> > finally, any concerns i should have about upgrading the kernel from > 3.10 to 4.14 or 4.15, as explained in a number of places like this: > > https://www.tecmint.com/install-upgrade-kernel-version-in-centos-7/ > > i simply prefer to run a current kernel but i can resist the > temptation if upgrading that on a centos 7.4 system would introduce > more problems than are worth it. > The only reason to use a kernel version that isn't provided with the distro is if the newer kernel provides features that you **NEED**. Remember, the whole point of something like CentOS is to provide a stable, solid OS. This requires a whole bunch of testing of the OS as a whole - and RHEL (and hence CentOS) does all that testing using kernels it provides. What's more RH will backport critical kernel updates if appropriate - so it's not the case that an older kernel is lacking in security. I seem to remember you said you were going to teach using these machines - surely you want those machines to be as stable and as standard as possible to the machines the students will find in the wild. I would definitely not encourage students to upgrade kernels - novices sysadmins don't need an extra level of uncertainty in their life! P.