[plug] updating Debian kernel

[Jon Miller]

I need to do a kernel update on our Debian server from 2.4.26 to 2.6.11 or better.  When I did a apt-cache search kernel-image 2 of the images I got was:
kernel-image-2.6-686 - Linux kernel image for version 2.6 on PPro/Celeron/PII/PIII/P4.
kernel-image-2.6-686-smp - Linux kernel image for version 2.6 on PPro/Celeron/PII/PIII/P4 SMP.
The server has a P4  in it, from what I remember there is a feature in the BIOS that can turn on or off the Hyperthreading and with it on it's possible (correct me if I'm wrong here)  to run the system with the kernel-image-2.6-686-smp image.
1) is this correct
2) are there really any benefits to running this as a gateway server? or should I just stay with the kernel-image-2.6-686?

The current kernel is Linux mei 2.4.26 #9 Fri Sep 17 09:13:49 WST 2004 i686 unknown.

The only reason I have to do this is due to we are running a software (MyNetfone) a software VOIP product on the users desktop and we cannot get the voice to come back through and this was due to not having sip_conntrack as a module loaded or available.  It seems it is only available in a >= 2.6.11 kernel.

One more question, before I attempt to do this, I want to make a mirror image of the drive.  What is the best way of doing this?

Thanks


Jon L. Miller,  ASE, CNS, CLS, MCNE, CCNA
Director/Sr Systems Consultant
MMT Networks Pty Ltd
http://www.mmtnetworks.com.au
Resellers for: Novell Gold Partner, Cisco Partner, Peopletelecom, Westnet, Sophos Anti-Virus, 

"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure
 is trying to please everybody." -Bill Cosby
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