Basiiiiiiiiiic Question about upgrading Kernel

[skiflyer]

Call me an idiot if you like, I'm slowly but surely setting aside a little time to rehab my box at home into a linux box, and I keep coming across questions that are maybe just too basic to find answers to.

So here's my question for today...
I installed a distro with version 2.2something of the Kernel.

-If- I decided I wanted to upgrade to version 2.5 of the Kernel, can I do this relatively easily? Is it a recompile of the Kernel (obviouslly at least this much), or is it a total re-install of the distro?

How would one even begin to go about such a change?

Running Debian 3.0 whatever... the Woody Release From December 16th.

Thanks for any feedback,
Rob

 

[sleipnir214]

Are you sure you want to upgrade to version 2.5 of the kernel?

Linux kernel revisions are divided up into two forks: development and production. Production kernels have even-numbered semi-majored versions (eg. 2.2, 2.4). Development kernels have odd numbered semi-major versions (eg. 2.5).

Unless you need some feature that only the development kernel has, if you are new to the OS, stick with the production kernels.

Now if you want to upgrade to kernel revision 2.4, you should be able to do so using Debian's package management system.

Want the best answers? Ask the best questions:

http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

TANSTAAFL!

 

[skiflyer]

I want to stick with version 2.2 right now, things running smoothly and uninterestingly... (Hopefully, it was finishing up the install as I was headed out for work this morning)

I was asking in the hypothetical... (thanks for that tidbit of information though)

So it's as simple as an appropriate apt-get... great. Perhaps the question I need to be asking is this then,

is there a book or web site you'd recommend that comes in small doses and would be helpful to someone in my situation

1) Used linux all through college
2) Has run a couple linux boxes to do nothing special
3) Understands some of the security basics
4) Is clueless when it comes to installing/removing programs, recompiling anything.

Basically, I get using it, I know how to code on it, and I took a class learning all the theory about why I need shadow passwords and such, but when it comes to the stuff that makes a computer useful (being able to install a new program, or clean out an old one for example), I'm still totally lost. I realize with debian I'm going to be able to do some package management for alot of that, but I dunno, I feel ignorant on the topic still. For example, I had no idea of the even/odd numbers you mentioned, nor do I imagine anything I've been reading would've pointed that out to me.

Alright, sorry for the rant, thanks for the information, and hope everyone's having a good monday.

-Rob

 

[sleipnir214]

I wish I could help you on the learning resources, but I got dropped into Linux at work many years ago and learned it all organically. My books were the brain of an expert coworker.

I'll bow out now.

Want the best answers? Ask the best questions:

http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

TANSTAAFL!

 

[perrymans]

Your local libraries probably have several books on Linux. I know mine does (first one I read was written by Linus).

And they are free!

Sean.

 

[skiflyer]

The hard part isn't finding a book on linux, the hard part is finding one that

a) doesn't treat me like a person who can't work a microwave

b) doesn't treat me like a person who can re-write the kernel in is sleep

c) isn't a waste of my already way too limited time.

-Rob

 

[redss]

You might get something from this website:

http://freebooks.boom.ru/view/LinuxUnleashed/ewtoc.html