Despite of the problem that initrds are needlessy rebuilt when installing
kernel modules (bug 1100885, bug 1191322), there are also needless rebuilds
when removing obsolete kernels:
Still on the next boot when older kernels are removed, their initrds are being
rebuilt before the kernels are removed (it seems at least).
Example (combining extracts from journal and /var/log/zypp/history):
Jan 27 21:36:03 i7.site [RPM][7347]: install
kernel-default-5.3.18-150300.59.43.1.x86_64: success
Jan 27 21:36:04 i7.site [RPM][17173]: erase
kernel-macros-5.3.18-59.40.1.noarch: success
Jan 27 21:36:05 i7.site [RPM][17173]: install
kernel-macros-5.3.18-150300.59.43.1.noarch: success
Jan 27 21:36:06 i7.site [RPM][17173]: erase
kernel-macros-5.3.18-59.40.1.noarch: success
Jan 27 21:36:06 i7.site [RPM][17173]: install
kernel-macros-5.3.18-150300.59.43.1.noarch: success
Jan 27 21:37:32 i7.site [RPM][17175]: install
kernel-preempt-5.3.18-150300.59.43.1.x86_64: success
Jan 27 21:37:47 i7.site [RPM][27390]: install
kernel-default-extra-5.3.18-150300.59.43.1.x86_64: success
Jan 27 21:37:55 i7.site [RPM][27492]: install
kernel-devel-5.3.18-150300.59.43.1.noarch: success
Jan 27 21:37:55 i7.site [RPM][27492]: install
kernel-devel-5.3.18-150300.59.43.1.noarch: success
Jan 27 21:38:03 i7.site [RPM][27497]: install
kernel-preempt-extra-5.3.18-150300.59.43.1.x86_64: success
Jan 27 21:38:25 i7.site [RPM][27675]: install
kernel-default-optional-5.3.18-150300.59.43.1.x86_64: success
Jan 27 21:38:28 i7.site [RPM][27776]: install
kernel-preempt-devel-5.3.18-150300.59.43.1.x86_64: success
Jan 27 21:38:28 i7.site [RPM][27776]: install
kernel-preempt-devel-5.3.18-150300.59.43.1.x86_64: success
Jan 27 21:38:31 i7.site [RPM][27782]: install
kernel-default-devel-5.3.18-150300.59.43.1.x86_64: success
Jan 27 21:38:31 i7.site [RPM][27782]: install
kernel-default-devel-5.3.18-150300.59.43.1.x86_64: success
Jan 27 21:38:37 i7.site [RPM][27788]: install
kernel-preempt-optional-5.3.18-150300.59.43.1.x86_64: success
# 2022-01-27 21:43:41 Output of
kernel-default-extra-5.3.18-150300.59.43.1.x86_64.rpm %posttrans script:
# Creating initrd: /boot/initrd-5.3.18-150300.59.43-default
# Creating initrd: /boot/initrd-5.3.18-150300.59.43-preempt
# Creating initrd: /boot/initrd-5.3.18-59.40-default
# Creating initrd: /boot/initrd-5.3.18-59.40-preempt
### Reboot ###
Jan 28 20:24:49 i7 zypper[1916]: The following 9 packages are going to be
REMOVED:
Jan 28 20:24:49 i7 zypper[1916]: kernel-default-5.3.18-59.37.2
kernel-default-devel-5.3.18-59.37.2 kernel-default-extra-5.3.18-59.37.2
kernel-default-optional-5.3.18-59.37.2 kernel-devel-5.3.18-59.37.2
kernel-preempt-5.3.18-59.37.2 kernel-preempt-devel-5.3.18-59.37.2
kernel-preempt-extra-5.3.18-59.37.2 kernel-preempt-optional-5.3.18-59.37.2
Jan 28 20:24:49 i7 zypper[1916]: 9 packages to remove.
Jan 28 20:27:04 i7.site [RPM][2887]: erase
kernel-default-devel-5.3.18-59.37.2.x86_64: success
Jan 28 20:27:07 i7.site [RPM][2887]: erase
kernel-default-devel-5.3.18-59.37.2.x86_64: success
Jan 28 20:27:07 i7.site zypper[1916]: (1/9) Removing
kernel-default-devel-5.3.18-59.37.2.x86_64 [.....done]
Jan 28 20:27:08 i7.site [RPM][4137]: erase
kernel-default-optional-5.3.18-59.37.2.x86_64: success
Jan 28 20:31:10 i7.site [RPM][4137]: erase
kernel-default-optional-5.3.18-59.37.2.x86_64: success
Jan 28 20:31:10 i7.site zypper[1916]: (2/9) Removing
kernel-default-optional-5.3.18-59.37.2.x86_64 [.....done]
Jan 28 20:31:11 i7.site [RPM][11952]: erase
kernel-preempt-devel-5.3.18-59.37.2.x86_64: success
Jan 28 20:31:20 i7.site [RPM][11952]: erase
kernel-preempt-devel-5.3.18-59.37.2.x86_64: success
Jan 28 20:31:20 i7.site zypper[1916]: (3/9) Removing
kernel-preempt-devel-5.3.18-59.37.2.x86_64 [.....done]
Jan 28 20:31:20 i7.site [RPM][11958]: erase
kernel-preempt-optional-5.3.18-59.37.2.x86_64: success
Jan 28 20:32:24 i7.site [RPM][11958]: erase
kernel-preempt-optional-5.3.18-59.37.2.x86_64: success
Jan 28 20:32:24 i7.site zypper[1916]: (4/9) Removing
kernel-preempt-optional-5.3.18-59.37.2.x86_64 [.....done]
Jan 28 20:32:25 i7.site [RPM][19401]: erase
kernel-default-extra-5.3.18-59.37.2.x86_64: success
Jan 28 20:33:13 i7.site [RPM][19401]: erase
kernel-default-extra-5.3.18-59.37.2.x86_64: success
Jan 28 20:33:13 i7.site zypper[1916]: (5/9) Removing
kernel-default-extra-5.3.18-59.37.2.x86_64 [.....done]
Jan 28 20:33:13 i7.site zypper[1916]: Creating initrd:
/boot/initrd-5.3.18-59.37-default
# Creating initrd: /boot/initrd-5.3.18-59.37-default
Jan 28 20:33:17 i7.site [RPM][26818]: erase kernel-devel-5.3.18-59.37.2.noarch:
success
Jan 28 20:33:24 i7.site [RPM][26818]: erase kernel-devel-5.3.18-59.37.2.noarch:
success
Jan 28 20:33:24 i7.site zypper[1916]: (6/9) Removing
kernel-devel-5.3.18-59.37.2.noarch [.....done]
Jan 28 20:33:24 i7.site [RPM][26819]: erase
kernel-preempt-extra-5.3.18-59.37.2.x86_64: success
Jan 28 20:34:11 i7.site [RPM][26819]: erase
kernel-preempt-extra-5.3.18-59.37.2.x86_64: success
Jan 28 20:34:11 i7.site zypper[1916]: (7/9) Removing
kernel-preempt-extra-5.3.18-59.37.2.x86_64 [.....done]
Jan 28 20:34:11 i7.site zypper[1916]: Creating initrd:
/boot/initrd-5.3.18-59.37-preempt
# Creating initrd: /boot/initrd-5.3.18-59.37-preempt
Jan 28 20:34:12 i7.site [RPM][1784]: erase
kernel-default-5.3.18-59.37.2.x86_64: success
Jan 28 20:34:43 i7.site [RPM][1784]: erase
kernel-default-5.3.18-59.37.2.x86_64: success
Jan 28 20:34:43 i7.site zypper[1916]: (8/9) Removing
kernel-default-5.3.18-59.37.2.x86_64 [.....done]
Jan 28 20:34:44 i7.site [RPM][4725]: erase
kernel-preempt-5.3.18-59.37.2.x86_64: success
Jan 28 20:35:15 i7.site [RPM][4725]: erase
kernel-preempt-5.3.18-59.37.2.x86_64: success
Jan 28 20:35:15 i7.site zypper[1916]: (9/9) Removing
kernel-preempt-5.3.18-59.37.2.x86_64 [.....done]
Jan 28 20:35:15 i7.site systemd[1]: purge-kernels.service: Succeeded.
In addition to rebuiling the initrds, the bootloader was reinstalled (including
the os-prober), so the removal of the old kernels took 10 minutes alltogether!
# grep run_command.*grub2 /var/log/pbl.log
2022-01-27 21:35:35 <1> update-bootloader-7882 run_command.294:
'/usr/lib/bootloader/grub2/config' = 0, output:
2022-01-27 21:36:03 <1> bootloader_entry-1449 run_command.294:
'/usr/lib/bootloader/grub2/config' = 0, output:
2022-01-27 21:37:03 <1> update-bootloader-9958 run_command.294:
'/usr/lib/bootloader/grub2/config' = 0, output:
2022-01-27 21:37:32 <1> bootloader_entry-8996 run_command.294:
'/usr/lib/bootloader/grub2/config' = 0, output:
2022-01-27 21:41:39 <1> update-bootloader-8968 run_command.294:
'/usr/lib/bootloader/grub2/config' = 0, output:
2022-01-27 21:42:20 <1> update-bootloader-0547 run_command.294:
'/usr/lib/bootloader/grub2/config' = 0, output:
2022-01-27 21:43:00 <1> update-bootloader-6949 run_command.294:
'/usr/lib/bootloader/grub2/config' = 0, output:
2022-01-27 21:43:41 <1> update-bootloader-7629 run_command.294:
'/usr/lib/bootloader/grub2/config' = 0, output:
2022-01-28 20:31:09 <1> update-bootloader-0043 run_command.294:
'/usr/lib/bootloader/grub2/config' = 0, output:
2022-01-28 20:32:23 <1> update-bootloader-4882 run_command.294:
'/usr/lib/bootloader/grub2/config' = 0, output:
2022-01-28 20:33:12 <1> update-bootloader-4790 run_command.294:
'/usr/lib/bootloader/grub2/config' = 0, output:
2022-01-28 20:34:11 <1> update-bootloader-4190 run_command.294:
'/usr/lib/bootloader/grub2/config' = 0, output:
2022-01-28 20:34:43 <1> bootloader_entry-0829 run_command.294:
'/usr/lib/bootloader/grub2/config' = 0, output:
2022-01-28 20:35:14 <1> bootloader_entry-7074 run_command.294:
'/usr/lib/bootloader/grub2/config' = 0, output:
Reinstalling the boot loader 15 times when updating two kernels!?