Michael wrote: > On Monday, 14 November 2022 21:05:57 GMT Dale wrote: > >> Thing is, I may go a year, sometimes more, without updating the kernel. >> If I rebooted often, I could see using a LTS kernel. If a kernel can >> run for months with no problems, it's stable enough for me. Plus my >> hardware works. > Keeping the same kernel running for long periods can leave you exposed to > security vulnerabilities. Either stable or LTS kernels will be similarly > exposed, if their latest backported versions are not booted with. I > appreciate you're not running a public server so your profile is not as much > at risk, but bad code in some application which hasn't been patched up could > still leave you exposed. > > >> I have even built a kernel but never actually booted it. By the time I >> get around to rebooting, I've had to build another kernel. I generally >> always work from a known stable config tho. The only reason I wouldn't >> is if I build a new system and have to start from scratch. I've also >> had times when I had to update because my video drivers wouldn't build >> with a older kernel version that I'm running. That doesn't happen to >> often but I recall running into that at least once. > Shutting down your desktop applications and rebooting with a new kernel takes > no longer than a couple of minutes. I mean even busy bank customer web > portals have planned downtime. >
That may be true. I used to not mind rebooting as much but since I started having to use the init thingy, I only do it when really necessary. Those init thingys have left a long term bad taste in my mouth. If I could, I'd likely never reboot. Thing is, sometimes I have a power outage and just have too. The other thing, my computer is my entertainment system as well. My TV runs close to 24/7. I may pause a video if I'm outside or something but other than that, it is playing something about all the time. I do go to town each Thursday morning to get my shots and pick up groceries. Because of my lengthy time between trips anywhere, I put a trickle charger on my car. Sitting for a week wasn't doing the battery any good. Another reason my system runs even if I'm not home, downloading of files. I'm almost always downloading something. It's how I entertain myself after all. ;-) Basically, this system is busy doing things, multiple things, almost all the time. >> Either way, biggest question was if there was some known breakage >> between my old version and a newer version. Maybe the one I tried just >> had some weird problem that only affected me or I just missed something >> during the oldconfig. I wish I could recall the error. Who knows on >> that. >> >> Thanks. >> >> Dale >> >> :-) :-) > Did you diff your current good kernel .config and the new failed to boot > kernel .config, to find out what options/modules have changed. Besides any > booting errors, this could point you to something which was missed in the new > kernel, or perhaps shouldn't have been configured. That's how I go about > finding the cause of a non-booting kernel in the rare occasions I end up with > a lemon. I tried to boot with new kernel, saw the error, rebooted into a older kernel and carried on. That was several months ago so no clue what the error was. Dale :-) :-)
