Subj : Re: Motherboard change?
To   : comp.os.linux
From : Jeroen Geilman
Date : Sun Aug 22 2004 06:57 pm

Wally wrote:

> Unfortunately, the disk is already out of the server box - his Windows
> desktop failed and the Linux server was faster than the spare box, so that
> got turned into the desktop machine and the slower spare box is intended to
> act as a server. That said, I'm pretty sure that no source code was
> installed (nor was the compiler). At present, it would probably be easier to
> give the server its own hardware back and use the slower box for the Windows
> desktop (at least until a possible need to add a compiler and kernel source
> to the Linux disk can be addressed, but I'm not sure that he'd be keen on
> getting into compiling).

Then don't - download and run Knoppix or one of the other run-from-CD 
distro's.

This should give you everything you need to perform recovery, and 
indeed, radical surgery on the system.

> Am I right in thinking that the kernel/CPU stuff has more to do with
> optimisations?

Partially.
The main configuration choice when building a kernel is the architecture 
- what processors it is built for.
If the kernel is built for an AMD K6 then it is even odds that it won't 
run on an old Pentium (1 or 2).
If it's built for an AMD XP then I can guarantee you that no Pentium 
will survive booting ;-)

Aside from that, there are many driver and chipset settings in the 
kernel config, which are usually all included in a "generic" kernel.
That's what makes it generic.

> If so, would a generic(?) kernel still function okay with a
> CPU/m'board change?

Yep.

> His Linux box is used as a basic server -
> firewall/router, file and print server.

Let's put it this way: if he has not changed any part of the basic 
system config after installation, and he is sure the installer did not 
put a custom kernel on the system, i.e. it is now running an i386 kernel 
which will run on any x86 system ever made, then you should not need to 
change anything besides possibly the NIC modules and config.

The bottom line is simple.
Plug it in.
Boot it up.
See what happens ;-)

-- 
J

All your bits are belong to us - again.

.