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Date: Mon, 1 Sep 1997 18:46:05 -0700 (PDT)
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From: Thomas Dean <tomdean@ix.netcom.com>
To: sgronim@panix.com
CC: freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG
In-reply-to: <Pine.SUN.3.94.970901205500.27230C-100000@panix.com> (message
	from Sara Gronim on Mon, 1 Sep 1997 20:56:42 -0400 (EDT))
Subject: Re: Kernel question
Sender: owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG
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I experiment with kernels by booting sd(1,a)/kernel.GENERIC in emergencies.

The kernel installation process moves /kernel to /kernel.old.  So, If
you only build one kernel, you can boot kernel.old.  However, each
time you install a kernel, kernel.old getw over-written.  So, if you
build 2 kernels that will not work, kernel.old will also not work.

To get around this problem, when I build a kernel that I am happy
with, as root:

  cd /
  cp -f kernel kernel.safe

This way, I always have a custom kernel I can boot, it rebuilding a
kernel makes one that will not work.  In that case, I boot
kernel.safe.

tomdean