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Stephen
Asked: 2024-03-02 10:50:01 +0800 CST

Debian: revert kernel installation from backports

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I was running Bullseye (Debian 11?), tried to install kernel 6.x from the bullseye-backports. I am really not sure how to undo it. The new kernel does not work with the graphics driver and a few more. I want to go back to 5.10 kernel.

Here are what I have done:

  1. Added the following to the /etc/apt/sources.list
deb http://deb.debian.org/debian/ bullseye-backports main contrib non-free
  1. Ran these commands:
 sudo apt install -t bullseye-backports linux-image-amd64 firmware-misc-nonfree
 sudo remove firmware-misc-nonfree
 sudo apt -s remove linux-image-amd64

The apt policy linux-image-amd64 shows:

linux-image-amd64:
  Installed: 5.10.209-2
  Candidate: 5.10.209-2
  Version table:
     6.1.55-1~bpo11+1 100
        100 http://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye-backports/main amd64 Packages
 *** 5.10.209-2 500
        500 http://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     5.10.205-2 500
        500 http://security.debian.org/debian-security bullseye-security/main amd64 Packages

However, I am not sure if I am currently using any of those kernels:

$ uname -a
Linux debian 5.10.0-28-amd64 #1 SMP Debian 5.10.209-2 (2024-01-31) x86_64 GNU/Linux

The following is the Debian-related part of /boot/grub/grub.cfg:

menuentry 'Debian GNU/Linux' --class debian --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-simple-da96684c-0696-43ed-ba36-54d11861e7d4' {
    load_video
    insmod gzio
    if [ x$grub_platform = xxen ]; then insmod xzio; insmod lzopio; fi
    insmod part_gpt
    insmod ext2
    search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root da96684c-0696-43ed-ba36-54d11861e7d4
    echo    'Loading Linux 6.1.0-0.deb11.13-amd64 ...'
    linux   /boot/vmlinuz-6.1.0-0.deb11.13-amd64 root=UUID=da96684c-0696-43ed-ba36-54d11861e7d4 ro noresume quiet
    echo    'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
    initrd  /boot/initrd.img-6.1.0-0.deb11.13-amd64
}
submenu 'Advanced options for Debian GNU/Linux' $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-advanced-da96684c-0696-43ed-ba36-54d11861e7d4' {
    menuentry 'Debian GNU/Linux, with Linux 6.1.0-0.deb11.13-amd64' --class debian --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-6.1.0-0.deb11.13-amd64-advanced-da96684c-0696-43ed-ba36-54d11861e7d4' {
        load_video
        insmod gzio
        if [ x$grub_platform = xxen ]; then insmod xzio; insmod lzopio; fi
        insmod part_gpt
        insmod ext2
        search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root da96684c-0696-43ed-ba36-54d11861e7d4
        echo    'Loading Linux 6.1.0-0.deb11.13-amd64 ...'
        linux   /boot/vmlinuz-6.1.0-0.deb11.13-amd64 root=UUID=da96684c-0696-43ed-ba36-54d11861e7d4 ro noresume quiet
        echo    'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
        initrd  /boot/initrd.img-6.1.0-0.deb11.13-amd64
    }
    menuentry 'Debian GNU/Linux, with Linux 6.1.0-0.deb11.13-amd64 (recovery mode)' --class debian --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-6.1.0-0.deb11.13-amd64-recovery-da96684c-0696-43ed-ba36-54d11861e7d4' {
        load_video
        insmod gzio
        if [ x$grub_platform = xxen ]; then insmod xzio; insmod lzopio; fi
        insmod part_gpt
        insmod ext2
        search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root da96684c-0696-43ed-ba36-54d11861e7d4
        echo    'Loading Linux 6.1.0-0.deb11.13-amd64 ...'
        linux   /boot/vmlinuz-6.1.0-0.deb11.13-amd64 root=UUID=da96684c-0696-43ed-ba36-54d11861e7d4 ro single noresume
        echo    'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
        initrd  /boot/initrd.img-6.1.0-0.deb11.13-amd64
    }
    menuentry 'Debian GNU/Linux, with Linux 5.10.0-28-amd64' --class debian --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-5.10.0-28-amd64-advanced-da96684c-0696-43ed-ba36-54d11861e7d4' {
        load_video
        insmod gzio
        if [ x$grub_platform = xxen ]; then insmod xzio; insmod lzopio; fi
        insmod part_gpt
        insmod ext2
        search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root da96684c-0696-43ed-ba36-54d11861e7d4
        echo    'Loading Linux 5.10.0-28-amd64 ...'
        linux   /boot/vmlinuz-5.10.0-28-amd64 root=UUID=da96684c-0696-43ed-ba36-54d11861e7d4 ro noresume quiet
        echo    'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
        initrd  /boot/initrd.img-5.10.0-28-amd64
    }
    menuentry 'Debian GNU/Linux, with Linux 5.10.0-28-amd64 (recovery mode)' --class debian --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-5.10.0-28-amd64-recovery-da96684c-0696-43ed-ba36-54d11861e7d4' {
        load_video
        insmod gzio
        if [ x$grub_platform = xxen ]; then insmod xzio; insmod lzopio; fi
        insmod part_gpt
        insmod ext2
        search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root da96684c-0696-43ed-ba36-54d11861e7d4
        echo    'Loading Linux 5.10.0-28-amd64 ...'
        linux   /boot/vmlinuz-5.10.0-28-amd64 root=UUID=da96684c-0696-43ed-ba36-54d11861e7d4 ro single noresume
        echo    'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
        initrd  /boot/initrd.img-5.10.0-28-amd64
    }
    menuentry 'Debian GNU/Linux, with Linux 5.10.0-26-amd64' --class debian --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-5.10.0-26-amd64-advanced-da96684c-0696-43ed-ba36-54d11861e7d4' {
        load_video
        insmod gzio
        if [ x$grub_platform = xxen ]; then insmod xzio; insmod lzopio; fi
        insmod part_gpt
        insmod ext2
        search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root da96684c-0696-43ed-ba36-54d11861e7d4
        echo    'Loading Linux 5.10.0-26-amd64 ...'
        linux   /boot/vmlinuz-5.10.0-26-amd64 root=UUID=da96684c-0696-43ed-ba36-54d11861e7d4 ro noresume quiet
        echo    'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
        initrd  /boot/initrd.img-5.10.0-26-amd64
    }
    menuentry 'Debian GNU/Linux, with Linux 5.10.0-26-amd64 (recovery mode)' --class debian --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-5.10.0-26-amd64-recovery-da96684c-0696-43ed-ba36-54d11861e7d4' {
        load_video
        insmod gzio
        if [ x$grub_platform = xxen ]; then insmod xzio; insmod lzopio; fi
        insmod part_gpt
        insmod ext2
        search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root da96684c-0696-43ed-ba36-54d11861e7d4
        echo    'Loading Linux 5.10.0-26-amd64 ...'
        linux   /boot/vmlinuz-5.10.0-26-amd64 root=UUID=da96684c-0696-43ed-ba36-54d11861e7d4 ro single noresume
        echo    'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
        initrd  /boot/initrd.img-5.10.0-26-amd64
    }
    menuentry 'Debian GNU/Linux, with Linux 5.10.0-22-amd64' --class debian --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-5.10.0-22-amd64-advanced-da96684c-0696-43ed-ba36-54d11861e7d4' {
        load_video
        insmod gzio
        if [ x$grub_platform = xxen ]; then insmod xzio; insmod lzopio; fi
        insmod part_gpt
        insmod ext2
        search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root da96684c-0696-43ed-ba36-54d11861e7d4
        echo    'Loading Linux 5.10.0-22-amd64 ...'
        linux   /boot/vmlinuz-5.10.0-22-amd64 root=UUID=da96684c-0696-43ed-ba36-54d11861e7d4 ro noresume quiet
        echo    'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
        initrd  /boot/initrd.img-5.10.0-22-amd64
    }
    menuentry 'Debian GNU/Linux, with Linux 5.10.0-22-amd64 (recovery mode)' --class debian --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-5.10.0-22-amd64-recovery-da96684c-0696-43ed-ba36-54d11861e7d4' {
        load_video
        insmod gzio
        if [ x$grub_platform = xxen ]; then insmod xzio; insmod lzopio; fi
        insmod part_gpt
        insmod ext2
        search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root da96684c-0696-43ed-ba36-54d11861e7d4
        echo    'Loading Linux 5.10.0-22-amd64 ...'
        linux   /boot/vmlinuz-5.10.0-22-amd64 root=UUID=da96684c-0696-43ed-ba36-54d11861e7d4 ro single noresume
        echo    'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
        initrd  /boot/initrd.img-5.10.0-22-amd64
    }
}

Here are the vmlinuz* files I actually have under /boot/:

$ ls -1 /boot/vmlinuz*
/boot/vmlinuz-5.10.0-22-amd64
/boot/vmlinuz-5.10.0-26-amd64
/boot/vmlinuz-5.10.0-28-amd64
/boot/vmlinuz-6.1.0-0.deb11.13-amd64

Everything works if I explicitly choose the 5.10.0-28 kernel from the grub menu on boot. I think I have to effectively remove the boot entry from grub.cfg, the 6.1x kernel-related files and headers.

I am worried if I do so manually, I will mess up the dependency list for Debian's package management system. And, I do not need the bullseye-backports any more.

I removed the entry from /etc/apt/sources.list and apt update -y followed by apt upgrade. It did not help. Not sure what should be done.

debian

1 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    Your uname shows 5.10.209-2 so you are running this version. You can remove a specific kernel package with apt purge linux-image-???specific-version??-amd64, it should update grub.cfg automatically. You can find the name of installed kernel packages with dpkg --list |grep linux-image

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