Removing old kernel entries in GRUB boot loader menu

[James Gray]

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Derek Broughton wrote:
> James Gray wrote:
> 
>> To see what kernels are installed, try this:
>>
>> export COLUMNS=150; dpkg -l '*image*' | grep ^ii
> 
> James, that's so last millenium :-)
> 
> aptitude search linux-image | grep "^i"
> 
> (or apt-get).  
> 
>> Best option is to find the correct meta-package for whatever kernel you
>> want to run (386/686/k7/k8/smp/etc), install the meta package.  Then
>> when new kernels come out it removes the old one as part of the
>> meta-package upgrade process.  You still need to manually remove the old
>> kernels that were installed PRIOR to the meta-package.
>  
> Ah.  This can only work if aptitude is _not_ installed.  aptitude, by
> default, installs a conf file that prevents automatically purging images. 

Yet another reason I *don't* use aptitude :P  (or synaptic, or kynaptic,
or adept, or....)

> A good idea, imo, as about 50% of the dapper kernels I've installed (and I
> have installed every 686 kernel ever released in dapper) have had adverse
> effects, so I keep the previous kernel until I'm sure the new one is good.

That's never happened to me - the old "YMMV" adage applies here I guess
:)  Then again, I usually wait a few days (or longer) before installing
new kernels until all you early-adopters report the bugs, then I get the
next one which doesn't blow my system up. Heheh.  It's similar to the
old "never install version 1.0 of anything" idea.

> I doubt this would work if you use apt-get, either, as the meta-package
> never conflicts with prior kernels.  Perhaps synaptic handles the purge
> itself.

Nup, "apt-get dist-upgrade" does what I described originally, but
"apt-get update" will only install the new kernel without removing the
old one.  If you're happy with the new kernel, do the dist-upgrade and
the old kernel disappears :)

HTH,

James
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