Actually, you're not supposed to use Mandrake's Software Update to
update your kernel. This has been addressed several times on the
Mandrake discussion lists.

You could use the command-line tools urpmi (to install/upgrade) and
urpme (to uninstall). The Software Update is really just a GUI front-end
for those anyway. If you run Software Update from a terminal, you can
watch the urpmi messages scrolling by, including all the packages that
are being downloaded and installed.

Dave Sherman

> On Thu, 10 Jan 2002, Ben Stallings wrote:
> 
> > Last night I tried to use Mandrake 8.1's software update feature to download 
> > and install a security update to the kernel.  I found the program to be very 
> > unsatisfactory: it didn't tell me the names of the files it was downloading 
> > or give any indication of how long the download would take.  Then the files 
> > didn't wind up downloading all the way but the program tried to install them 
> > anyway, so I wound up with half old kernel modules and half new kernel 
> > modules and the machine wouldn't boot.  When I got it up and running with the 
> > emergency floppy disk, there was no PPP support so I couldn't try the 
> > download again!  And of course the installer's update mode doesn't fix the 
> > kernel, so I had to reinstall.  :-<
> > 
> > What alternatives are there to this Software Update program for Mandrake 
> > users?  I know I can find rpms on rpmfind.net, but only if I know what 
> > they're called, and I like the idea of the software letting me know when 
> > updates are available... but if I can't trust it, I won't use it.  
> > Suggestions?  --Ben

-- 
Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy, and good
with ketchup.