Using the SLES9 kernel-update-tool to Update Kernel Modules
Overview
Novell's SLES 9 kernel-update-tool provides a method by which customers can automatically have updated kernel modules installed when they install a new kernel version. The following information explains how to automatically and/or manually trigger this SLES 9 kernel-module update process.
Definitions
Please see Driver Process Terminology.
How to Automatically Trigger the SLES 9 Kernel-Module Update Process
To automatically trigger the SLES 9 kernel-module update process, you must be installing a post-2.6.5-7.282 kernel from Novell. Only Novell's post-2.6.5-7.282 kernels have been "instrumented" to automatically trigger the kernel-module update process. Steps:
- The system should contain a previously installed a kernel-module package built in accordance with the document Kernel Module Packages Manual for CODE 9. Specifically, the kernel-module package should have installed kernel modules into the lib/modules/<running-kernel>/updates directory as well as a <package-name> file into the /var/lib/YaST2/download/ directory.. This kernel-module package should have installed kernel modules into the lib/modules/<running-kernel>/updates directory as well as a <package-name> file into the /var/lib/YaST2/download/ directory. Note: Only kernel-module packages built through the Driver Process will be updated using the kernel-module update process.
- Install all the latest patches (including the "YaST2 update for yast2-packagemanager and kernel-update-tool" patch). Patches can be retrieved manually from http://support.novell.com/linux/psdb.
- Use YaST Online Update (YOU) to install a post-2.6.5-7.282 kernel provided by Novell. All post-2.6.5-7.282 kernels will be "instrumented" to trigger the automatic kernel-module updater.
- The kernel installation will invoke the /usr/sbin/kernel-update-tool script (which was installed by the kernel-module-tool rpm). This script will
- Look for any kernel-modules in the /lib/module/<running-kernel>/updates directory.
- For each of these kernel modules, the script will:
- determine which package "owns" the module.
- read the update URL from the /var/lib/YaST2/download/<module-package-name> file
- access the URL to find an updated version of the package which matches the new kernel being installed.
- install the new package.
How to Manually Trigger the SLES 9 Kernel-Module Update Process
Anyone wishing to install kernels other than post-2.6.5-7.282 kernels from Novell can manually "trigger" the kernel-module update process. Steps:
- The system should contain a previously-installed kernel-module package built in accordance with the document Kernel Module Packages Manual for CODE 9. This kernel-module package should have installed its kernel modules into the lib/modules/<running-kernel>/updates directory as well as a <package-name> file into the /var/lib/YaST2/download/ directory. Note: Only kernel-module packages built through the Driver Process will be updated using the kernel-module update process.
- Install all the latest patches (including the "YaST2 update for yast2-packagemanager and kernel-update-tool" patch).
- Obtain the rpm package for the new kernel to be installed.
- Use the “/usr/sbin/kernel-update-tool –install <new-kernel-package>” command to install the new kernel.
- Before installing the new kernel, the kernel-update-tool script will:
- Look for any kernel-modules in the /lib/module/<running-kernel>/updates directory.
- For each of these kernel modules, the script will:
- determine which package "owns" the module.
- read the update URL from the /var/lib/YaST2/download/<module-package-name> file
- access the URL to find an updated version of the package which matches the new kernel being installed.
- install the new package.