Skip to content

Install PAE Kernel on Supported 32-bit x86 Systems

An XCCDF Rule

Description

Systems that are using the 64-bit x86 kernel package do not need to install the kernel-PAE package because the 64-bit x86 kernel already includes this support. However, if the system is 32-bit and also supports the PAE and NX features as determined in the previous section, the kernel-PAE package should be installed to enable XD or NX support. The kernel-PAE package can be installed with the following command:

$ sudo zypper install kernel-PAE
The installation process should also have configured the bootloader to load the new kernel at boot. Verify this after reboot and modify /etc/default/grub if necessary.

warning alert: Hardware Warning

The kernel-PAE package should not be installed on older systems that do not support the XD or NX bit, as 8this may prevent them from booting.8

Rationale

On 32-bit systems that support the XD or NX bit, the vendor-supplied PAE kernel is required to enable either Execute Disable (XD) or No Execute (NX) support.

ID
xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_rule_install_PAE_kernel_on_x86-32
Severity
Unknown
References
Updated