[gentoo-user] Can I do a one-time boot to non-default kernel in Lilo?

[gentoo-user] Can I do a one-time boot to non-default kernel in Lilo?

[Walter Dnes]

  Not exactly your typical "remote machine", but the principle is the
same.  I have a dedicated HTPC machine next to my 50" plasma, connected
by 50 feet of ethernet cable to my computer den.  I use the TV as a
monitor when running NHL GameCenter Live.

  I have Lilo set up to "dual boot" between a "production" and an
"experimental" kernel.  The first (i.e. default) boot option is the
"production" kernel.  When I set up a new kernel, I try to always run it
as experimental.  Even if the kernel panics, I don't<G>.  I boot back
into the production kernel, and try again.  Once the experimental kernel
has run for a couple of weeks without problems, I copy it over the
production kernel.

  One problem... if I build a new kernel, is there a way to get the
"remote machine" to boot to the non-default experimental kernel just
once?  Any future boots to default to production (unless its a restart
from hibernate).

-- 
Walter Dnes <waltdnes@waltdnes.org>

Re: [gentoo-user] Can I do a one-time boot to non-default kernel in Lilo?

[Bruce Hill, Jr.]

On March 11, 2012 at 11:16 PM Walter Dnes <waltdnes@waltdnes.org> wrote:

>   Not exactly your typical "remote machine", but the principle is the
> same.  I have a dedicated HTPC machine next to my 50" plasma, connected
> by 50 feet of ethernet cable to my computer den.  I use the TV as a
> monitor when running NHL GameCenter Live.
>
>   I have Lilo set up to "dual boot" between a "production" and an
> "experimental" kernel.  The first (i.e. default) boot option is the
> "production" kernel.  When I set up a new kernel, I try to always run it
> as experimental.  Even if the kernel panics, I don't<G>.  I boot back
> into the production kernel, and try again.  Once the experimental kernel
> has run for a couple of weeks without problems, I copy it over the
> production kernel.
>
>   One problem... if I build a new kernel, is there a way to get the
> "remote machine" to boot to the non-default experimental kernel just
> once?  Any future boots to default to production (unless its a restart
> from hibernate).
>
> --
> Walter Dnes <waltdnes@waltdnes.org>
>

Unless I misunderstand you, after you issue "lilo" to write to the MBR,
then issue:
lilo -R experimental

where experimental is the name of the kernel image you want to boot. The R
creates a one time command which it will use the next time you boot, then
it will be erased.

And give the kernel an append statement:
append="panic=10"

so that if the kernel does not boot, you get automatically rebooted back
into the good kernel.

--
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Re: [gentoo-user] Can I do a one-time boot to non-default kernel in Lilo?

[Walter Dnes]

On Sun, Mar 11, 2012 at 11:35:33PM -0400, Bruce Hill, Jr. wrote

> Unless I misunderstand you, after you issue "lilo" to write to the MBR,
> then issue:
> lilo -R experimental
> 
> where experimental is the name of the kernel image you want to boot. The R
> creates a one time command which it will use the next time you boot, then
> it will be erased.
> 
> And give the kernel an append statement:
> append="panic=10"
> 
> so that if the kernel does not boot, you get automatically rebooted back
> into the good kernel.

  Thanks.  That's exactly what I was looking for.  I vaguely remembered
reading about something this, but my Google-fu didn't quite work.

-- 
Walter Dnes <waltdnes@waltdnes.org>