Index · Directives · Python · libudev · gudev

Name

kernel-install — Add and remove kernel and initramfs images to and from /boot

Synopsis

kernel-install {COMMAND} {KERNEL VERSION} {KERNEL IMAGE}

Description

kernel-install is used to install and remove kernel and initramfs images to and from /boot.

kernel-install will execute the files located in the directory /usr/lib/kernel/install.d/ and the local administration directory /etc/kernel/install.d/. All files are collectively sorted and executed in lexical order, regardless of the directories in which they live. However, files with identical file names replace each other. Files in /etc/kernel/install.d/ take precedence over files with the same name in /usr/lib/kernel/install.d/. This can be used to override a system-supplied executables with a local file if needed; a symbolic link in /etc/kernel/install.d/ with the same name as an executable in /usr/lib/kernel/install.d/, pointing to /dev/null, disables the executable entirely. Executables must have the extension .install; other extensions are ignored.

Commands

The following commands are understood:

add <KERNEL VERSION> <KERNEL IMAGE>

calls every executable /usr/lib/kernel/install.d/*.install and /etc/kernel/install.d/*.install with the arguments "add <KERNEL VERSION> /boot/<MACHINE-ID>/<KERNEL VERSION>/"

kernel-install copies <KERNEL IMAGE> to /boot/<MACHINE-ID>/<KERNEL VERSION>/linux.

kernel-install also creates a boot loader entry according to the boot loader specification in /boot/loader/entries/<MACHINE-ID>-<KERNEL VERSION>.conf. If the file initrd is found next to the linux file, the initrd will be added to the configuration.

remove <KERNEL VERSION> <KERNEL IMAGE>

calls every executable /usr/lib/kernel/install.d/*.install and /etc/kernel/install.d/*.install with the arguments: "remove <KERNEL VERSION> /boot/<MACHINE-ID>/<KERNEL VERSION>/"

kernel-install removes the entire directory /boot/<MACHINE-ID>/<KERNEL VERSION>/ and the file /boot/loader/entries/<MACHINE-ID>-<KERNEL VERSION>.conf

Exit status

If every executable returns with 0, 0 is returned, a non-zero failure code otherwise.

Files

/usr/lib/kernel/install.d/*.install /etc/kernel/install.d/*.install

Drop-in files, which are executed by kernel-install.

/etc/kernel/cmdline /proc/cmdline

The contents of the file /etc/kernel/cmdline specifies the kernel command line to use. If that file does not exist, /proc/cmdline is used.

/etc/machine-id

The contents of the file specifies the machine identifaction <MACHINE-ID>.

/etc/os-release

The contents of the file specifies the the operating system id <OS-ID>.

See Also

machine-id(5), os-release(5), Boot loader specification