On Mon Jul 28, 2003 at 08:22:15PM -0700, Rolf Pedersen wrote:
Mandrake should change their kernel installation instructions in the latest Security Advisory since they say there:
"To upgrade automatically, use MandrakeUpdate. If you want to upgrade manually, download the updated package(s) from one of our FTP server mirrors and upgrade with "rpm -Fvh *.rpm"."
It's a canned message. If people are going to read that part of the
advisory, they should also read the part about following the instructions at
a page on MandrakeSecure:
http://www.mandrakesecure.net/en/kernelupdate.php
I love it when people read the inconsequential part of an advisory and miss the actual advisory text.
I have been among those who have diligently read through the whole page to come across the inappropriate (wrt kernel) "canned message". It is not easy to make a distinction between what is merely there because it might be part of a page template and what is to be taken as part of the instruction, especially if this is the first time you are trying to understand how to upgrade the kernel or do any manual update. It would be better, imo, if this could be excluded from the kernel advisories and, also, if the url to the kernel upgrade instructions were a hyperlink, thus making it more likely someone will follow it in their browser and giving it more visual 'weight'.
Sure. What do you mean by making the thing a hyperlink? You mean do a <a href="http://...";>kernel update</a> thing? Why would I want to do that in an all-text (no HTML) message? A decent mail client would make that clickable or accessible (mutt does).
What I mean is that on the webpage for the kernel advisory, http://www.mandrakesecure.net/en/advisories/advisory.php?name=MDKSA-2003:066-2 there is a plain text url for the critical kernel upgrade instructions, http://www.mandrakesecure.net/en/docs/magic.php Since there are other clickable links on that page, couldn't this one be made as easy to follow? This is somewhat less of an issue if the conflicting manual upgrade statement is removed but it might be an easy improvement to accomplish.
Regarding the instructions for the kernel upgrade, they include:
'Once you have modified your lilo.conf or menu.lst file, execute "lilo -v" or "sh /boot/grub/install.sh", again depending upon your bootloader.'
I have never re-installed grub (over 3 years) after only modifying menu.lst and there have been others who have expressed a reservation about this instruction. My understanding was that it was not necessary (1) but my understanding might be incomplete, so I would appreciate some clarification here.
I don't use grub, so I can't honestly say. If someone knows definitively, please let me know.
Well, I have not been able to find it in the grub docs but here is a statement from Red Hat's file:
"# grub.conf generated by anaconda # # Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file"
http://www.redhat.com/archives/redhat-install-list/2002-January/msg00931.html
What I can do on the website is remove the "to upgrade manually" part arbitrarily.. As far as I'm concerned, everyone should be using urpmi or rpmdrake, so we'll just ignore that part.
I'll also do the same with the advisory template. I'm too lazy to make the system distinguish between what should be done manually and what shouldn't be; chances are, one time I'll forget and the jackals will leap for my throat.
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