My experience with an EOL kernel and a Couple of take aways

When I downloaded and installed the Manjaro Release ISO in September, I didn’t verify that the Release ISO didn’t install a LTS kernel. The kernel that was installed was 5.13 and is documented in the Release announcement that I read after the fact :blush:. A new Manjaro user may not know this. Since I was in the process of automating system configuration, I left installing a LTS for another day. Everything was working great.

I read the 2021-10-16 Stable Announcement and saw that the 5.13 kernel was EOL. When I installed in the past, probably by luck, the kernels were LTS, so this was a new Manjaro experience for me. I didn’t know what would happen if I ran with the 5.13 kernel or even if I could.

When I went to install the LTS kernel, 5.10, I couldn’t install it through the official methods because the repositories were already changed by the 10-16 update. I knew this would be the case, but wanted to see how it was handled and what messages I would see.

I ran the update, and then installed the LTS kernel, 5-10, via the Manjaro Settings GUI.

The reboot failed and I was presented with the console text to logon and look at the journal. For educational purposes I wanted to explore a little, but I knew the final solution for me was to get on the 5-10 kernel.

A couple of take aways:

  1. Always read the Announcements, Stable and Release. I have, but I want to stress to fellow new Manjaro users the importance of reading those announcements. At least the top entries by @philm.

  2. Always read the output from pacman system upgrade for NOTE and other items that may require action.

  3. Don’t delay kernel LTS installs because if the repositories change, you won’t be able to make the change until the update runs.

  4. Always run a LTS kernel, if you can.

  5. The Release ISO’s do not install a LTS kernel. After installing Manjaro, the first thing to do is install a LTS kernel. When the desired kernel is a lower level, additional steps will be required.

  6. Manjaro grub logic always defaults to the highest level of kernel.

  7. Manjaro GUI does not remove the /boot/ vmlinuz and initramfs files. When removing a higher level kernel you MUST go to /boot and remove the files and run update-grub. Those were the only other files that needed to be removed.

Another lesson learned.

If that is true then it is a bug.

Also you dont have to go down … you can go up to 5.14, whether or not its an LTS (though it may be)
I do always think its good practice to keep atleast one working LTS (usually latest) as a fallback or ‘known-working’ kernel.

2 Likes

When it occurred (never know for certain if it is a bug or a feature :slight_smile: ), I searched and found this entry marked as the Solution:

OK.
Well first 2 examples I know of, and it shouldnt work that way :woman_shrugging:

1 Like

I don’t think I’ll use the the Manjaro Settings GUI in the near future.