DKMS Specifics when Updating Linux Kernel

The xiraid kernel module uses DKMS (Dynamic Kernel Module Support) technology and is automatically built and is installed for the Linux kernel versions, listed in the document Xinnor xiRAID 4.0.1 System Requirements, of the different patch versions (without kernel API or ABI changes).

For example:

• 3.10.0-1062.el7.x86_64 >> 3.10.0-1127.el7.x86_64;
• 4.15.0-112-generic >> 4.15.0-124-generic.

Notice, that if you update the kernel more than the patch update (with kernel API or ABI changes), the xiraid kernel module will not be loaded. For example these updates will not work:

• 3.10.0-1062.el7.x86_64 >> 4.18.0-193.el8.x86_64;
• 4.15.0-112-generic >> 4.18.0-13-generic;
• 4.15.0-112-generic >> 5.4.0-26-generic.

To update (or change) a Linux kernel version with the installed xiraid module with DKMS, the OS must have a package with the header files for the kernel version to be updated:

• kernel-devel (for RHEL and RHEL-based systems);
• kernel-uek-devel (for Oracle Linux);
• linux-headers (for Ubuntu);
• pve-headers (for Proxmox).

Since some OS distributions do not have by default a package with header files (and also some repositories may not have package versions for out-of-date kernel versions), we recommend to install a package with header files for a new kernel version manually before (or simultaneously with) installing a new kernel version (see examples of commands to install packages with headers for different operating systems in the Xinnor xiRAID 4.0.1 Installation Guide.)

For example, on Ubuntu 20.04, install the linux-image package at the same time as the linux-headers package:

# apt install linux-image-5.15.0-27-generic linux-headers-5.15.0-27-generic