update kernel-default to kernel-smp

[geert.soenen@centric.be]

Hi,

I have a SLES9 server running in a VMware virtual machine. Virtual machine has 1 cpu assigned. Sles9 has kernel-default installed. I want to add a 2nd cpu to this virtual machine, so kernel-smp will be required.

How do i update kernel-default to kernel-smp?

Regards
Geert

[oz]

Welcome to the forums!

I don't run Suse so I'm not sure how their kernels are setup to work, but most distro kernels default to smp if you have two processors running.

Maybe someone more familiar with Suse kernels will reply with additional info.

[geert.soenen@centric.be]

Hi,

The server has 1 cpu at installation time, so the kernel-default was installed. Now a second cpu is added and kernel needs to be changed to kernel-smp. Can this be achieved without reinstalling the system?

[gogalthorp]

Look in /boot/grub/menu.lst

you will find a line that points to a symbolic link that points to the boot kernel.

It is best to modify the symbolic link rather then edit the menu.lst. This is so if you do an automated kernel upgrade the process will just change the symbolic link to point to the new kernel.

Only the newest kernels will sense multi-processors and configure themselves to use all of them. Older kernels you must point the boot process to the SMP compiled kernel.

[geert.soenen@centric.be]

Hi,

This is how /boot/grub/menu.lst looks like now :


# Modified by YaST2. Last modification on Tue May 8 13:57:20 2007
color white/blue black/light-gray
default 0
timeout 8
gfxmenu (hd0,1)/message

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title Linux
kernel (hd0,1)/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda3 vga=0x32b selinux=0 splash=silent resume=/dev/sda1 elevator=cfq showopts
initrd (hd0,1)/initrd

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: floppy###
title Floppy
root (fd0)
chainloader +1

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe
kernel (hd0,1)/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda3 showopts ide=nodma apm=off acpi=off vga=normal noresume selinux=0 barrier=off nosmp noapic maxcpus=0 3
initrd (hd0,1)/initrd


kernel refers to "vmlinuz" symbolic link which in turn refers to kernel-default :
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 27 May 24 03:32 vmlinuz -> vmlinuz-2.6.5-7.283-default

I have only kernel-default installed in /boot.

So, i suppose i will need to install kernel-smp with yast, change menu.lst and reboot with smp kernel. Is this right?

Rgrds
Geert

[bigtomrodney]

Best thing to do would be install it and manuall select it from grub first to make sure all is well. Don't change Grub or the symbolic link until you are sure it is working.