[arch-general] Keep older kernel intact while upgrading to new kernel

[Victor Lowther]

On Sat, 2010-07-17 at 23:10 +0800, Ng Oon-Ee wrote:
> On Sat, 2010-07-17 at 09:17 -0500, Victor Lowther wrote:
> > On Sat, 2010-07-17 at 18:05 +0400, Евгений Борисов wrote:
> > > I think it's a bad idea, because the directory /lib/modules/$oldVersion$
> > > will be removed when the package is upgraded kernel. Trivial solution not
> > > exists.
> > 
> > My solution is to hand-roll my own kernels and initramfs'es after
> > removing the kernel and mkinitcpio packages.  The way Arch handles its
> > kernel packages is a weak point -- Fedora and Ubuntu get this bit right.
> 
> Yeah, why not keep all previous kernels and headers around. We could
> automatically extend menu.lst too!

It wold be better than updating to a new kernel, rebooting, and having
to boot to a LiveCD to get back into your system because the new kernel
fscked things up.

Keeping versioned header files also comes in handy -- I take it you heve
never tried any sort of testing with out-of-tree drivers or kernel
subsystems? Using DKMS on arch is a pointless waste of time because
older kernel headers are not kept around.

> I'm not sure what you like about Fedora and Ubuntu handling of kernels,
> but I found it very annoying to have all that stuff hanging around.
> Would be worse with rolling release I'm sure.

I like knowing that I will not have to hunt for a LiveCD or a rescue USB
drive if a kernel update renders the system unbootable.

-- 
Victor Lowther
LPIC2 UCP RHCE