(SOLVED) What's with the Kernel?

Sector11 · 2026-04-30 21:49:58

First off: Debian 12 (bookworm) OLD STABLE

System:
  Host: SoxDog Kernel: 6.1.0-42-amd64 arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc
    v: 12.2.0 Desktop: Openbox v: 3.6.1 dm: startx Distro: Debian GNU/Linux 12
    (bookworm)

Kernel: 6.1.0-42-amd64
But when I do an update:

The following packages have been kept back:
  linux-image-amd64 screenruler

screenruler is held back by me. But the linux-image??

   $ sho linux-image-amd64
Package: linux-image-amd64        
Version: 6.1.164-1
State: installed (6.1.159-1), upgrade available (6.1.164-1)
Automatically installed: no

Now inxi and conky say I have "6.1.0-42", apt get says I have "6.1.159-1" and an upgrade to 6.1.164.1 is avaliable but never comes.

Anyone know why it is held back?

johnraff · 2026-05-01 01:26:09

When I get a "held back" from apt the first thing I try is to directly upgrade the package, in your case: 'sudo apt install linux-image-amd64'. That sometimes works because it wants to install some extra dependency that needs your direct approval.

Sector11 · 2026-05-01 03:06:44

Thanks John ...

The following NEW packages will be installed:
  apparmor linux-image-6.1.0-44-amd64

Still not quite what I was expecting.

BUT:

Selecting previously unselected package linux-image-6.1.0-44-amd64.
Preparing to unpack .../linux-image-6.1.0-44-amd64_6.1.164-1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking linux-image-6.1.0-44-amd64 (6.1.164-1) ...
Preparing to unpack .../linux-image-amd64_6.1.164-1_amd64.deb ...

6.1.0-44 or 6.1.164-1 ←← that I don't understand but it is updated.

Happy

hhh · 2026-05-01 03:54:13

I'm guessing this an apt security update thing. That's the way it's been for me on both trixie and sid. You can install the image directly, as @johnraff suggested, but I'd first just run "sudo apt full-upgrade" after the initial upgrades are installed. That's been working for me.

Note- I just did a full-upgrade on sid and am already second guessing what happened, but I'm pretty sure full-upgrade prompts for auto-removal of your, now old, 3rd kernel image. I recommend choosing "No" to that until after rebooting into the new kernel to assure your graphics still work. Then you can run "sudo apt --purge autoremove".

johnraff · 2026-05-01 07:16:14

If you run 'apt install' on a package you already have installed it just does an upgrade.

'full-upgrade' will upgrade all the packages that might have been held back because of extra dependencies etc.
I don't think it will try to remove older packages unless there's some conflict with the new incoming package.

@Sector yes those kernel version numbers are extremely confusing.
linux-image-6.1.0-44-amd64 is a package name!
linux-image-amd64 depends (in Bookworm) on linux-image-6.1.0-44-amd64
https://packages.debian.org/bookworm/linux-image-amd64
https://packages.debian.org/bookworm/li … 0-44-amd64
You just installed a new package linux-image-6.1.0-44-amd64 version 6.1.164-1, replacing linux-image-6.1.0-42-amd64 version 6.1.159-1.

They do it this way so you can have different kernel versions installed at the same time, and go back to an earlier one if there's trouble, as @hhh said.

I'm on Trixie, but:

john@carbon:~$ apt policy linux-image-amd64
linux-image-amd64:
  Installed: 6.12.74-2
  Candidate: 6.12.74-2
  Version table:
     6.19.11-1~bpo13+1 100
        100 https://deb.debian.org/debian trixie-backports/main amd64 Packages
 *** 6.12.74-2 500
        500 https://deb.debian.org/debian-security trixie-security/main amd64 P>
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     6.12.73-1 500
        500 https://deb.debian.org/debian trixie/main amd64 Packages

john@carbon:~$ apt show linux-image-amd64
Package: linux-image-amd64
Version: 6.12.74-2
Depends: linux-image-6.12.74+deb13+1-amd64 (= 6.12.74-2)
Description: Linux for 64-bit PCs (meta-package)
 This package depends on the latest Linux kernel and modules for use on PCs
 with AMD64, Intel 64 or VIA Nano processors.

john@carbon:~$ apt policy linux-image-6.12.74+deb13+1-amd64
linux-image-6.12.74+deb13+1-amd64:
  Installed: 6.12.74-2
  Candidate: 6.12.74-2
  Version table:
 *** 6.12.74-2 500
        500 https://deb.debian.org/debian-security trixie-security/main amd64 P>
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

john@carbon:~$ sudo apt update; sudo apt upgrade
[sudo] password for john: 
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  linux-image-6.12.85+deb13-amd64
The following packages will be upgraded:
  linux-image-amd64
Preparing to unpack .../4-linux-image-amd64_6.12.85-1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking linux-image-amd64 (6.12.85-1) over (6.12.74-2) ...
Setting up linux-image-6.12.85+deb13-amd64 (6.12.85-1) ...
Setting up linux-image-amd64 (6.12.85-1) ...

john@carbon:~$ apt policy linux-image-6.12.85+deb13-amd64
linux-image-6.12.85+deb13-amd64:
  Installed: 6.12.85-1
  Candidate: 6.12.85-1
  Version table:
 *** 6.12.85-1 500
        500 https://deb.debian.org/debian-security trixie-security/main amd64 P>
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

john@carbon:~$ LESS='FRXMK' apt list --installed 'linux-image-*'
linux-image-6.12.73+deb13-amd64/stable,now 6.12.73-1 amd64 [installed,auto-removable]
linux-image-6.12.74+deb13+1-amd64/stable-security,now 6.12.74-2 amd64 [installed,automatic]
linux-image-6.12.85+deb13-amd64/stable-security,now 6.12.85-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
linux-image-amd64/stable-security,now 6.12.85-1 amd64 [installed]

(That LESS='FRXMK' makes apt fold long lines - it's default behaviour just changed annoyingly.)

Sector11 · 2026-05-02 13:08:50

Thaks hhh and john.

 2026·05·02 @ 10:05:24 ~
   $ LESS='FRXMK' apt list --installed 'linux-image-*'
Listing... Done
linux-image-6.1.0-42-amd64/oldstable,now 6.1.159-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
linux-image-6.1.0-44-amd64/oldstable-security,now 6.1.164-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
linux-image-amd64/oldstable-security,now 6.1.164-1 amd64 [installed]
 
 2026·05·02 @ 10:05:29 ~
   $

I knew about the one old image being around "just in case" thing.

#1 2026-04-30 21:49:58

(SOLVED) What's with the Kernel?

#2 2026-05-01 01:26:09

Re: (SOLVED) What's with the Kernel?

#3 2026-05-01 03:06:44

Re: (SOLVED) What's with the Kernel?

#4 2026-05-01 03:54:13

Re: (SOLVED) What's with the Kernel?

#5 2026-05-01 07:16:14

Re: (SOLVED) What's with the Kernel?

#6 2026-05-02 13:08:50

Re: (SOLVED) What's with the Kernel?

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