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Re: [cobalt-users] RAQ4 Kernel Downgrade question

Sorry about the quoting, but Diana is using hotmail set to send html 
only, and my KDE mail client (correctly in my opinion) doesn't render 
html email as it's the largest cause of virii, trojan horses, worms, 
etc.

On Thursday 15 January 2004 08:55 pm, Diana Saunders wrote:

> <html><div style='background-color:'><DIV class=RTE>I would like to
> downgrade the Kernel on my RAQ4.&nbsp;

That would be a lot easier if Sun Cobalt upgraded kernels the way the 
rest of the linux world does it... i.e., saving the previous kernels so 
you can always go back to them by making a simple change to LILO or 
Grub.

I don't believe the Sun Cobalt packages will let you install a previous 
kernel package over a newer one.

And I don't think RPM would let you install a previous one either.  What 
you might have to do is get a kernel package with the version you want, 
then manually disassemble the package, and move the kernel into the 
/boot partition, perhaps renaming it as well.  I don't know the 
mechanics of the bios that calls the kernel; perhaps someone else will

You might have to rename the old kernel to the new name to get your 
system to boot, but perhaps the bios will just run the first kernel it 
finds, and perhaps that's why the RaQ only has one version at a time.

Perhaps rpm will let you install an old kernel even though you've got a 
newer one installed; if so be sure to use an old kernel gotten from 
disassembling the package; a standard RHL kernel or standard Linux 
kernel won't work, and will leave your machine unusable.

If you're going to try that, make a copy of the /boot directory:

# cp -Rp /boot /boot.save

first, then try it.

If rpm let's you install an old kernel package, then remove the old one 
from boot, and reboot.  Of course if that doesn't work you'll need to 
boot from the rom-based kernel, and restore /boot.save to /boot.

You could easily end up with a dead RaQ at any stage of the process and 
you should probably leave this to someone who's very conversant with 
RaQs.

Are you willing to switch to using the RaQ with it's built in 
ROM-kernel; I'm thinking that would be safer than attempting the 
upgrade.

We have a RaQ3 running RaQ4 software available for testing; if you'd 
like to try it on our machine first I can make arrangements for you to 
do so.  Or we can do the testing for you under contract.

> I have one machine with
> Dialtone/Interland, and I'm aware that any Kernel with them after C28
> is unstable.&nbsp; From my research, this problem seems to be unique
> to Dialtone (now Interland).&nbsp; Some people have said it has
> something to do with their routers.&nbsp;

I'd try to get a bit better info than "some people have said", before 
you take the risk.  What makes anyone believe a router problem requires 
a reboot?

> I don't know.&nbsp; But I
> just did an OS restore and loaded all of the patches thinking maybe
> the latest Kernel is finally stable with them, but not luck.&nbsp;
> The machine goes down about once per day.</DIV> <DIV

In what way does it go down?  If it can't find the network, then that 
could be a router problem; if it's anything else, than it most likely 
is NOT a problem having anything to do with their routers.

Does it go down daily at a specific time?  Does it go down when a 
specific event is occurring?  This kind of problem can be attributed to 
memory or power supply problems as well.

Jeff
-- 
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