SOLVED - Updating kernel query

[Maurice]

I am right up to date with my upgrades but my kernel is still 2.6.33.8-pclos1.bfs. Should I update and, if so, which of the 2.6.38.8 ones do I choose?

Thank you.

[muungwana]

your computer uses what processor and how much RAM do you have?

[Maurice]

your computer uses what processor and how much RAM do you have?

Intel 06600 Quad core. DG33 mb, 4gb ram - as in sig

[muungwana]

what does this command give you?

cat /proc/meminfo | grep MemTotal

go with the one with the ".pae" extension.

after you have install it, run the same command and give its output again.

[AndrzejL]

Use pae.bfs kernel - this should be the best option for You.

Pae - so all Your memory is detected and used.
Bfs - for more speed and snappiness...

That's what I would use.

Regards.

Andy

[Maurice]

what does this command give you?

cat /proc/meminfo | grep MemTotal

go with the one with the ".pae" extension.

after you have install it, run the same command and give its output again.

I went with andrzeil's easier suggestion first but got the error message

E: Error, pkgProblemResolver::Resolve generated breaks, this may be caused by held packages.
E: Error, pkgProblemResolver::Resolve generated breaks, this may be caused by held packages.
E: Unable to correct dependencies
E: Unable to lock the download directory

Prior to this I also got a message saying that downloading this might make my system inoperable.

And I thought this would be simple. 

[muungwana]

did you cilck "reload/refresh" first before installing the kernel?

are you fully updated?

[Maurice]

did you cilck "reload/refresh" first before installing the kernel?

are you fully updated?

Oh Oh! - No I didn't. but I am fully updated up to 2-3 days ago.

I will try it again.

The reply to the earlier command you suggested was - MemTotal 3369248kb

[dougmack]

Slightly off topic, I guess, but what would be the advantages to upgrading the kernel?
(I ask, because I think I briefly had an upgraded version, which is now downgraded back to about what it was a couple of
weeks ago.  I did not intentionally upgrade the kernel, altho I think it came as part of a general upgrade routine, and I did
not [intentionally] downgrade it back, either.  I had some difficulties after the upgrade, which some kind folks here have
helped me survive and, hopefully, repair.  I am satisfied with the os, except for its speed, but I am running a relatively
slow single-core AMD cpu and the maximum 2GB memory, and likely I'm running as fast as I can, anyway!)  --doug

[muungwana]

the kernel function is to manage hardware, there is no point in updating it if it can manage all the hardware you have. There are occasions where an update is advised if it closes security holes but other than that, there is no need and no point. Just dont use a kernel that is too old 

[Old-Polack]

Slightly off topic, I guess, but what would be the advantages to upgrading the kernel?

Keeping your system running, for one thing. Texstar has told everyone who is still using their original installation kernel to upgrade to a more recent kernel to avoid serious run time issues with all the newest packages.

http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php/topic,92863.msg779106.html#msg779106

(I ask, because I think I briefly had an upgraded version, which is now downgraded back to about what it was a couple of
weeks ago.  I did not intentionally upgrade the kernel, altho I think it came as part of a general upgrade routine, and I did not [intentionally] downgrade it back, either.  I had some difficulties after the upgrade, which some kind folks here have helped me survive and, hopefully, repair.  I am satisfied with the os, except for its speed, but I am running a relatively slow single-core AMD cpu and the maximum 2GB memory, and likely I'm running as fast as I can, anyway!)  --doug

You obviously think wrong.

In PCLinuxOS there is no such thing as an involuntary kernel upgrade. You must specifically ask for a new kernel to be installed, not upgraded. New kernels are added, not upgraded. Your old kernel will continue to be present so you can boot to either the old or new kernel, until you are sure the new kernel is working properly with your equipment. You can then ask for the older kernel to be uninstalled/removed in Synaptic.

[Maurice]

Texstar has told everyone who is still using their original installation kernel to upgrade to a more recent kernel to avoid serious run time issues with all the newest packages..

In PCLinuxOS there is no such thing as an involuntary kernel upgrade. You must specifically ask for a new kernel to be installed, not upgraded. New kernels are added, not upgraded. Your old kernel will continue to be present so you can boot to either the old or new kernel, until you are sure the new kernel is working properly with your equipment. You can then ask for the older kernel to be uninstalled/removed in Synaptic.

That's probably little  understood among us newbies old-polack - me at least - and worth knowing.

Anyway - all is now fixed.

I reloaded and refreshed and then downloaded the new kernel with no further problems. Many thanks muungwana and Andrzeil for your help - and so fast too.

Maurice

[Maurice]

muungwana ... if you're still around.

I forgot to give you the memtest result after installing the pae kernel.

It was MemTotal:   4038488 kB That is a huge difference. Does it signify anything?

[AndrzejL]

Maurice.

You chose well:

The reply to the earlier command you suggested was - MemTotal 3369248kb

Previous kernel was not "seeing" Your RAM fully. Just 3.2 gig out of 4 gigs...

It was MemTotal:   4038488 kB That is a huge difference. Does it signify anything?

New one does... It shows 3.85 gig of RAM

What does it signify? Enjoy over half of gig (669 240 kb = 0.63 GB... ) of extra memory and the speed of BFS...

Previously You were using bfs kernel. BFS kernel can see maximum 3.2 gig of ram (or something like this...) now pae kernel can see up to 64 gigs of ram... Plus thanks to the kindness of Texstar we do now have pae.bfs kernel in our repo. This means that kernel is snappy and can see up to 64 gigs of ram... How cool is that?

Regards.

Andy

[Maurice]

Thanks Andrzeil.

Nicely explained. I've learnt a lot more from this thread than just installing the latest kernel - my original query.