Upgrading Red Hat kernel via RPM?

[Gus Wirth]

At 15:28 08/29/2001 -0700, PGA wrote:
>Dario Alcocer wrote:
>> 
>> Do any of you have recommendations for/against upgrading a kernel via
>> RPM?  I've got three boxes, running Red Hat 5.2, 6.1, and 7.1.  I'd
>> like to upgrade them all the latest stable kernel, 2.4.9.
>> 
>
>Don't do it. Kernel RPMs REMOVE the previous kernel and if there's a problem with the new one, you can't go back. If you want a new kernel, get the tarball or
>source RPM and compile.

That's only if you do an upgrade vs. an install. Red Hat allows you to install a new kernel ( rpm -ivh ) alongside an existing kernel so you can check it out. Just make sure you tweak LILO or GRUB to support the multiple kernels. When your happy that the new one works, you can then remove the old one. I've done this numerous times with Red Hat 6.2, 7.0 and 7.1.

You can also get the newest kernel pre-compiled and ready to install as the RawHide components. However, these are bleeding edge, and may have lots of dependancy issues, because it's made with the latest everything.

Gus