What is the procedure for upgrading a kernel on Slackware?
by hazel from LinuxQuestions.org on (#4T917)
I ask because slackpkg tells me there is a new kernel available: 4.4.190. I assume this is to provide protection against spectre. Now most distros, when told to "upgrade" a kernel, actually install the new kernel alongside the old for safety. But I have a nasty feeling that slackware, which tends to take instructions very literally, might actually upgrade the working kernel and perhaps mess up my next boot. So what does one do in such cases?
One thing I've already tried is to fetch and install this specific version (kernel-generic-4.4.190-x86_64-1) by name using slackpkg. That doesn't work. Should I download the kernel image by hand and then use installpkg? The subsequent bootloader configuration isn't an issue; I know how to do that. I just want to know, as a fairly new slacker, what the normal procedure is for upgrading the kernel itself.
One thing I've already tried is to fetch and install this specific version (kernel-generic-4.4.190-x86_64-1) by name using slackpkg. That doesn't work. Should I download the kernel image by hand and then use installpkg? The subsequent bootloader configuration isn't an issue; I know how to do that. I just want to know, as a fairly new slacker, what the normal procedure is for upgrading the kernel itself.