Upgrading the Motherboards of Linux Boxen?

synchronicity asks: "I just got a new motherboard and processor and would otherwise like to keep my system setup exactly as it is now. Every site I have visited about upgrading a motherboard and processor ends with something to the effect of 'When your machine boots up, Windows will be confused for a little bit, but will detect all your hardware as new, reboot itself a few times, and then you'll be up and running again.' All well and good, except that I don't run Windows. So what do I need to do to get my Linux (Mandrake 7.2) system to recognize the new PCI bus addresses/interrupts/etc. to make this upgrade a success?" What things do you do in preparation for such a procedure?

Comments

Simple...

[ameoba]

If you're using the stock Mandrake kernel and -just- changing the motherboard, you should just be able to reboot and go to town since it's already got damned near everything compiled in or available as a module. If you've gone and compiled a custom kernel, you just need to make one that's correct for your new mobo and boot from that.

Even changing mobos on windows isn't -that- bad. I've got my dad's machine still running the factory win95 install (he refuses to let me reinstall or upgrade) after both a mobo and HDD upgrade. All you need to do is go to the device manager and remove devices before you shutdown the final time. When you come back up it'll re-recognize all the devices, and you're good to go.

Re:1) Write down everything

[Thu Anon Coward]

hell, I think you're all wrong(in respect to Windows that is). you've all missed the obvious one.

what you do is create a second profile. when you reboot the hard drive in a new box after shutting down, you select the second profile so that it will find all the new hardware. the system should work fine. if you start to have problems, you just use your old mobo and other hardware (you DID save it, right?) to get you backup and running.

creating a secondary profile is also what allows you to switch your hard drive between different boxen, like I do all the time. I pull my hard drive out, take it to my buddy's house 100 miles away, stick it in his system and boot, and then show him the slick stuff I got, all without having to backup nothing to Zip or anything else.