Re: Hot kernel change

Randy.Dunlap
2004-02-19T21:17:04Z

On Thu, 19 Feb 2004 13:33:43 -0000 (WET) "Carlos Silva" <r3pek@r3pek.homelinux.org> wrote:

| hi,
|
| i would like to know if isn't it possible to implement a hot kernel
| change, i mean, without reboot. i would do it myself if i had the knoledge
| to do it but i'm starting with kernel-level programing now. i think it
| would be possible if we make something like M$'s OS do when it hibernates,
| copy all the memory, registers, etc to the disc and then put all back
| again.
|
| am i dreaming or this is possible? :)

The kexec patch is basically "linux reboots linux".
It bypasses the firmware/BIOS to do the reboot.

Patches for 2.6.0 and 2.6.1 are here (I haven't updated for
2.6.2 or 2.6.3 yet):
http://developer.osdl.org/rddunlap/kexec/

Patches for some 2.5.x kernels are here:
http://www.xmission.com/~ebiederm/files/kexec/

kexec does reduce reboot time quite a bit on some machines, but
there is still a noticeable pause.

--
~Randy