Arch Linux

moljac024

Member

From: Serbia

Registered: 2008-01-29

Posts: 2,676

Make a backup kernel

The latest kernel update has made me want to be more cautious, since I'm currently forced to keep a downgraded kernel for my wireless to work. Now, what I would like to do is make a backup copy of the one I'm using now (2.6.30) but I don't need/want to compile it or anything, I would just like it to be always present, and always have the possibility to boot it, regardless of the main kernel managed by pacman. How exactly could that be done ? And is that even a good idea ?

Last edited by moljac024 (2009-10-21 09:21:33)

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Zeist

Arch Linux f@h Team Member

Registered: 2008-07-04

Posts: 532

Re: Make a backup kernel

If you install it as a custom kernel with a different package name than the default kernel it should be kept as a separate kernel regardless of if pacman updates the standard kernel.

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tomk

Forum Fellow

From: Ireland

Registered: 2004-07-21

Posts: 9,839

Re: Make a backup kernel

If your wireless works with the lts kernel, that would be an easy solution.

moljac024

Member

From: Serbia

Registered: 2008-01-29

Posts: 2,676

Re: Make a backup kernel

What about the kernel image ? I need to modify the package so it builds an image with a different name than kernel26, right ?
And what about packages that depend on the kernel version ?

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The day Microsoft makes a product that doesn't suck, is the day they make a vacuum cleaner.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
But if they tell you that I've lost my mind, maybe it's not gone just a little hard to find...

tomk

Forum Fellow

From: Ireland

Registered: 2004-07-21

Posts: 9,839

Re: Make a backup kernel

That's why I suggested the lts kernel - because it has a different name.

On my system, no packages depend on kernel26, but if you have some, you will need to build *-lts versions of them.

moljac024

Member

From: Serbia

Registered: 2008-01-29

Posts: 2,676

Re: Make a backup kernel

Thanks guys, I'll see what I can do...rebuilding 2.6.30 sounds like a better idea than lts, simply because of KMS

Last edited by moljac024 (2009-10-21 19:32:46)

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The day Microsoft makes a product that doesn't suck, is the day they make a vacuum cleaner.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
But if they tell you that I've lost my mind, maybe it's not gone just a little hard to find...

Samuelion

Member

Registered: 2009-10-25

Posts: 7

Re: Make a backup kernel

Don't know if it helps or not, but having me too troubles with the 2.6.31 kernel, the easiest solution I found at the moment was to install kernel26-lts (2.6.27 now).
However keeping the previous kernel on kernel update would be more secure ... hope an automatic solution will be available someday.

Ramses de Norre

Member

From: Leuven - Belgium

Registered: 2007-03-27

Posts: 1,289

Re: Make a backup kernel

Isn't it possible to rename the kernel image and initrd in /boot and save and restore the modules directory prior to updating to a new kernel? You would then keep the kernel image, initrd and modules dir outside pacman as a backup kernel.

Samuelion

Member

Registered: 2009-10-25

Posts: 7

Re: Make a backup kernel

I might end with a solution like this.
I would prefer an automatic solution in order to always keep the last working kernel before installing a new one (to always have the more feature as possible with the working kernel).

Well, this i just a hope, not a need. I might end trying to script myself such a function.

Regards.
Samuelion.