Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Upgrading from 5.14 to 6.0 version

[Mark Knecht <markknecht@gmail.com>]

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On Mon, Nov 14, 2022 at 2:06 PM Dale <rdalek1967@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Nikos Chantziaras wrote:
> > On 12/11/2022 23:37, Dale wrote:
> >> Usually, I try to update about once a year.  I don't change hardware
> >> much.
> >
> > The main reason I suggested LTS is because that, *when* you decide to
> > do a @world update, you will get the latest LTS of the same main
> > version you're already using. For example you'll go from 5.15.20 to
> > 5.15.78. And that means you won't have to bother with an array of
> > endless "make oldconfig" questions. There'll be like one or two at
> > most, which is trivial to deal with.
> >
> > I've been using LTS kernels for years now, and I never looked back.
> > "make oldconfig" usually doesn't say anything, making it a
> > ridiculously fast and no-brainer update, and yet I get the latest
> > bugfixes and security fixes.
> >
> > It just works :-)
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> Thing is, I may go a year, sometimes more, without updating the kernel.
> If I rebooted often, I could see using a LTS kernel.  If a kernel can
> run for months with no problems, it's stable enough for me.  Plus my
> hardware works.
>
> I have even built a kernel but never actually booted it.  By the time I
> get around to rebooting, I've had to build another kernel.  I generally
> always work from a known stable config tho.  The only reason I wouldn't
> is if I build a new system and have to start from scratch.  I've also
> had times when I had to update because my video drivers wouldn't build
> with a older kernel version that I'm running.  That doesn't happen to
> often but I recall running into that at least once.
>
> Either way, biggest question was if there was some known breakage
> between my old version and a newer version.  Maybe the one I tried just
> had some weird problem that only affected me or I just missed something
> during the oldconfig.  I wish I could recall the error.  Who knows on
> that.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Dale
>
> :-)  :-)
>
>

Dale,
   While I completely understand your 'reboot once a year' POV, I think
you might *possibly* be missing the point Nikos and others are making.

   If you are on 5.14.XX you aren't currently using a LTS kernel. The
LTS kernels would be the 5.10 and 5.15 series, according to kernel.org.

   If you don't CARE what kernel you are running then why not build
5.15.78 which is currently the most recent LTS kernel. If there are
updates to that series for bug & security fixes then once you have
built 5.15.78 (WHETHER YOU RUN IT OR NOT) then further
updates to that series won't be a big deal and probably don't even
require much of a config change or a tool chain change. It WILL
be easy.

   You would move forward going from 5.14.15 to 5.15.78. If
you don't NEED something in 6.0.5 or 6.0.8 then why bother?

   Once you have 5.15.78 built and installed it's there if you
reboot. If you don't reboot then you'll go on building 5.15
kernels until some newer LTS kernel is named.

   It is truly an easy way to manage the kernel part of
running Linux.

Good luck,
Mark

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