How do I update my Debian kernel?

Question

Essentially I have an Ubuntu laptop and a board running Debian. I have installed the same kernel module and a utility for managing it on each, using aptitude.

Unfortunately, the versions of the kernel modules and utilities, do not match up. The Debian version is 2010 and Ubuntu is 2012. It is important that they do as they are for ad-hoc networking and the two computers can only recognise each other as nodes when the versions are aligned.

I have updated aptitude on the Debian board and tried re-installing but it can't get a newer version.

I'm figuring if I can do one of the following (but don't know how to do them):

• Find where aptitude downloads the kernel modules and utilities from on ubuntu and tell the debian version to also download from here
• Download and install the kernel module from source (I have a source
  file for the module and utility but I'm not 100% on how to install
• Somehow use aptitude to install the older version on ubuntu (this is non-ideal as some features are missing)

Preferably I'd like to be able to install it all using apt-get. Any ideas?

Solution

For Ubuntu, you can install any kernel you need from here to make it the same a the Debian kernel: http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/

Download the headers and image with the architecture you need and the headers all package. After you download them all you have to do is double click to install.

Comments

[Alen Milakovic]

Some information about the kernel models and utilities, like what they are, would be relevant, and possibly useful.

[jordanm]

The stable backports offer the same kernel version as in wheezy, and does not require upgrading your entire system to testing.