Arch Linux

Ambyjkl

Member

Registered: 2015-12-05

Posts: 33

Making updating the kernel not break parts of the system until reboot

I've noticed that pretty much all issues after updating the kernel come from the old kernel modules folder being deleted by pacman. I was wondering if there is an easy way to make pacman not delete the old kernel modules folder (I'm not the most experienced with pacman hooks and such), and maybe have another hook which deletes the folder on the next shutdown or next boot (systemd, mkinitcpio, etc which I am experienced with, so I can put together). Unless there is something I'm missing here, this would solve a lot of issues and could come packaged with official arch installs.

What are your thoughts?

loqs

Member

Registered: 2014-03-06

Posts: 17,321

Re: Making updating the kernel not break parts of the system until reboot

https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/16702 plus numerous threads

Ambyjkl

Member

Registered: 2015-12-05

Posts: 33

Re: Making updating the kernel not break parts of the system until reboot

I seeee. Yeah, that bug's description sounds a lot like how Ubuntu boys do it. I'm looking at a subset of that problem. Since Arch is a rolling release, it's probably for the better to do things the way they are being done right now.

I'm concerned more about the removed modules folder and how it impacts the system until the next reboot. Currently, I manually make a copy of the folder before updating the kernel if I don't want to reboot. A clean way to automate that process, or better yet prevent pacman from removing that folder, would be a lot less work than agreeing on a protocol like the one in the bug. I think an mkinitcpio hook would be the most effective way of cleaning up old modules folders, in case the systemd shutdown hook solution doesn't fire due to an unclean poweroff.

loqs

Member

Registered: 2014-03-06

Posts: 17,321

Re: Making updating the kernel not break parts of the system until reboot

https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/16702#comment178238

a821

Member

Registered: 2012-10-31

Posts: 381

Re: Making updating the kernel not break parts of the system until reboot

https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/kernel-modules-hook ?

solskog

Member

Registered: 2020-09-05

Posts: 415

Re: Making updating the kernel not break parts of the system until reboot

a few workaround maybe:
1, upgrade system prior shutting down.
2, consider using btrfs for system partition in host.
3, snapshot for VM.

Last edited by solskog (2020-09-21 08:10:52)

Ambyjkl

Member

Registered: 2015-12-05

Posts: 33

Re: Making updating the kernel not break parts of the system until reboot

https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/kernel-modules-hook ?

Yes sir! That's exactly what I'm talking about, thanks a lot