New kernel options, xen and bigsmp

[vuserv]

I reloaded openSuse 10.3 and upon completion loaded it up with software packages. I felt pretty certain I was only selecting software I was familiar enough with to either know I wanted to use it or at least try it. Perhaps adding the new software wasn't even a factor in this new kernel issue.

When all was completely downloaded, along with the recommended updates, I had quite a few new kernels and files in general in my /boot directory along with a lot added to my menu.lst file. Note, I don't use this menu.lst to boot from but instead use the info to modify the menu.lst in Ubuntu.

Here's the additions to my menu.lst:

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: xen###
title XEN -- openSUSE 10.3 - 2.6.22.17-0.1
    root (hd0,8)
    kernel /boot/xen-pae.gz 
    module /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22.17-0.1-xenpae root=/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SATA_FUJITSU_MHY2160_K405T7C2A2R5-part9 vga=0x314 resume=/dev/sda5 splash=silent showopts
    module /boot/initrd-2.6.22.17-0.1-xenpae

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: xen-2.6.22.17-0.1-xen###
title XEN -- openSUSE 10.3 - 2.6.22.17-0.1
    root (hd0,8)
    kernel /boot/xen.gz 
    module /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22.17-0.1-xen root=/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SATA_FUJITSU_MHY2160_K405T7C2A2R5-part9 vga=0x314 resume=/dev/sda5 splash=silent showopts
    module /boot/initrd-2.6.22.17-0.1-xen

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title Debug -- openSUSE 10.3 - 2.6.22.17-0.1
    root (hd0,8)
    kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22.17-0.1-debug root=/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SATA_FUJITSU_MHY2160_K405T7C2A2R5-part9 vga=0x314 resume=/dev/sda5 splash=silent showopts
    initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.22.17-0.1-debug

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux-2.6.22.17-0.1-bigsmp###
title openSUSE 10.3 - 2.6.22.17-0.1
    root (hd0,8)
    kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22.17-0.1-bigsmp root=/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SATA_FUJITSU_MHY2160_K405T7C2A2R5-part9 vga=0x314 resume=/dev/sda5 splash=silent showopts
    initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.22.17-0.1-bigsmp

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe -- openSUSE 10.3 - 2.6.22.17-0.1
    root (hd0,8)
    kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22.17-0.1-bigsmp root=/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SATA_FUJITSU_MHY2160_K405T7C2A2R5-part9 vga=normal showopts ide=nodma apm=off acpi=off noresume edd=off 3
    initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.22.17-0.1-bigsmp

Here is what my /boot folder looks like now:

ls /boot
backup_mbr                    memtest.bin                          
symvers-2.6.22.17-0.1-xenpae.gz   vmlinuz-2.6.22.17-0.1-xenpae
boot                          message                              
System.map-2.6.22.17-0.1-bigsmp   vmlinuz-xen
config-2.6.22.17-0.1-bigsmp   symsets-2.6.22.17-0.1-bigsmp.tar.gz  
System.map-2.6.22.17-0.1-debug    vmlinuz-xenpae
config-2.6.22.17-0.1-debug    symsets-2.6.22.17-0.1-debug.tar.gz   
System.map-2.6.22.17-0.1-default  xen-3.1.0_15042-51.3.gz
config-2.6.22.17-0.1-default  symsets-2.6.22.17-0.1-default.tar.gz 
System.map-2.6.22.17-0.1-xen      xen-3.1.gz
config-2.6.22.17-0.1-xen      symsets-2.6.22.17-0.1-xenpae.tar.gz  
System.map-2.6.22.17-0.1-xenpae   xen-3.gz
config-2.6.22.17-0.1-xenpae   symsets-2.6.22.17-0.1-xen.tar.gz     
vmlinux-2.6.22.17-0.1-bigsmp.gz   xen-dbg-3.1.0_15042-51.3.gz
grub                          symtypes-2.6.22.17-0.1-bigsmp.gz     
vmlinux-2.6.22.17-0.1-debug.gz    xen-dbg-3.1.gz
initrd                        symtypes-2.6.22.17-0.1-debug.gz      
vmlinux-2.6.22.17-0.1-default.gz  xen-dbg-3.gz
initrd-2.6.22.17-0.1-bigsmp   symtypes-2.6.22.17-0.1-default.gz    
vmlinux-2.6.22.17-0.1-xen.gz      xen-dbg.gz
initrd-2.6.22.17-0.1-debug    symtypes-2.6.22.17-0.1-xen.gz        
vmlinux-2.6.22.17-0.1-xenpae.gz   xen.gz
initrd-2.6.22.17-0.1-default  symtypes-2.6.22.17-0.1-xenpae.gz     
vmlinuz                           xen-syms
initrd-2.6.22.17-0.1-xen      symvers-2.6.22.17-0.1-bigsmp.gz      
vmlinuz-2.6.22.17-0.1-bigsmp      xen-syms-3.1.0_15042-51.3
initrd-2.6.22.17-0.1-xenpae   symvers-2.6.22.17-0.1-debug.gz       
vmlinuz-2.6.22.17-0.1-debug       xen-syms-dbg
initrd-xen                    symvers-2.6.22.17-0.1-default.gz     
vmlinuz-2.6.22.17-0.1-default     xen-syms-dbg-3.1.0_15042-51.3
initrd-xenpae                 symvers-2.6.22.17-0.1-xen.gz         
vmlinuz-2.6.22.17-0.1-xen

It looks like a big mess to me. Neither the new xem or bigsmp kernels will boot. The xem entry stops dead with an error 15 file not found. The bigsmp entry starts loading then gets stuck in a loop and then something else after that.

I can still boot up my default-x86_64 kernel, seemingly fine.

Here are my questions: What caused these other kernels to be loaded:

I think I read that xem has to do with running virtual machines. Is that right? I'm not planning any of that right now so don't think I need it.

I read about smp and bigsmp kernels, and how they allow for certain amounts of RAM and additional processors. Am I missing out on the use of my Core 2 Duo by not using one of these kernels?

Finally, what needs to be done to remove these other kernels if I'm not planning to use them. I realize I can take the lines out of my menu.lst, but want to know if it's as simple as removing/deleting these kernel files? I know, or at least assume, I can make a mess of things if I remove one too many that might still be needed by my default kernel. Is there much else in the OS that has been modified to work with these kernels that might have lingering effects by not being 'properly' removed?

Thanks in advance for your comments.

[gogalthorp]

In 10.2 + you no longer need a SMP kernel the default kernel will work with SMP processors.

If you did all this installation via Yast or at least RPM's then you can remove what you don't want via Yast.

Search for kernel and all of them should show up as installed. Just keep the default.

If you installed from source then it will be easiest to simply reinstall.

For memory usage you need to go 64bit if you really need more then 3gig of memory. However all in all you will have fewer headaches with 32 bit. Though 32 bit programs will run in 64 there always seems to be issues.

[vuserv]

I certainly didn't ask to update or add kernels at any time. I was using yast to add software packages. I did as you suggested, went into software management and searched for kernel. I found three entries that matched the kernels and a few dependencies. It appears to have to do with some video settings I must have selected. I guess I picked a video package that required the smp and xen kernel. That's my best guess. My /boot directory looks a lot better now, though I wish I had a snapshot of what it looked like previously. Thank you.

V