What is DKMS and How Does It Work with Kernel Updates?

It's good to think of DKMS in terms of modules rather than just drivers. The cool part is that when there's a kernel update, DKMS takes care of rebuilding the necessary modules from their source code. If the module source doesn't have any issues or conflicts with the kernel updates, everything should work seamlessly.

To clarify, if you were to receive a kernel update and have DKMS modules installed, DKMS will kick in and rebuild the modules automatically. This is crucial because any module that interacts with the kernel may need adjustments if there were changes in the kernel API. Generally, if you sourced the DKMS modules from the same distribution as your kernel, you can expect timely updates to avoid compatibility issues.

I actually moved away from using VirtualBox because I ran into issues with DKMS not having a module ready for new kernel versions, which often left me in a bind. I switched to KVM, which is more stable in this regard. Just something to consider if you want a smoother experience!

When a new kernel is released, DKMS automatically rebuilds all the DKMS-enabled modules that you have installed. So, if you're using a package that relies on DKMS and your kernel updates, DKMS kicks in and recompiles these modules for the new kernel version. This is generally handled smoothly during the installation process of the kernel package, keeping your system running without the need for manual intervention.

DKMS is designed to manage the building and installation of kernel modules efficiently. So, if you updated the kernel and have DKMS set up properly, it should handle the recompilation of the linked modules automatically. Just keep in mind that sometimes external factors like outdated source code or compilers can lead to issues, but that's often a rare case.