Old Linux kernels

[Robert Brockway]

On Thu, 6 Oct 2011, Doug Stewart wrote:

> Thanks Gord, I have now done this. but I thought there was a more automatic
> way that when you install a new one it would only keep the latest 2 or 3
> and delete the older ones automatically

I wouldn't recommend doing it automatically.  If a system stayed up for a 
long time (say a server) it could see many kernel updates while it 
continued to run on an old kernel.  You could eventually find that the 
only verified bootable kernel gets rotated out of the set and that all of 
your newer kernels are untested - not a desirable position.  This isn't 
theoretical - I observed this happen with systems years ago and formed the 
opinion that kernel removal should be manual.

In any case the kernels and their associated files take up little room so 
there is little practical reason for removing them.

Cheers,

Rob

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