Ok I have a new MOBO coming in today I think. Now What are the chances I Wont have to reinstall Linux? I final got a version and a setup where everything works and has everything I want. I''m not to sure I want to reinstall it all for fear that I may not be so lucky next time as there have been problems in the past.

There is a big chance everything will work just fine without reinstalling linux. Ofcourse make some backups of your data, scripts and config stuff.
Also, if you have some very specialized devices that need to be modprobed separately, you could comment them out so they don''t initialize on startup and then modprobe them manually to see if they work. Generally, first time I''d just try without changing anything and start worrying when something doesn''t work.

Click NOW!

If you really need to do anything, most likely the biggest thing you''d have to do is reconfigure and recompile your kernel.

I dont realy have much of importace to back up. Strangly enough due to my habbit of OS reinstallation. I've pobably installed linux 25 times in a years time. I will eventualy start over I just think I want to mess with it while is all good. Last time everythig was rosy I put in a GF4Ti and installed the dirvers for it. It worked. Then I did something stupid and had to renistall. I could never get the drivers to work after that and had to get a current version to get 3d working again. Truth told I think I like the trouble though. I seem to cause problems I have to fix by wreckless behavior knowing what will happen. We will just wait and see. If its not esaly replaced I do have it backed up JIC.(I'm stupid just not that stupid.) Looks like the thing will be here tomorrow instead. Then just a couple more parts and I will have 2 computers. Won't have 2 monitors and I'm not sure what the hell I need two systems for but I have them and that for some reason is of great importance.

BTW That Kernel recompile thing. Umm yahh. I don't do that. Never had a reson to do it and I realy dont want to know.

[edited by - Goober King on May 29, 2003 2:46:19 PM]

um, that kernel compile thing could possibly save you at least a few reinstalls a year. Or at least in my experience with linux, and it is fairly straight forward to do, and it is something you can do in a graphical interface via

cd /usr/src/linuxmake xconfig//make your decisions for your new kernel.....make dep && make bzImage modules modules_installcp /boot/bzImage /boot/bzImage.oldcp arch/i386/boot/bzImage /boot/bzImageedit lilo/grub confs, restart, and get the nvidia drivers, etc compiled again for the new kernel.

not quite that difficult, if you really don''t want to, that is up to you, but for the most part, it is more of a rite of passage to compile a kernel. If you have any more questions about it, just go to kernel.org, and they have information about it.

Good god that was quick. I just installed my ne MOBO and while rebooting windows one of many times installing the new stuff I went into Linux not meaning to. Basicly just booted up like normal. It took me almost an hour of driver installs and removing this, Go get that over there busness to get windows cooking again.

Why would compiling your kernel save a few reinstalls a year? What advantage would I have compiling my own kernel versus Mandrake''s kernel?

quote:Original post by zfod
Heh,

Just use Debian and you won''t have to reinstall unless your drives go tits up and you don''t have a backup.

Apt is a B-E-A-ooootiful thing.



.zfod

portage > apt

hehe... sorry.. just couldn''t resist

I''ll leave now... no need to start a flame war...