option for "boot to kernel.old"

[Maxim Sobolev]

Paul Herman wrote:
On Sat, 13 Nov 2004, Matthew Dillon wrote:

   And, even better... if someone does a 'make installkernel' more 
then once
   without rebooting it shouldn't overwrite kernel.old the second 
time, and
   if someone does a 'make installkernel' while *running* kernel.old it
   shouldn't overwrite kernel.old either.


While we're throwing out ideas...  :-)

I've always had on my wishlist a way to optionaly have /kernel "expire" 
in such a way that if the timestamp on /kernel is older than, say, 10 
minutes, then boot from /kernel.old.

The option to "testboot" /kernel would be enormously useful if you don't 
have physical access to a machine and the newly installed kernel for 
some reason doesn't boot.  Just have someone hit the reset button 10 
minutes later.

I think the only real hacking needed would be to make /boot/loader aware 
of the CMOS clock.  It's been something I've been looking to do, just 
haven't gotten around to it.
man 8 nextboot is in order.

-Maxim