# How do I downgrade kernel?

## brent_weaver

I am not 100% sure of what version I want. I am motivated to do this by the fact that I cannot get my sound card to work in 2.6.29-r5. I understand from various forums that there are known bugs in this kernel, so I thought that it may work if I downgrade

I am sooo bummed w/ gentoo these days!

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## kevstar31

get the kernel source you need here:http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/

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## John R. Graham

Although it's not too hard, that's not really the easy way or the Gentoo way.  Use equery to see the kernels that are in the Portage tree, like so:

```
IPSN-JOHNGRAH2 ~ # equery list -p gentoo-sources

[ Searching for package 'gentoo-sources' in all categories among: ]

 * installed packages

[I--] [ ~] sys-kernel/reiser4-gentoo-sources-2.6.24-r2 (2.6.24-r2)

[I--] [ ~] sys-kernel/reiser4-gentoo-sources-2.6.27-r10 (2.6.27-r10)

 * Portage tree (/usr/portage)

[-P-] [  ] sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-2.6.16-r13 (2.6.16-r13)

[-P-] [  ] sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-2.6.25-r9 (2.6.25-r9)

[-P-] [  ] sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-2.6.26-r4 (2.6.26-r4)

[-P-] [  ] sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-2.6.27-r8 (2.6.27-r8)

[-P-] [  ] sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-2.6.27-r10 (2.6.27-r10)

[-P-] [M~] sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-2.6.28 (2.6.28)

[-P-] [M~] sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-2.6.28-r1 (2.6.28-r1)

[-P-] [M~] sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-2.6.28-r2 (2.6.28-r2)

[-P-] [M~] sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-2.6.28-r3 (2.6.28-r3)

[-P-] [M~] sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-2.6.28-r4 (2.6.28-r4)

[-P-] [  ] sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-2.6.28-r5 (2.6.28-r5)

[-P-] [M~] sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-2.6.28-r6 (2.6.28-r6)

[-P-] [M~] sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-2.6.29 (2.6.29)

[-P-] [M~] sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-2.6.29-r1 (2.6.29-r1)

[-P-] [M~] sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-2.6.29-r2 (2.6.29-r2)

[-P-] [M~] sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-2.6.29-r3 (2.6.29-r3)

[-P-] [M~] sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-2.6.29-r4 (2.6.29-r4)

[-P-] [  ] sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-2.6.29-r5 (2.6.29-r5)

[-P-] [M~] sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-2.6.30 (2.6.30)

[-P-] [M~] sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-2.6.30-r1 (2.6.30-r1)

IPSN-JOHNGRAH2 ~ #
```

Then choose an earlier stable kernel and install  it, for example like so:

```
USE="symlink" emerge -v =sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-2.6.28-r5
```

After that, your chosen kernel will be available in /usr/src/linux.  Also note that your existing kernel source(s) will not be disturbed.

- John

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## szczerb

Why the symlink flag? Don't you prefer to use eselect? Also there is a shorter atom syntax, like:

```
emerge -va "=gentoo-sources-2.6.16-r13"
```

I was really fed up with typing categories till I found out ;]

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## John R. Graham

All valid points.  I showed it the way I would do it, which is to double click on the kernel that was shown by equery, thus marking it (and incidentally including the category), then typing <Copy>emerge -v =<Paste><Enter>".  Just from a perspective of user interface manipulation, it's more work not to include the category.  I like eselect but try not to use it when I don't have to.  I personally have "symlink" in my USE flags but I didn't know whether the original poster did, so I included it for completeness.    :Wink: 

- John

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## szczerb

I guess that it'd take me longer to reach for the mouse, click, move the hand back on the keyboard then to just type the name. I was like "wow, you can do that?" when I read your post, although pretty obvious it never occured to me ;]

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## John R. Graham

Heh.  The real purpose of a GUI is to display a more sophisticated console window.    :Very Happy: 

- John

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## szczerb

 :Laughing: 

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