Initramfs

Linux 7.3 on Fedora: Why Kernel, Modules, and Initramfs Must Match

Compiling Linux 7.3 produces a kernel image, but that image is only one part of a bootable Fedora installation. On a typical Fedora system, boot also depends on kernel modules, an initramfs assembled for the correct release, and a boot entry pointing to those artifacts. A mismatch can leave a perfectly compiled kernel unable to mount its root filesystem. This matters when using the upstream source from kernel.org rather than Fedora’s kernel RPMs. Fedora’s package installation normally coordinates several boot artifacts. A manual upstream build leaves that coordination to the administrator. The example below assumes an ordinary x86_64 Fedora installation managed with GRUB and grubby, not an rpm-ostree-based desktop.