NAME

       linux-update-symlinks - maintain symlinks to default kernel and initramfs

SYNOPSIS

       linux-update-symlinks {install|upgrade|remove} VERSION IMAGE-PATH

DESCRIPTION

       linux-update-symlinks  is  intended to be called from the postinst and postrm maintainer scripts of Linux
       kernel packages.  The postinst script must pass the  first  argument  install  or  upgrade  depending  on
       whether a fresh installation or an upgrade has taken place.

       The VERSION argument must be the kernel version string as shown by uname -r and used in filenames.

       The IMAGE-PATH argument must be the absolute filename of the kernel image.

       By  default,  this  command  maintains symlinks in the root directory.  This behaviour can be modified by
       settings in /etc/kernel-img.conf:

       image_dest
              Specifies the directory in which to maintain symlinks
       link_in_boot
              If set to a true value, specifies that the directory is /boot
       no_symlinks
              If set to a false value, disables maintenance of symlinks

       The symlinks for the primary default kernel version are named vmlinuz or vmlinux  (depending  on  whether
       the  architecture  normally uses compressed kernel images) and initrd.img (if it uses an initramfs).  The
       symlinks for the secondary default have the same names with the suffix .old.

       If symlink maintenance is disabled, linux-update-symlinks does nothing, successfully.  Otherwise it makes
       a list of kernel versions in decreasing order of priority:

       • The given VERSION, if the first argument is install

       • The current primary default version, if it exists and is not already listed

       • The current secondary default version, if it exists and is not already listed

       • All  other versions whose files are installed, excluding the specified VERSION if the first argument is
         remove, in decreasing version order

       The top two entries on the list are the new primary and secondary default versions, and  it  updates  the
       symlinks  accordingly.   In  case there is only one entry, this is both the primary and secondary default
       version.  If there are no entries, there are no default versions and it removes the default symlinks.

ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES

       INITRD When the first argument is install  or  upgrade,  linux-update-symlinks  assumes  that  the  given
              VERSION will use an initramfs unless this variable is set to No.

FILES

       /boot/initrd.img-*
              Installed initramfs images
       /boot/vmlinuz-* | /boot/vmlinux-*
              Installed kernel images
       /etc/kernel-img.conf
              Configuration file specifying whether and where to create symlinks
       /initrd.img
              Symlink to the initramfs image for the primary default version
       /initrd.img.old
              Symlink to the initramfs image for the secondary default version
       /vmlinuz | /vmlinux
              Symlink to the kernel image for the primary default version
       /vmlinuz.old | /vmlinux.old
              Symlink to the kernel image for the secondary default version

AUTHOR

       linux-update-symlinks and this manual page were written by Ben Hutchings as part of the Debian linux-base
       package.

SEE ALSO

       kernel-img.conf(5), linux-version(1).

                                                   5 June 2016                          LINUX-UPDATE-SYMLINKS(1)