3. Changing the kernel

You can skip this section if you can detect the ide-scsi module using lsmod (see SCSI emulation in the previous section). Otherwise, you must install a kernel with the ide-scsi module. The pre-compiled kernel images are supplied as .deb packages on the official CDROMs. A safe choice is kernel-image-2.2.20.

3.1. Precautions

3.2. Installing the new kernel

You can check which pre-compiled kernels are available using apt-cache.

athlon:/home/chris# apt-cache pkgnames | grep kernel-image | more

A good choice is to install "kernel-image-2.2.20", because it includes the "ide-scsi" module. Use apt-get to start the installation process.

athlon:/home/chris# apt-get install kernel-image-2.2.20
A new kernel has been installed at /boot/vmlinuz-2.2.20
Would you like to create a boot floppy now? [No] 

Enter y if you would like to create a boot floppy, and follow the instructions.

Would you like to create a boot floppy now? [No] y

Now you need to install a boot block. This makes your system bootable from the hard drive. If Debian is the only operating system on your PC, you can probably accept the default answers. If you have other operating systems and a boot manager other than lilo you must be careful not to install a boot block in the mbr nor to make your Linux root partition active.

My system has other operating systems on /dev/hda1, /dev/hda2 and /dev/hda5. The Linux swapspace is on /dev/hda6 and the Debian root is on hda7. My boot manager expects to boot Debian Linux from partition /dev/hda7. This is what I have to enter:

Install a boot block using the existing /etc/lilo.conf [Yes] n
Wipe out your old LILO configuration and make a new one? [No] y
Do you wish to set up Linux to boot from the hard disk? [Yes] y
Install a partition boot block on partition /dev/hda7? [Yes] y
Make /dev/hda7 the active partition? [Yes] n

You should be able to work out your needs by looking at this listing. See /usr/share/doc/mbr/README and documents in /usr/share/doc/lilo for more details

3.3. If things go wrong

If you find that you want to re-install this kernel, you will have to make it available to apt-get again by un-installing it

This command un-installs the kernel image:

athlon:/home/chris# dpkg --purge --force-remove-essential kernel-image-2.2.20

This command regenerates the apt cache and displays a list of kernel images in the regenerated cache:

athlon:/home/chris# apt-cache --generate search kernel-image | more