Forum Fellow

Registered: 2012-01-15

Posts: 4,645

Re: Not updating the kernel

This is why we don't support random youtube guides. They are usually outdated or completely wrong.

drcouzelis

Member

From: Connecticut, USA

Registered: 2009-11-09

Posts: 4,092

Website

Re: Not updating the kernel

...also that video is three years old... o_o