Install older kernel in a server and made it the default boot option in grub

Question

When I try org-clockin into the task from Org Agenda, I keep getting the following error:

Debugger entered--Lisp error: (error "Before first headline at position 80 in buffer *Org Agenda*")
  signal(error ("Before first headline at position 80 in buffer *Org Agenda*"))
  error("Before first headline at position %d in buffer %s" 80 #<buffer *Org Agenda*>)
  #[257 "\300\301`p#\207" [error "Before first headline at position %d in buffer %s"] 5 "\n\n(fn IGNORED)"]((error "before first heading"))
  funcall(#[257 "\300\301`p#\207" [error "Before first headline at position %d in buffer %s"] 5 "\n\n(fn IGNORED)"] (error "before first heading"))
  org-back-to-heading(t)
  #[0 "\n?\205\306 \307\211\211\310?\205\f@\2035\203#@\311=\2035A\2045\2045\307\311A\312 \210)\300\313\232\203E\311B\314\307C\"\210)\300\315\232\203`\316\317!\262\203\\\320!\262\202`\321\322!\210\300\323\232\203i\324 \210\203\307\212\204v\325\311!\210\326D!\203\204\326!\202\205p\232\205\243\327D!\203\227\327!\202\230`U\205\243E\330\331 8\232)\203\262\332\333F\"\210\334\335\307\"\210G\327H!\326H!\223\210\311A\336\307\311\"\210)m\203\326\337 \204\326\340\341!\202\327`\262\212\203\365\326!\203\365\342\326!!q\210\327!\262\307\211\223\210\212\214~\210b\210\325\311!\210\204\nG\307\211\223\210\343\344!\210\345 \210\330\331 8E\346I!\2039\307J\347K!\210)I\350\351!!\211\2035\352!\210\210\202OI\203O\347L\353I\354R!\204O\352I!\210M\203a\346M!\203aM \202s\330\331 8\203r\355\356\357\360\330!#\202s\361F\362N!\210N\203\267\347\363O\364\365R!\203\267\332\366\350\367!\"\210\370\350\367!\371Q\262\367\225b\210\372\373\374\350\367!!\"P\375`Q\"R\376\377 !S\202mN\201]=\203\331\332\201^!\210\201_ \210\201`\351!\210\334\335\307\"\210\202m\201a\201b!\210\201cu\210\201d \210\212\341\210\201e )\203\201f\367!\210\201g\201h \351Z!\210O\201i\261\210\375`Q\"R\376\377 !SB\203'C\206]\211\203R\201j\201k\201l\201m\201nT\311\"!\201m!Z\201o\245\"!\203R\211\206]\301\206]\201nT\311\"P\201pP\201q\201r#\262H`\201s \223\210D\212\325\311!\210`)\201s \223\210\311UV\201t=\204\232V\201u=\203\270W\204\244\201vW\201wW>\204\270\201xW\201y\"WV\201z=\204\312V\201u=\203\316XY\201{ \210Z\203\342\201|Z!\210\307ZV\203\363\201}[\211\201{#Z\\\203\201|\\!\210\307\\\201}\201o\211\201~#\\\332\201
#\210\343\201\200!,\207" [nil nil org-clock-resolving-clocks-due-to-idleness org-clock-resolving-clocks org-clock-leftover-time org--msg-extra org-clocking-p nil "" t org-resolve-clocks (64) org-clock-in (4) org-clock-select-task "Clock-in on task: " copy-marker error "Abort" (16) org-clock-mark-default-task org-back-to-heading marker-buffer marker-position 4 org-heading-components message "Clock continues in \"%s\"" throw abort org-clock-out org-at-heading-p point-at-bol 0 org-base-buffer run-hooks org-clock-in-prepare-hook org-clock-history-push functionp looking-at match-string 2 org-todo "[   ]*" "\\>" replace-regexp-in-string "\\[\\[.*?\\]\\[\\(.*?\\)\\]\\]" "\\1" match-string-no-properties "???" ...] 13 "\n\n(fn)"]()
  funcall(#[0 "\n?\205\306 \307\211\211\310?\205\f@\2035\203#@\311=\2035A\2045\2045\307\311A\312 \210)\300\313\232\203E\311B\314\307C\"\210)\300\315\232\203`\316\317!\262\203\\\320!\262\202`\321\322!\210\300\323\232\203i\324 \210\203\307\212\204v\325\311!\210\326D!\203\204\326!\202\205p\232\205\243\327D!\203\227\327!\202\230`U\205\243E\330\331 8\232)\203\262\332\333F\"\210\334\335\307\"\210G\327H!\326H!\223\210\311A\336\307\311\"\210)m\203\326\337 \204\326\340\341!\202\327`\262\212\203\365\326!\203\365\342\326!!q\210\327!\262\307\211\223\210\212\214~\210b\210\325\311!\210\204\nG\307\211\223\210\343\344!\210\345 \210\330\331 8E\346I!\2039\307J\347K!\210)I\350\351!!\211\2035\352!\210\210\202OI\203O\347L\353I\354R!\204O\352I!\210M\203a\346M!\203aM \202s\330\331 8\203r\355\356\357\360\330!#\202s\361F\362N!\210N\203\267\347\363O\364\365R!\203\267\332\366\350\367!\"\210\370\350\367!\371Q\262\367\225b\210\372\373\374\350\367!!\"P\375`Q\"R\376\377 !S\202mN\201]=\203\331\332\201^!\210\201_ \210\201`\351!\210\334\335\307\"\210\202m\201a\201b!\210\201cu\210\201d \210\212\341\210\201e )\203\201f\367!\210\201g\201h \351Z!\210O\201i\261\210\375`Q\"R\376\377 !SB\203'C\206]\211\203R\201j\201k\201l\201m\201nT\311\"!\201m!Z\201o\245\"!\203R\211\206]\301\206]\201nT\311\"P\201pP\201q\201r#\262H`\201s \223\210D\212\325\311!\210`)\201s \223\210\311UV\201t=\204\232V\201u=\203\270W\204\244\201vW\201wW>\204\270\201xW\201y\"WV\201z=\204\312V\201u=\203\316XY\201{ \210Z\203\342\201|Z!\210\307ZV\203\363\201}[\211\201{#Z\\\203\201|\\!\210\307\\\201}\201o\211\201~#\\\332\201
#\210\343\201\200!,\207" [nil nil org-clock-resolving-clocks-due-to-idleness org-clock-resolving-clocks org-clock-leftover-time org--msg-extra org-clocking-p nil "" t org-resolve-clocks (64) org-clock-in (4) org-clock-select-task "Clock-in on task: " copy-marker error "Abort" (16) org-clock-mark-default-task org-back-to-heading marker-buffer marker-position 4 org-heading-components message "Clock continues in \"%s\"" throw abort org-clock-out org-at-heading-p point-at-bol 0 org-base-buffer run-hooks org-clock-in-prepare-hook org-clock-history-push functionp looking-at match-string 2 org-todo "[   ]*" "\\>" replace-regexp-in-string "\\[\\[.*?\\]\\[\\(.*?\\)\\]\\]" "\\1" match-string-no-properties "???" ...] 13 "\n\n(fn)"])
  org-clock-in(nil)
  call-interactively(org-clock-in nil nil)
  command-execute(org-clock-in)

I tried updating org package, removing all my org-agenda files in case there is some problem with files, but nothing seems to work. I am using latest version of spacemacs. Most of my org config come from this articles - http://doc.norang.ca/org-mode.html

This question was asked on emacs.stackexchange (I also gave bountry there) - https://emacs.stackexchange.com/questions/24058/error-when-trying-to-clock-in-agenda-buffer

is it possible?

Switching between recent closely related kernels is possible - that is kernel versions 2-3 different. Any larger than this and you can run into graphical issues because todays graphics cards and drivers often need a similar kernel to work with.

I know this because my laptop is an intel based laptop. I'm running 12.04 and running the hardware-enablement stack.

Currently I'm using the 13.10 saucy stack but with the raring kernel (kernel 3.8 vs 3.11 in saucy). This works ok. When I switch to my 3.2 kernel, my laptop boots to a black screen.

Given that you are using a server, I imagine you are not running any graphics stuff anyway - or maybe just framebuffer type graphics. Thus, the graphics issues should not (in theory) apply to you.

kernel 3.2

Kernel 3.2 is the long-term supported kernel (LTS) - so it will receive the support the longest (i.e. a total 5 years from 12.04 release).

As long as you are not running any kernel device dependent software, there will be no impact in running an older kernel.

The other aspect you should consider is security updates. By pinning and holding your kernel you'll need to manually manage your kernel updates.

pinning

As to your queries - the procedure you have outlined is correct.

You may wish to consider not "pinning and holding". Instead of booting using the first kernel found in the "Previous Kernels" GRUB, you could instead boot to a named kernel

i.e.

change GRUB_DEFAULT="2>0" to GRUB_DEFAULT="2>Ubuntu, with Linux 3.2.0-24-generic"

You can obtain the grub label via the command fgrep menuentry /boot/grub/grub.cfg

Comments

[lawlist]

If you remove spacemacs from the equation, does the error still occur? If spacemacs has no bearing on this question, then please consider removing the spacemacs tag from this question as well as any references to that library. [Otherwise, people with some org-mode familiarity will skip over this question if they are not familiar with spacemacs.] Also, please post a link to the duplicate question over at emacs.stackexchange.com (which you placed a bounty on).

[romants]

Thanks for the comment, I added the link to question on emacs.stackexchange. As for removing spacemacs, I will try that

[Mintyfresh]

What do you mean by manually manage kernel updates/security updates? So if I do the following I will be using the old kernel and still receive security updates?: do not place a hold on the Kernel, install the 3.2.0-24 kernel, and set the default in Grub to to boot to 3.2.0-24

[nilsonneto]

For example, i the kernel update is version 3.2.0-25 - because you have pinned the kernel, you will keep booting from the older security vulnerable kernel. You'll need to watch out for the kernel update and then manually update your grub. The other aspect is if you use 2>0 in your grub - an update of the 3.8 series will result in this kernel appearing at position 2>0 - so you will not be booting from the kernel 3.2 series - you'll boot from the old 3.8 series.

[Mintyfresh]

The 2>0 is booting into the kernel because My Grub list is as follows: 3.8 in slot 0 , 3.8 recovery in slot 1, older kernel versions in slot 2, and then under older kernel versions 3.2.0-24 is top of list. So I do not think this would be an issue but I will probably change just in case. Thank you for clarification on the manual update question.

[nilsonneto]

@rrepko - you can always purge the 3.8 kernels and headers together with the lts-raring generic packages to prevent reinstallation. This is really another question, so please ask it - myself or another member of the community will help you. Remember - if you are still after another answer to your question, leave this question open - otherwise just click the tick symbol next to the answer to close the thread. Thanks.