Debian Linux 6 Squeeze: Install Linux Kernel 3.2.xx

by nixCraft on July 29, 2012 · 13 comments· last updated at October 9, 2012

How do I install Linux kernel version 3.2.xx without compiling the Linux kernel from source code under Debian Linux Squeeze version 6.x running on HP hardware?

Tutorial details
Difficulty	Easy (rss)
Root privileges	Yes
Requirements	Reboot

Debian Linux 6 comes with the Linux kernel version 2.6.32.xx only. However, you can install the Linux kernel version 3.2.xx or newer using backports. From the page:

Backports are recompiled packages from testing (mostly) and unstable (in a few cases only, e.g. security updates) in a stable environment so that they will run without new libraries (whenever it is possible) on a Debian stable distribution. Backports cannot be tested as extensively as Debian stable, and backports are provided on an as-is basis, with risk of incompatibilities with other components in Debian stable. Use with care! It is therefore recommended to select single backported packages that fit your needs, and not use all available backports.

Step #1: Add backports

Edit /etc/apt/sources.list, run:
# vi /etc/apt/sources.list
Append the following line:

deb http://backports.debian.org/debian-backports squeeze-backports main

Save and close the file. Run the following command:
# apt-get update

Step #2: Install the Linux kernel 3.x.xx backport

Type the following command to search kernel image:
# apt-cache search linux-image-3
Sample outputs:

linux-headers-3.2.0-0.bpo.2-amd64 - Header files for Linux 3.2.0-0.bpo.2-amd64
linux-headers-3.2.0-0.bpo.2-rt-amd64 - Header files for Linux 3.2.0-0.bpo.2-rt-amd64
linux-image-3.2.0-0.bpo.2-amd64-dbg - Debugging infos for Linux 3.2.0-0.bpo.2-amd64
linux-image-3.2.0-0.bpo.2-amd64 - Linux 3.2 for 64-bit PCs
linux-image-3.2.0-0.bpo.2-rt-amd64-dbg - Debugging infos for Linux 3.2.0-0.bpo.2-rt-amd64
linux-image-3.2.0-0.bpo.2-rt-amd64 - Linux 3.2 for 64-bit PCs, PREEMPT_RT

Type the following command to install the Linux 3.2. for 64-bit systems:
# apt-get -t squeeze-backports install linux-image-3.2.0-0.bpo.2-amd64 firmware-linux-free
Sample outputs:

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
  initramfs-tools linux-base
Suggested packages:
  linux-doc-3.2
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  firmware-linux-free linux-image-3.2.0-0.bpo.2-amd64
The following packages will be upgraded:
  initramfs-tools linux-base
2 upgraded, 2 newly installed, 0 to remove and 14 not upgraded.
Need to get 23.7 MB of archives.
After this operation, 117 MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y

You may be prompted to accept or deny few changes. Reboot the system:
# reboot
Finally, verify that you are using Linux 3.2:
# uname -mrs
OR
# cat /proc/version
Sample outputs:

Linux version 3.2.0-0.bpo.2-amd64 (Debian 3.2.20-1~bpo60+1) (debian-kernel@lists.debian.org) (gcc version 4.4.5 (Debian 4.4.5-8) ) #1 SMP Fri Jun 29 20:42:29 UTC 2012

References:

backports-master.debian.org

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{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }

1 alex marian July 30, 2012 at 3:46 am

please make a tutorial (video or text) about compiling the linux kernel ; that would be great and very useful ; regards

2 smartbob December 13, 2012 at 5:23 am: Why? This tutorial is clear and simple.
Reply

3 Pravin Rane August 2, 2012 at 3:56 am

Most of the HP servers have Broadcom Ethernet Controller, you need to install back ported drivers for bnx2. Download it from below link and install it using

dpkg -i http://backports.debian.org/debian-backports/pool/non-free/f/firmware-nonfree/firmware-bnx2_0.35~bpo60+1_all.deb

4 Georgeus August 7, 2012 at 2:57 pm

hello
you have helped me
Thankyou

5 x August 25, 2012 at 7:17 pm

Yeah i suggest not doing this if you have a OVH server with grsec. It just killed my server, so i’m having to re-install debian now.

6 Guzman September 12, 2012 at 10:50 pm: It’s never a good idea to update kernel in any remote server you don’t have KVM except you take specific measures to tell grub for example to boot only once the new kernel so in case it fails you just restart.
We have moved many times OVH servers to backports kernel, and they work like a charm, there’s/was an issue with the rtm version but it won’t kill your server. It may get a kernel panic on boot and you need to go to the KVM menu in your OVH manager and access through there your server to boot another kernel.
Reply

7 Maciej September 4, 2012 at 8:18 am

If you have /tmp mounted with paranoid options line noexec,nosuid,nodev, then noexec will hit you with similar to this:
Can’t exec “/tmp/linux-base.config.88581″: Permission denied at /usr/share/perl/5.10/IPC/Open3.pm line 168.
open2: exec of /tmp/linux-base.config.88581 configure 2.6.32-45 failed at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/ConfModule.pm line 59
linux-base failed to preconfigure, with exit status 255
Can’t exec “/tmp/linux-image-3.2.0-0.bpo.3-iop32x.config.88583″: Permission denied at /usr/share/perl/5.10/IPC/Open3.pm line 168.
open2: exec of /tmp/linux-image-3.2.0-0.bpo.3-iop32x.config.88583 configure failed at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/ConfModule.pm line 59
linux-image-3.2.0-0.bpo.3-iop32x failed to preconfigure, with exit status 255

Remove noexec from /tmp before starting.

8 Sebastian October 4, 2012 at 6:54 pm

Very useful thanks a million.

9 joe October 8, 2012 at 7:16 pm

After many frustrating unsuccessful attempts to use “backports” your instructions did the trick. Thanks.

10 thiago November 3, 2012 at 2:18 pm

I had to install linux-headers-3.2.0-amd64-0.bpo.2

11 user January 20, 2013 at 3:24 am

root@computer:/home/user# apt-get -t squeeze-backports install linux-headers-3.2.0-amd64-0.bpo.2 firmware-linux-free
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
E: Unable to locate package linux-headers-3.2.0-amd64-0.bpo.2
E: Couldn't find any package by regex 'linux-headers-3.2.0-amd64-0.bpo.2'
root@computer:/home/user# apt-get -t squeeze-backports install linux-image-3.2.0-0.bpo.2-amd64 firmware-linux-free
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
E: Unable to locate package linux-image-3.2.0-0.bpo.2-amd64
E: Couldn't find any package by regex 'linux-image-3.2.0-0.bpo.2-amd64'

12 Tamsyn February 2, 2013 at 12:02 pm

I followed your instructions and it’s upgrading now *fingers crossed*

I think what people are missing (above) is that they should use the header file from:
# apt-cache search linux-image-3
rather than “linux-image-3.2.0-0.bpo.2-amd64″ (out of date)
when doing:
# apt-get -t squeeze-backports install linux-image-3.2.0-0.bpo.2-amd64 firmware-linux-free

So for me it was:
apt-get -t squeeze-backports install linux-headers-3.2.0-0.bpo.4-rt-amd64 firmware-linux-free

So they should do:
# apt-get -t squeeze-backports install “header file from the ‘apt-cache search linux-image-3′ command” firmware-linux-free

It’s taking quite some time, so I’m off to read a good book. Hopefully when I come back I’ll have Squeeze working.

PS – that means I need to update my source list to Wheezy, yeah?

13 Erif May 16, 2013 at 5:41 pm