kernel-4.4.30-desktop-2.mga5 doesnt boot [Solved]

[bravoul]

The process of updating was intrrupted. So the kernelmodules were generated but no /lib/modules-4.4.30-desktop-2.mga5_directory. Is it possible to remove the new kernel-version and start the update -kernel process again? Mageia5 starts without problems using the 4.4.30-desktop-2.mga5-kernel.
Tia for advice.

[doktor5000]

You can simply reinstall the affected packages via

Code: Select all

urpmi --replacepkgs --replacefiles packagename

[gohlip]

You can simply reinstall the affected packages via

Code: Select all

urpmi --replacepkgs --replacefiles packagename

But since it is a kernel, remember to do that at another (older) kernel.

[doktor5000]

Hmmm? Could you explain what you mean by that?

[gohlip]

Hmmm? Could you explain what you mean by that?

So say you have 2 kernels 4.4.30 and 4.4.28 and we want to reinstall 4.4.30.
Then boot up to kernel 4.4.28 and reinstall 4.4.30.

Just good practice that we do not reinstall a kernel that we are currently booted on.
Not sure if that is even allowed anyway. Haven't tried nor want to try.

ps: updates of kernels are different and they (updates) take effect upon rebooting.

[doktor5000]

Well, if you cannot boot a newer kernel, then you cannot trigger the reinstall using that kernel, so I don't see the point there. As long as you got a shell and network access or access to the packages locally, reinstall is possible no matter which kernel you're on.
And yes, you can reinstall any package that is currently being used, as the files that are already in use are in RAM and will stay that way even after the update on disk - this is the same for updates of packages which are in use, which does not differ from a reinstall in that regard.

Kernel updates are not really different, although they naturally do only take effect once you reboot, same as for some other basesystem packages like glibc, udev, systemd and the like.

[gohlip]

You're sure, doktor5000?

I know we should not/cannot delete an existing kernel while we're using it.
As for reinstalling a kernel while in use.... isn't the process a removal and reinstalling?

Hope you're right, but won't want to prove you wrong.
But you can, of course, prove to us you're right.
And... good luck. LOL.

[doktor5000]

I know we should not/cannot delete an existing kernel while we're using it.
As for reinstalling a kernel while in use.... isn't the process a removal and reinstalling?

Yes technically you can, which is also what happens e.g. fro RHEL/CentOS if you choose e.g. installonly=1 it will only keep 1 kernel (which is pretty dumb, but that doesn't matter here) and which will remove the currently running kernel and its modules, so until you reboot you e.g. cannot load any modules for the currently booted kernel. So technically this is possible - but anyways, we digress from the original topic, and your points were all valid and this shouldn't be done, I just wanted to point out this tiny bit, all good

And reinstalling is not exactly the same as removing and reinstalling, you can also do this with rpm alone with rpm -ihv --force on any package, it will basically just overwrite the files and execute the triggers and pre/post scripts.

[jiml8]

Yes, changing kernels "on the fly" or reloading or modifying while that kernel is running is not a problem. Works fine; as Doktor pointed out everything is in RAM so what you do on disk doesn't matter until you reboot.

I do that all the time, on both linux and freebsd (though far more often on freebsd).

[gohlip]

Okay, thanks for the feedback. Good to know. I stand corrected.
Cheers.

[bravoul]

Thanks for all the hints and comments.
Sorry, the kernel not booting was not Kernel 4.4.30-desktop-2 but Kernel 4.4.32-desktop-1.
The command
urpmi --replacepkgs --replacefiles kernelname
completed the broken kernel installation. So my problem is solved.

[doktor5000]

Please mark the thread accordingly by editing the topic of the first post and prefix it by [SOLVED], thanks