Updating Kernel + GRUB issue

Night Runner · #1 9th July 2009, 05:49 PM

Hi all, I knwo there are probably other threads that deal with this but I haven't found one that helps. I am very new to using Fedora.

I have just managed to put a new kernel onto fedora, Linux-2.6.30 i think it was. had a bit of hastle installing make in root.
A small problem there I couldn't make modules_install which concerns me though I have got the bzImage as vmlinuz-2.6.30.

Onto other problems, now that the kernel is installed I want to boot from it, I think I have changed the grub.conf file correctly, I don't have permission to change the menu.lst file though I'm the only user. So I now need grub to update and load the kernel.

Is there a specific way to add on a new kernel to boot from for GRUB, just incase I got it completely wrong? Also having a missing module called kudzu when trying to open the Boot loader in admin. and a final thing is I don't know how to get the boot loader to appear, right now it just loads straight to the desktop.

Like I said I am very very new at using fedora and all linux stuff
hope someone can help

***glennzo*** · #2 9th July 2009, 05:52 PM

You can edit the file using a text editor when logged in as root. Better yet, open a terminal and type

Code:

su -c 'gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst'

or

Code:

su -c 'vi /boot/grub/menu.lst'

You will be prompted for the root password and then the editor will open the file for writing. Make the necessary changes and save the file. Reboot and select the new kernel.

Night Runner · #3 9th July 2009, 06:01 PM

ok, the file is open, what I have atm is

Code:

title Fedora2 (2.6.20)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.30 ro root=/dev/mapper/vg_fedoracov-lv_root rhgb quiet
initrd /initrd-2.6.30.img

am I missing something?
Does grub detect this straight away, do I need to change something to make it work?
since there are now two items to boot from will a boot loader appear?

***glennzo*** · #4 9th July 2009, 06:13 PM

Grub isn't going to detect anything. Nothing will happen now that you've built a new kernel unless you make it happen. You need to create a new entry, below the existing one, for your new kernel. It will look essentially the same as the existing entry with the exception that it will point to the new kernel.

title Fedora2 (2.6.20)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.30 ro root=/dev/mapper/vg_fedoracov-lv_root rhgb quiet
initrd /initrd-2.6.30.img

title Fedora My Kernel <-- Call it whatever you like.
root (hd0,x) <--- Partition number that contains new kernel.
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.30 ro root=/dev/mapper/vg_fedoracov-lv_root rhgb quiet <--- New kernel version numbers.
initrd /initrd-2.6.30.img <--- New kernel version numbers.

In a nutshell, if you're trying to use a custom kernel you need to add the info to the boot loader. If there is a new kernel installed by updating the system it is automatically added and made default.

Night Runner · #5 9th July 2009, 06:23 PM

I'm trying to install the kernel without doing it automatically, so I've made a config file, extacted the kernel, performed make commands and bzImage. I just need to now make it load.
How to I save the changes I have made to the menu.lst file in the terminal

***glennzo*** · #6 9th July 2009, 06:30 PM

Depends on what editor you're using. If it's gedit there's a save button. If it's vi you use the colon key then wq! all together followed by enter.

Night Runner · #7 9th July 2009, 06:38 PM

ok cool, was in vi but redid in gedit. just rebooted and nothing appeared to select new kernel

***glennzo*** · #8 9th July 2009, 06:44 PM

Post the content of you /boot/grub/menu.lst please.

Night Runner · #9 9th July 2009, 06:52 PM

Code:

Note you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file
Notice: you have a /boot partition. This means that all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /boot/, eg. root (hd0,0)

#boot=/dev/sda
default=0
timeout=0
splashimage=(hd0,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
hiddenmenu
title Fedora (2.6.29.4-167.fcll.i586)
    root (hd0,0)
    kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.29.4-167.fcll.i586 ro root=/dev/mapper/vg_fedoracov-lv_root rhgb quiet
    initrd /initrd-2.6.29.4-167.fcll.i586.img

title Fedora new (2.6.30)
    root (hd0,2)
    kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.30 ro root=/dev/mapper/vg_fedoracov-lv_root rhgb quiet
    initrd /initrd-2.6.30

***glennzo*** · #10 9th July 2009, 07:01 PM

From the looks of that you should at least be getting the 2 options, Fedora and Fedora new.

Night Runner · #11 9th July 2009, 07:32 PM

thats what I thought I should get but it just goes straight to the desktop, i think it maybe something to do with the missing kudzu file, when i try to open boot loader in system -> admin it says that module is missing

***glennzo*** · #12 9th July 2009, 08:08 PM

Goes straight to what desktop, Linux? Wait, I see. You need to change the timeout= line to something greater than 0. Try timeout=30 or timeout=15. That's seconds. Comment out the hiddenmenu line with a hash.

Code:

timeout=30
#hiddenmenu

Save and reboot. You'll see a menu.

Night Runner · #13 9th July 2009, 08:19 PM

ok nice, the menu appears, I just need to sort out that it doesn't recognise the partition, apparently it doesnt exist, may try it on (hd0,0) just for grins

Night Runner · #14 9th July 2009, 08:41 PM

ok setting the hd to (hd0,0) didn't work, ended up with a blank screen but no errors at least. I'm missing something small I think, ideas?

***glennzo*** · #15 9th July 2009, 08:45 PM

Open a terminal and type

Code:

su -c '/sbin/fdisk -l'

Any partitions that are listed as Linux are possibly bootable. /dev/sda1 is (hd0,0) in the boot menu. /dev/sda2 is (hd0,1) in the boot menu and so on. Try them all. I need to leave the house for a few hours so I won't be around. Be back in a while and will check your progress.