kernel patch

[nopri]

hello
Can you help me for this :
I don't understand everytime i download newest kernel, i always see the patch. Is the patch if for the newest kernel or for the previous kernel so it will have the same facility like the newest kernel ?
If i want to upgrade my kernel to the newest one, have i download the patch ?
I NEVER download the patch because i think it just for the previous kernel. Am i right ?

[Dark Ninja]

As far as I know, the patch is just that - a patch. For example, if you have kernel 2.4.3, and you see a patch, it will allow you to easily upgrade to the next kernel without having to recompile an entire kernel. Supposedly saves time. Never really worked for me...but, that's the idea behind the craziness. ;)


Dark Ninja

[LiNuts]

I always try to patch my kernel (sometimes there are broken patches - not very often).
If you have kernel-2.4.5 and want to go to kernel-2.4.9 you simply download the 2.4.6 to 2.4.9 patches.

Put them in your /usr/src and then run this.(as root of course)
/usr/src/linux/scripts/patch-kernel. This will then start patching your kernel starting with the 2.4.6 one first, then it moves on to the next one, until it has patched 2.4.9.

Then it is simply a matter of recompiling your original kernel. This is the way to do it, if you dont want a lot of different kernels in your system.
Cheers
LiNuts