update-grub scans /boot and looks for kernels (files named "vmlinuz...") and initrd files. It constructs a menu item for each kernel it finds, and puts the kernels in order by kernel version and extraversion. So my custom kernel (2.4.18.0724) is before the default woody kernel of 2.2.20. If I compiled a 2.4.19 kernel today, it would be first in the list and the others would move down.
In addition it looks at /dev/hda1 to see if Windows is there; if so it makes a menu item to boot Windows. (Of course this choice is last in the list, as God intended. <G>) The reason the above works is that I've flouted Debian orthodoxy and defined EXTRAVERSION myself. If I did things the Debian Way, I'd get kernel packages with mile-long names and they wouldn't be sorted automagically by update-grub. By putting the two lines: postinst_hook=/sbin/update-grub postrm_hook=/sbin/update-grub in /etc/kernel-img.conf you cause update-grub to be run each time a kernel image deb is either installed or removed. So you may not even need to edit the grub configuration (let alone re-install grub). The first time you run update-grub you need to inspect /boot/grub/menu.lst and READ THE COMMENTS CAREFULLY -- comments begin with ##. Options you need to define begin with #. If you have more than one *nix system on more than one partition you'll still need to edit this file each time you install/remove a kernel deb, but it's still less work than doing everything yourself. Kevin On Sun, 9 Feb 2003 21:23:00 +0100 mi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hi Kevin > Sound good. > I didn't know that piece about update-grub. It reads the package > database then ? I'll do rtfm, also about configuring kernel-kpkg, and > try something your way :-) > > micha. > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] schrieb zu Re: make-kpkg, was: Getting PCMCIA to > work?: > > I use make-kpkg to build several versions of a kernel, and this for me > > is much simpler: edit Makefile and define Extraversion as the date, so > > today Extraversion=.0209. > > > > If I made more than one version today I could extend it with .020901 > > or something. > > > > This has several desirable consequences: > > 1. I don't need to screw around with symlinks. Each kernel has a > > unique name, and the boot loader knows it by that name. In the boot > > menu kernels are shown in order from newest to oldest. 2. Each kernel > > has its own/lib/modules tree and I don't need to worry about > > overwriting an old one before I'm ready -- it's installed or removed > > along with its kernel. 3. I use grub, so I have configured > > kernel-package to run update-grub whenever I install or remove a > > kernel package. > > > -- > To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact > [EMAIL PROTECTED] >
