Install Linux Kernel 4.5 in openSUSE 42.1

This brief tutorial describes how to install latest Kernel in openSUSE 42.1 Leap edition.

Install Linux Kernel 4.5 in openSUSE

First let us check the current installed Kernel using command:

# uname -r

Sample output:

3.16.7-29-desktop

Or,

# uname -a

Sample output:

Linux linux.suse 3.16.7-29-desktop #1 SMP PREEMPT Fri Oct 23 00:46:04 UTC 2015 (6be6a97) x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

As you in the above outputs, the current installed Kernel version is 3.16.7-29.

Now, let us make the system to support multiple kernel configurations. That means, our system should contain both latest and oldest Kernel (the one that ships with openSUSE).

To do so, Edit /etc/zypp/zypp.conf file:

# nano /etc/zypp/zypp.conf

Find the following lines and modify them as shown below.

multiversion = provides:multiversion(kernel)
[...]
multiversion.kernels = latest,latest-1,running,oldest
[...]

Save and close the file.

Then, add openSUSE Kernel HEAD repository that contains the latest Linux Kernel. At the time of writing, the latest Kernel version is 4.5.

To add Kernel HEAD repository, run:

# zypper addrepo -f http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/Kernel:/HEAD/standard/ kernel-repo

Sample output:

Adding repository 'kernel-repo' ..........................................[done]
Repository 'kernel-repo' successfully added
Enabled : Yes 
Autorefresh : Yes 
GPG Check : Yes 
URI : http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/Kernel:/HEAD/standard/

Finally, run the following command to do distribution upgrade only from the Kernel HEAD repository. It means the Kernel will only be upgraded to the latest version.

# zypper dist-upgrade -r kernel-repo

Sample output:

Retrieving repository 'kernel-repo' metadata --------------------------------[\]

New repository or package signing key received:

Repository: kernel-repo 
 Key Name: Kernel OBS Project <Kernel@build.opensuse.org>
 Key Fingerprint: 4529410A B52F94C4 03BAB484 ECEEF210 03579C1D 
 Key Created: Wednesday 22 April 2015 05:55:51 PM IST 
 Key Expires: Friday 30 June 2017 05:55:51 PM IST 
 Rpm Name: gpg-pubkey-03579c1d-5537934f

Do you want to reject the key, trust temporarily, or trust always? [r/t/a/? shows all options] (r): a

Once the upgrade process is completed, reboot your system to log with the latest Kernel.

Let us check the Kernel version using command:

# uname -r

Sample output:

4.5.0-1.g3c4edc5-default

Or,

# uname -a

Sample output:

Linux linux.suse 4.5.0-1.g3c4edc5-default #1 SMP PREEMPT Mon Mar 14 05:14:55 UTC 2016 (3c4edc5) x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

That's it. Start using the latest Kernel in openSUSE 42.1.

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Cheers!