Update gentoo kernel

In gentoo, everything gets updated via portage using "emerge". For the kernel, emerge only updates the source. You have to manually configure, compile, and install the kernel source into a kernel binary. This is to allow you to keep your kernel tuned for your machine.

Gentoo installs the source here:

/usr/src/linux-#kernelversion#-gentoo-#gentooreleaseversion#

Because I have defined the "symlink" USE flag for gentoo-sources in /etc/portage/package.use, it will also symlink the latest downloaded source (whether you want it to or not) to:

/usr/src/linux

So once you emerge a new kernel source, you ought to install it or change the symlink if you don't have the time to do the kernel install.

Steps To Install Kernel

• su -
• emerge sys-kernel/gentoo-sources
• cd /usr/src/linux
• make menuconfig (and configure your kernel)
• make && make modules_install
• ls /boot
• cp arch/x86_64/boot/bzImage /boot/kernel-genkernel-x86)64-#kernelversion#-gentoo-#gentooreleaseversion#_mdm-menuconfig
• emacs /boot/grub/grub.conf (and add your shiny new kernel to the default top of the list)
• reboot

Post-kernel-installation Steps

• install nvidia binary driver
• install ALSA sound
• install a new ivtv that matches the new kernel version