removing the default kernel in CentOS 8 – remove elrepo kernel

Removing the default kernel aka the loaded kernel in CentOS 8 maybe challenging because the package is protected and cannot be removed by the yum or dnf.
Here is the case: an elrepo kernel-ml loaded and the dnf prints it cannot remove the package, because it is protected:

[root@srv ~]# dnf remove kernel-ml kernel-ml-core kernel-ml-modules
Error: 
 Problem: The operation would result in removing the following protected packages: kernel-ml-core
(try to add '--skip-broken' to skip uninstallable packages or '--nobest' to use not only best candidate packages)
[root@srv ~]# uname -a
Linux srv.localhost 5.10.4-1.el8.elrepo.x86_64 #1 SMP Tue Dec 29 11:04:23 EST 2020 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
[root@srv ~]# grubby --default-kernel
/boot/vmlinuz-5.10.4-1.el8.elrepo.x86_64

The system is booted up with the kernel we are trying to remove, which is impossible.

The solution is to set a new default kernel and load it. Then dnf will be able to remove the first kernel.

For CentOS 7, just use the yum instead of dnf command.
Using grubby is really easy and straightforward:

STEP 1) List all installed and available to boot kernels

[root@srv ~]# grubby --info=ALL |grep ^kernel
kernel="/boot/vmlinuz-5.10.4-1.el8.elrepo.x86_64"
kernel="/boot/vmlinuz-4.18.0-259.el8.x86_64"
kernel="/boot/vmlinuz-4.18.0-257.el8.x86_64"
kernel="/boot/vmlinuz-0-rescue-45e12f0814fd4947b99cbdcb88950361"

STEP 2) Select the kernel to load the next time

[root@srv ~]# grubby --set-default "/boot/vmlinuz-4.18.0-259.el8.x86_64"
The default is /boot/loader/entries/45e12f0814fd4947b99cbdcb88950361-4.18.0-259.el8.x86_64.conf with index 1 and kernel /boot/vmlinuz-4.18.0-259.el8.x86_64


The parameter for “–set-default” is the whole string as it is reported from the previous grubby command.
The grubby reports this is the kernel with index 1 and kernel file – /boot/vmlinuz-4.18.0-259.el8.x86_64.
That’s all to load a different kernel from the currently loaded default kernel.
Checking the default before a reboot is easy:

[root@srv ~]# grubby --default-kernel
/boot/vmlinuz-4.18.0-259.el8.x86_64

Despite a new kernel is selected and there is still the error for the currently loaded kernel when trying to remove it. A reboot of the server is required to load a different kernel.

STEP 3) Remove the previous kernel with yum/dnf. In this case the elrepo kernel.

[root@srv ~]# uname -a
Linux srv.localhost 4.18.0-259.el8.x86_64 #1 SMP Mon Dec 21 21:05:36 UTC 2020 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
[root@srv ~]# dnf remove kernel-ml kernel-ml-core kernel-ml-modules
Dependencies resolved.
===============================================================================
 Package              Arch      Version                Repository         Size
===============================================================================
Removing:
 kernel-ml            x86_64    5.10.4-1.el8.elrepo    @elrepo-kernel      0  
 kernel-ml-core       x86_64    5.10.4-1.el8.elrepo    @elrepo-kernel     67 M
 kernel-ml-modules    x86_64    5.10.4-1.el8.elrepo    @elrepo-kernel     25 M

Transaction Summary
===============================================================================
Remove  3 Packages

Freed space: 91 M
Is this ok [y/N]: y
Running transaction check
Transaction check succeeded.
Running transaction test
Transaction test succeeded.
Running transaction
  Preparing        :                                                       1/1 
  Erasing          : kernel-ml-5.10.4-1.el8.elrepo.x86_64                  1/3 
  Erasing          : kernel-ml-modules-5.10.4-1.el8.elrepo.x86_64          2/3 
  Running scriptlet: kernel-ml-modules-5.10.4-1.el8.elrepo.x86_64          2/3 
  Running scriptlet: kernel-ml-core-5.10.4-1.el8.elrepo.x86_64             3/3 
  Erasing          : kernel-ml-core-5.10.4-1.el8.elrepo.x86_64             3/3 
  Running scriptlet: kernel-ml-core-5.10.4-1.el8.elrepo.x86_64             3/3 
  Verifying        : kernel-ml-5.10.4-1.el8.elrepo.x86_64                  1/3 
  Verifying        : kernel-ml-core-5.10.4-1.el8.elrepo.x86_64             2/3 
  Verifying        : kernel-ml-modules-5.10.4-1.el8.elrepo.x86_64          3/3 
Installed products updated.

Removed:
  kernel-ml-5.10.4-1.el8.elrepo.x86_64                                         
  kernel-ml-core-5.10.4-1.el8.elrepo.x86_64                                    
  kernel-ml-modules-5.10.4-1.el8.elrepo.x86_64                                 

Complete!

Disable or completely remove the elrepo

Disable the elrepo with

[root@srv ~]# grep -ir enable /etc/yum.repos.d/elrepo.repo 
enabled=1
enabled=0
enabled=0
enabled=0
[root@srv ~]# sed -i 's/enabled=1/enabled=0/g' /etc/yum.repos.d/elrepo.repo
[root@srv ~]# grep -ir enable /etc/yum.repos.d/elrepo.repo 
enabled=0
enabled=0
enabled=0
enabled=0

Or completely remove the elrepo repo with:

[root@srv ~]# dnf remove elrepo-release
Dependencies resolved.
===============================================================================
 Package            Arch       Version                 Repository         Size
===============================================================================
Removing:
 elrepo-release     noarch     8.2-1.el8.elrepo        @@commandline     5.0 k

Transaction Summary
===============================================================================
Remove  1 Package

Freed space: 5.0 k
Is this ok [y/N]: y
Running transaction check
Transaction check succeeded.
Running transaction test
Transaction test succeeded.
Running transaction
  Preparing        :                                                       1/1 
  Erasing          : elrepo-release-8.2-1.el8.elrepo.noarch                1/1 
warning: /etc/yum.repos.d/elrepo.repo saved as /etc/yum.repos.d/elrepo.repo.rpmsave

  Verifying        : elrepo-release-8.2-1.el8.elrepo.noarch                1/1 
Installed products updated.

Removed:
  elrepo-release-8.2-1.el8.elrepo.noarch                                       

Complete!

And after removing the kernel, the index is updated accordingly:

[root@srv ~]# grubby --default-kernel
/boot/vmlinuz-4.18.0-259.el8.x86_64
[root@srv ~]# grubby --info=ALL |grep ^kernel
kernel="/boot/vmlinuz-4.18.0-259.el8.x86_64"
kernel="/boot/vmlinuz-4.18.0-257.el8.x86_64"
kernel="/boot/vmlinuz-0-rescue-45e12f0814fd4947b99cbdcb88950361"
[root@srv ~]# grubby --default-index
0

Before removing the elrepo kernel, the current kernel was with index 1, now it is with index 0. When using dnf/yum to remove a (the elrepo) kernel no need to do anything else with grub 2 or other command. The dnf/yum updates and removes the necessary files to have healthy grub 2 options.

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