Kernel update without Distro Upgrade?

[jensoko]

Hi, I hope some of the wise ones can help me out. I'm running a Lenovo Thinkpad x100e with kubuntu 10.04 (technically, I had to install Ubuntu 10.04 and then install kdesktop because the kubuntu LiveCD would hang--I don't know if that's useful info or not, but I'll throw it up there anyway). As you may know from the google, the x100e's thinkpad_acpi is unsupported or unrecognized until kernel 2.6.35, and 10.04 runs 2.6.32. 2.6.35 also seems to fix a lot of the bugs with the x100e's hardware that have patches or stopgaps or limited functionality at best.

I would like to update or upgrade my kernel to 2.6.35, but before I add that ppa to my synaptic, I need to understand, in simple terms, if this is a good idea with existing 10.04 (and I'm running 64-bit if that helps), or should I hold out and upgrade to 10.10 in another few months when it's got the initial release kinks worked out?

I know enough to be dangerous, and to not quite sound like a complete moron when I'm posting questions, but I'm also one of those people who just wants stuff to work when I install it. I knew going in (came to *buntu at Feisty from Gentoo) that this wasn't going to be caveman-easy, but I have maybe a two-day tolerance when it comes to tweaking things.

Thanks in advance for anyone wanting to help/sound off!
Jen

[claydoh]

Re: Kernel update without Distro Upgrade?

The google I am using does not seem to mention much about acpi, but rather wireless support, in my brief scan.

You can install so-called 'vanilla' kernels from kernel.ubuntu.com - I am not sure if there are any ppa's for kernels, however.

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds

You do face the possibility of having to recompile a video driver, though installing dkms should take care of that if you are using fglrx for the video - though the open drivers work pretty well with the card you have

I suggest trying out a maverick livecd to see how it works - I highly doubt the fixes for your hardware will be backported to a Lucid kernel. I also suggest trying a slower-speed burn as in my experiences this is one easy-to-remedy cause of some hangs in Ubuntu live disks

although this may have better tips for installing from a flash drive
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/In...n/FromUSBStick

[jensoko]

Re: Kernel update without Distro Upgrade?

There's a bunch of stuff that's cranky on my x100e--I have occasionally gotten random screen blankings where the graphics just stop working and the screen goes black--I've come to associate them with something to do with having a low wireless connection and the update system getting ready to tell me I have updates. I'd love to report a bug or troubleshoot, but it happens randomly enough that I can't reproduce it. And the startup screen is low-res (a nitpick, I know, but sometimes, I am that cranky). The audio can be a bit cranky, too--the speakers don't shut off when you plug in headphones, and I can't get the microphone to work. There also may be some quirks associated with the fact that I'm running 64-bit and there's some stuff that seems not-ready-for-primetime in the 64-bit world.

From the research I've done, it seems like there are some fixes in the newer kernel.

I'll be putting 10.10 on my usb stick shortly, though, anyway. The idea of video driver issues right now makes my brain melt. The ATI graphics card in my kid's laptop just finished beating the crap out of me for two days (ATI has no love for wine, and kids games have no love for linux).