Posts tagged kernel

Kernel Switcher Arrives | GDM/KDM/LXDM Support

843 days
by in Howto, Sabayon Linux

Finally, a break through in kernel upgrades!  Fabio has committed a beta script for everyone to try out. Some of yas maybe sitting there going cool, but how do I make this wonderful feature work.  Let’s do this real quick:

  • As user, you need to copy and paste the contents from git to a new file in your home directory.  So I simply fire up terminal and type in nano kernel-switcher and than paste the contents from git to it, ctrl x to close and Y to save it.  Now in my home directory is a file called kernel-switcher.
  • Now we need to give it permission to execute, so as user chmod +x kernel-switcher
  • You are now ready to switch to root to run the script.  It don’t really matter if you are user or root to create the script, but you must be root to run the script.
  • Check to make sure it works.  I will assume we are in the same working directory here so:
  • SL64Gnome ~ # ./kernel-switcher help
>> kernel-switcher – Sabayon Linux Kernel Switcher BETA
>>   switch kernel: kernel-switcher switch <kernel package>
>>   list kernels: kernel-switcher list
>>   this help: kernel-switcher help
Nothing too complicated yet, very simple and to the point.
  • You can run ./kernel-switcher list and get a list of the kernels available, I found this to be a bit much and may confuse some as to what kernel to select. So you can also just use the simple command equo search linux-sabayon to pull less kernels and the kernel you will need. Use uname -r to find your kernel version.  So if that returns 2.6.36-sabayon and you see @@ Package: sys-kernel/linux-sabayon-2.6.37 is available, we can simply update to that kernel.
  • You just run ./kernel-switcher switch linux-sabayon-2.6.37 and that command will tell equo to download the new kernel, download the modules/drivers you need for that kernel, and than update your grub2 so your new entry is there.  I would double check before rebooting and make sure your eselect kernel list has the * next to new kernel and eselect opengl list has the * next to your video.

This is beta yet and if you have any ideas to implement, feel free to drop us a line.  This is going to make our rolling release better.  We will keep you posted of future changes of course.

Another thing to touch on here.  Since I don’t experience this, I’m out of the loop on it.  Apparently the GMD/KDM/LXDM only support the American keyboard layout.  So this thread on the forum is for you.  It’s now been integrated into the keyboard-configuration-helpers package.  How that works, I have no idea as I use American keyboard layout. Questions and support can be asked on the forum.

Hope everyone is enjoying the release of Sabayon 5.5, first time we ever beat our deadline!  Cheers!

Do You Limbo? .37

866 days
by in Howto, Sabayon Linux

A user of the limbo repository that is helping test limbo packages that is.  Some big updates in limbo lately and we would like to hear from those that are using the limbo repository.  Any issues, such as graphical, like the screen isn’t refreshing properly or as Joost says, painted artifacts or x freezing?  If so, we would like to know what your hardware is.  I’m not noticing any problems with my nvidia card yet on the gnome side.  I just finished updating my KDE x86 install, 534 updates for that install.  It doesn’t matter which kernel you are using.  Joost noticed things with .36 and .37.

Last week I ran into an issue with entropy alpha4 version.  I could update, but I couldn’t do anything else without it puking some alien language on my screen.  With a broken entropy, I was kinda dead in the water for getting anything installed.  So what does a guy do?  You always have portage to recover entropy.  This is why in our wiki, fresh install what to do section, I put in the suggestion of doing an emerge –sync && layman -S every so often.  Entropy is also on our overlay so you can recover it after you do your emerge –sync && layman -S and do emerge entropy equo sulfur to reinstall your entropy packages.  In my case it had already been bumped two versions to alpha6.  Once installed via portage, I was back in business with entropy.  Keep that in mind, portage and our overlay can come in handy.

2.6.37 is available in-case you didn’t know.  Remember, a new kernel version should never be pulled with regular updates.  If it does, please file a bug with the relevant information.  So I will go through steps on how I do a kernel upgrade via equo.

  • First I check to see what is available equo search linux-sabayon will show me: sys-kernel/linux-sabayon-2.6.37 is not installed and available of course.
  • So to install it, I issue equo install sys-kernel/linux-sabayon-2.6.37 and wait for that to download and install.  After install, verify with eselect kernel list and the * should be on linux-2.6.37-sabayon.  If not, use eselect kernel set 3 (use the number that corresponds with your kernel).

As always with our kernel changes, you must reinstall your modules/drivers.  Repeat to yourself, if I change the kernel, I must reinstall modules/drivers till it sinks in.  There is a trick to this, it’s not as easily as installing a new kernel and doing and equo upgrade to pull the new drivers as it won’t do that.  You have to tell entropy the specifics of it.  So the stuff I need to reinstall are my nvidia drivers and virtualbox stuff.  Use equo search to get the package names.

  • So for nvidia drivers I do equo search nvidia-drivers and I find x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers-260.19.29#2.6.37-sabayon, which are the ones I need, your mileage may vary, but the key here is to look for the #2.6.37-sabayon as that means it is for .37 kernel.  So the trick is to use the full path of name for install, equo install x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers-260.19.29#2.6.37-sabayon and let that download and install.  After install, veryify with eselect opengl list and the * should be at nvidia.  If it is not, use the eselect opengl set 1 (use the number that corresponds with your driver).
  • For each module/driver, repeat that step.  For virtualbox I would do the equo search and than find out I need to do equo install app-emulation/virtualbox-modules-3.2.12#2.6.37-sabayon.

You only need to do this once after a kernel change.  After you get the proper versions installed, equo upgrade will know which version you are using and keep the software up to date or if you reinstall a package, equo install nvidia-drivers should be all you need.  Upon installing the kernel, your grub should be updated and ready to go for the reboot to your new kernel.  Just got to keep in mind that driver version has to match kernel version.  Use full name to reinstall drivers after a kernel change and after that, you should be set.  A bit of PITA and confusing for new people, but easy to do and once you do it once, you will have the confidence to do it again, just take notes, ehehe.

Sabayon – Woes and Whoas of Upgrades

919 days
by in Sabayon Linux

Seems to be some woes and whoas running rampant in the community.  Lets take a look and see what some of the popular ones are.  Most of the issues are after a fresh install and than doing the upgrades via the package manager to get your system current with the repositories.

Missing icons:  Upon reboot, all your icons are missing, seeing X’s instead of an image.  This one creeps up from time to time and doesn’t seem to be effecting those that have been rolling along with updates.  Please reinstall gtk+ by doing equo install x11-libs/gtk+ and restart your desktop.  Everything should be happy once again.

KDE login:  Seems a lot of people are having issues with not being able to log in after doing updates.  It seems to effect even those that are rolling along with it.  I haven’t been in my KDE install for some time now so I am not up to speed with this.  So I suggest a few things like equo deptest and equo libtest and deleting the .kde directory in your home directory.  If you delete .kde directory, you will loose the customizations, but may get your desktop back.  Forum user magesha maybe on to something with his latest posts on the subject.  He even tells how to get the customization back.  Give his suggestions a try if you run into this.  Also notice all the log files he provided with his first post, that is a most excellent post for asking for help.  I will get back to my KDE install some day.

Upgrading Kernel:  Fighting the package manager to get the proper driver packages?  Well you are not alone and something has changed, but the boss says it’s a feature, not a bug.  This is why I hate kernel upgrades, turns into a headache every time for the users.  In our wiki, we have provided a howto manage kernel upgrades that people have been following with success till now.  Here is my vision, once I have done a new equo install linux-sabayon and the new kernel is pulled, installed and eselected, I should be able to do equo upgrade and it pulls the packages that match the new kernel.  That use to work, when I upgraded to kernel .35 I noticed the upgrade didn’t work, so I did the drivers manually by doing something like equo install nvidia-drivers and the correct version would come in for my kernel.  With .36 kernel,  I could not do that, it would pull nvidia-drivers for .35, sigh.  So I had to be more direct with a equo install x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers-256.53#2.6.36-sabayon.  There was even a bug opened with same issue, can’t find it at the moment, but I felt the person’s pain and confusion.  The answer of a user should not be doing kernel upgrades unless they know what they are doing is wrong.  50+% of users would still be on kernel 1.0 if that was the case.  So I don’t know.  Once I install a new kernel, I am done with the old kernel and I don’t want anything more to do with it.  So for now, use the full package name to get your correct drivers, use equo search to find the name.  I can’t wait for .37……. sigh.

So anyway, if you have problems, please check the forum and see if someone else is having the same problem, maybe a solution already exists.  You can also search our bugzilla to see if something has been already reported.  If you are submitting a new bug or forum post, please provide as much information as possible.

Also note, the dailys should be 2.6.36 now.

Kernel Upgrade Refresher

1016 days
by in Sabayon Linux

Here we go again with a new kernel and people are simply forgetting that you also need to update your modules/drivers once you pull a new kernel.   Please refer to Sabayon wiki on understanding upgrading before you drive the support staff to raging alcoholics.

A quick and easy command to issue is:

# equo update && equo install linux-sabayon && equo world

Reboot to new kernel.

What does that do?  It will update your repository, install a new kernel if one is available and than it will install the modules/drivers  that fit your new kernel.  A kernel should never be automatically pulled, if it does, file a bug on our bugzilla immediately.  It will also update your grub.cfg file and add the new kernel.  So if you are one that is editing /boot/grub/grub.cfg by hand, make a back up of that file so you can edit and restore it.  It doesn’t hurt to make a back up of it anyway just incase.  Grub2 is about as stable as an active volcano near a plate line.

# mv /boot/grub/grub.cfg   /boot/grub/grub.cfg.backup

Now you have a file called grub.cfg.backup to always refer to.

Please pass this info on to all your buddies, help save the support crew.

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