Arch Linux

vor_lord

Member

From: Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

Registered: 2004-06-10

Posts: 52

New CPU/mobo/RAM -- can I avoid a re-install?

I have been using Arch for 4 1/2 years (stopped my distro hopping cold), from an install done at that time.  I've carried this forward through a motherboard replacement (same chipset different manufacturer) and from one hard drive to another recently.

It's time to make a serious upgrade of CPU and motherboard.

What I want to know is if it is possible to use my current install rather than start from scratch with the OS.  The kernel modules loaded nearly all look generic, exceptions being agpgart, forcedeth, and sound drivers.

Would it be worth a shot to see if I could boot well enough to modify the rc.conf and fix those items (which are not critical for boot)?  Or is there some kind of hidden configuration that is chipset or CPU specific that will thwart this?

fwojciec

Member

Registered: 2007-05-20

Posts: 1,411

Re: New CPU/mobo/RAM -- can I avoid a re-install?

You should be able to get your system to work as it is.  If necessary boot with the fallback image and regenerate the boot images with mkinitcpio -p kernel26.  If the fallback image doesn't work, you can also use arch install cd and then chroot into your system and regenerate the kernel images that way.

Last edited by fwojciec (2008-11-11 04:29:13)

iBertus

Member

From: Greenville, NC

Registered: 2004-11-04

Posts: 2,228

Re: New CPU/mobo/RAM -- can I avoid a re-install?

Yeah, if you are using the stock kernel with all the drivers enabled you should be able to do what fwojciec said and just rebuild the boot image.

vor_lord

Member

From: Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

Registered: 2004-06-10

Posts: 52

Re: New CPU/mobo/RAM -- can I avoid a re-install?

Well that's easy!  Thanks for the replies.

KimTjik

Member

From: Sweden

Registered: 2007-08-22

Posts: 715

Re: New CPU/mobo/RAM -- can I avoid a re-install?

I've been there and done that, and as long as the motherboard is identical it should go smooth.

ozar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2005-02-18

Posts: 1,686

Re: New CPU/mobo/RAM -- can I avoid a re-install?

Yep, will most likely work fine.

I recently built a new system with all new hardware, then restored the partition images from my old system to the new one and it fired right up on the first boot.

---

oz

vor_lord

Member

From: Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

Registered: 2004-06-10

Posts: 52

Re: New CPU/mobo/RAM -- can I avoid a re-install?

I've been there and done that, and as long as the motherboard is identical it should go smooth.

This motherboard is not at all the same.  An identical motherboard better work!

RobbeR49

Member

From: Columbus, OH

Registered: 2006-01-17

Posts: 178

Re: New CPU/mobo/RAM -- can I avoid a re-install?

whoa, I just did a similar upgrade today, actually. All I really had to do was figure out where / was for grub to boot after my hard drives got moved around a little.