The following procedure did NOT fix my problem. Using RPM instead of DNF still did not install the new kernel in /boot.
Note, the new kernel is not in /boot when I start.
# ls /boot 7725dfc225d14958a625ddaaaea5962b config-4.14.11-300.fc27.x86_64 efi extlinux grub2 initramfs-0-rescue-7725dfc225d14958a625ddaaaea5962b.img initramfs-4.14.11-300.fc27.x86_64.img initrd-plymouth.img loader lost+found System.map-4.14.11-300.fc27.x86_64 vmlinuz-0-rescue-7725dfc225d14958a625ddaaaea5962b vmlinuz-4.14.11-300.fc27.x86_64
RPM won't install the new kernel since it is already installed.
# mkdir temp # cd temp # dnf download kernel-core-4.15.9-300.fc27.x86_64 # rpm -ivh kernel-core-4.15.9-300.fc27.x86_64 Preparing... ################################# [100%] package kernel-core-4.15.9-300.fc27.x86_64 is already installed
Get the rescue directory out of the way. Remove the new kernel completely.
# mv /boot/7725dfc225d14958a625ddaaaea5962b /tmp # dnf -y remove kernel*-4.15.9-300.fc27.x86_64 Removing: kernel x86_64 4.15.9-300.fc27 @updates 0 kernel-core x86_64 4.15.9-300.fc27 @updates 58 M kernel-devel x86_64 4.15.9-300.fc27 @updates 48 M kernel-headers x86_64 4.15.9-300.fc27 @updates 4.3 M kernel-modules x86_64 4.15.9-300.fc27 @updates 26 M kernel-modules-extra x86_64 4.15.9-300.fc27 @updates 2.1 M Removing dependent packages: gcc x86_64 7.3.1-5.fc27 @updates 52 M gcc-c++ x86_64 7.3.1-5.fc27 @updates 27 M gcc-gdb-plugin x86_64 7.3.1-5.fc27 @updates 316 k glibc-devel x86_64 2.26-27.fc27 @updates 1.1 M glibc-headers x86_64 2.26-27.fc27 @updates 2.2 M libtool x86_64 2.4.6-20.fc27 @fedora 2.6 M pocl x86_64 0.15-0.1.20171023git53ef5e8.fc27 @updates 222 M Removing unused dependencies: hwloc-libs x86_64 1.11.5-6.fc27 @fedora 2.1 M isl x86_64 0.16.1-3.fc27 @fedora 2.9 M libstdc++-devel x86_64 7.3.1-5.fc27 @updates 10 M
Try to install the new kernel using RPM.
# dnf download gcc-7.3.1-5.fc27.x86_64 \ gcc-c++-7.3.1-5.fc27.x86_64 \ gcc-gdb-plugin-7.3.1-5.fc27.x86_64 \ glibc-devel-2.26-27.fc27.x86_64 \ glibc-headers-2.26-27.fc27.x86_64 \ hwloc-libs-1.11.5-6.fc27.x86_64 \ isl-0.16.1-3.fc27.x86_64 \ kernel-4.15.9-300.fc27.x86_64 \ kernel-devel-4.15.9-300.fc27.x86_64 \ kernel-headers-4.15.9-300.fc27.x86_64 \ kernel-modules-4.15.9-300.fc27.x86_64 \ kernel-modules-extra-4.15.9-300.fc27.x86_64 \ libstdc++-devel-7.3.1-5.fc27.x86_64 \ libtool-2.4.6-20.fc27.x86_64 \ pocl-0.15-0.1.20171023git53ef5e8.fc27.x86_64 # rpm -ivh * Preparing... ################################# [100%] Updating / installing... 1:kernel-core-4.15.9-300.fc27 ################################# [ 6%] 2:kernel-modules-4.15.9-300.fc27 ################################# [ 13%] 3:libstdc++-devel-7.3.1-5.fc27 ################################# [ 19%] 4:kernel-headers-4.15.9-300.fc27 ################################# [ 25%] 5:glibc-headers-2.26-27.fc27 ################################# [ 31%] 6:glibc-devel-2.26-27.fc27 ################################# [ 38%] 7:isl-0.16.1-3.fc27 ################################# [ 44%] 8:gcc-7.3.1-5.fc27 ################################# [ 50%] 9:hwloc-libs-1.11.5-6.fc27 ################################# [ 56%] 10:pocl-0.15-0.1.20171023git53ef5e8.################################# [ 63%] 11:gcc-c++-7.3.1-5.fc27 ################################# [ 69%] 12:gcc-gdb-plugin-7.3.1-5.fc27 ################################# [ 75%] 13:libtool-2.4.6-20.fc27 ################################# [ 81%] 14:kernel-4.15.9-300.fc27 ################################# [ 88%] 15:kernel-modules-extra-4.15.9-300.f################################# [ 94%] 16:kernel-devel-4.15.9-300.fc27 ################################# [100%] cat: write error: Broken pipe Running as unit: run-rff037a106b224379a6a6288281705dcb.service
The new kernel is still not in /boot. The rescue directory has returned.
# ls /boot 7725dfc225d14958a625ddaaaea5962b config-4.14.11-300.fc27.x86_64 efi extlinux grub2 initramfs-0-rescue-7725dfc225d14958a625ddaaaea5962b.img initramfs-4.14.11-300.fc27.x86_64.img initrd-plymouth.img loader lost+found System.map-4.14.11-300.fc27.x86_64 vmlinuz-0-rescue-7725dfc225d14958a625ddaaaea5962b vmlinuz-4.14.11-300.fc27.x86_64
It seems clear that some script or scriptlet in the package is not doing its job. But they seem pretty simple and I don't see any dependencies which would make them fail on this machine and not others.
# rpm -qp --scripts kernel-core-4.15.9-300.fc27.x86_64.rpm postinstall scriptlet (using /bin/sh):
if [ `uname -i` == "x86_64" -o `uname -i` == "i386" ] && [ -f /etc/sysconfig/kernel ]; then /bin/sed -r -i -e 's/^DEFAULTKERNEL=kernel-smp$/DEFAULTKERNEL=kernel/' /etc/sysconfig/kernel || exit $? fi preuninstall scriptlet (using /bin/sh): /bin/kernel-install remove 4.15.9-300.fc27.x86_64 /lib/modules/4.15.9-300.fc27.x86_64/vmlinuz || exit $? posttrans scriptlet (using /bin/sh): /bin/kernel-install add 4.15.9-300.fc27.x86_64 /lib/modules/4.15.9-300.fc27.x86_64/vmlinuz || exit $?