Frequently Asked Questions

Kernel Issues:

• My kernel isn’t booting! Help! 😱 First off, don’t panic. Most likely, you need to update your firmware. Grab the latest from https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git or use this handy clone command:

apt install git
cd /lib
mv firmware firmware.old
git clone  git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git firmware

• How do I go back to my old kernel?

  🔙 Your bootloader (GRUB usually) has your back! Just pick the older kernel during boot, and then remove these packages.

• Will this kernel work on [insert hardware or hypervisor]?

  🤔 Since we use the Debian kernel config, it should work anywhere the default Debian kernel ran – unless you’ve got something truly exotic. If in doubt, try the ‘vanilla’ kernel first and report back!

• Is this compatible with Ubuntu?

  ✅ Yes, it is! Just grab the ‘vanilla’ kernel if you’re running a physical machine.

• What’s the difference between ‘vm’ and ‘vanilla’?

  🧠 ‘Vanilla’ kernels include all drivers for physical machines (and some common VM drivers). ‘VM’ kernels are stripped down for virtualized environments.

• Why “buster” in the repo names?

  🤨 It started with Debian 10 (“Buster”), and I wasn’t sure it would last this long!

Project Stuff:

• Want to add a driver or change something?

  ✨ File an issue – make sure the driver is supported upstream in the kernel itself, though. I’m not writing custom modules.

• Why only AMD64?

  🤔 Resources are limited, so for now, it’s just AMD64. If you need something else, consider sponsoring the project!

• Use at your own risk!

  ⚠️ This is common sense, but double-checking never hurts.

• Where can I find sources?

  💻 All the kernel goodies are at https://kernel.org, and my config files are in this directory.

• The kernel doesn’t work for me!

  🤯 Help me out by opening an issue – I need to know what you’re trying to do!