Marcelo Chiapparini wrote: > > Dear debianers, > > I've already compiling (debian way) a 2.2.18pre21 custom kernel for my potato > box. I have the new /usr/src/kernel-image_*.deb file waiting to be installed. > I think that if I do "dpkg -i" I will destroy the current 2.2.17 kernel, which > works perfectly. I want to know if there exists any way to boot with the new > kernel just to see if it runs OK, keeping the old one just in case something > goes wrong and I need to boot with the old kernel again. The idea is to define > the new kernel as the default one after testing. > Thanks in advance for your time > Marcelo
Installing the new kernel-image will not do anything to your existing kernel. It will, however, make lilo boot the new one. If you want to have access to your old kernel (which is always a good idea), all you need to do is set up a section for it in your lilo.conf. You can probably just copy your current kernel's section, and change the label and image lines. For example, here is what I have for one of my boxes: image=/vmlinuz label=linux root=/dev/hda1 read-only image=/vmlinuz.old label=linux.old root=/dev/hda1 read-only Assuming you have /vmlinuz linked to your current kernel (which should be the case - it should have been set up when you installed), typing "linux" at the lilo prompt will boot it. If you want to boot the old kernel (/vmlinuz.old should point to it automatically), you can type "linux.old" instead. Every time you install a new kernel-image package, it will automatically rotate these links (/vmlinuz will point to the newly installed kernel, and /vmlinuz.old will point to the previous kernel), so this will give you a nice little safety net. HTH -- Morgan Terry [EMAIL PROTECTED] It is easier to move a problem around (for example, by moving the problem to a different part of the overall network architecture) than it is to solve it. --RFC 1925