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Obsolete Releases => SME Server 7.x => Topic started by: yersin on October 28, 2008, 08:14:07 AM

Title: from "panic in 5 seconds" to "kernel_thread_helper"
Post by: yersin on October 28, 2008, 08:14:07 AM

Hi,
I've been using SMEServer 7.2 on an ordinary pc (pentium IV, 256 ram, intel mainboard) for about a year now. I use it as a web server that hosts only a school intranet based on Drupal 5. It used to work well with no interruptions at all for about six months. Then, it would start to crash every now and then. What I would get on the screen would be something like this:

-process kswap
-stack
-calltrace
-<o>fatal exception: panic in 5 seconds
-kernel panic-not syncing:mm/swap.c329
-spin-lock(mm/page-alloc.c:c036e9c8)
-already locked by mm/umscan.c/665

I could only find on the net that problems like this are due to hardware problems. I reinstalled SMEServer, hoping it would fix the hard disk, supposing it was damaged. However, it still fails, but what I get on the screen when it crashes is like this:

[<c031b9c>]common_interrupt
[<----sth-->]die+ox|d0/0x22b
[<----sth-->]search exception_tables
[<----sth-->]do_invalid_op+
[<----sth-->]refill_inactive_zone
[<----sth-->]--pagevec_free
[<----sth-->]--pagevec_release_non|ro
[<----sth-->]wake_up_page
[<----sth-->]schedule
[<----sth-->]do_invalid_op
[<----sth-->]error_code
[<----sth-->]refill_inactive_zone
[<----sth-->]get_writeback_state
[<----sth-->]shrink_zone
[<----sth-->]balance_pgdat
[<----sth-->]kswapd
[<----sth-->]autoremove_wake_function
[<----sth-->]ret_from_fork
[<----sth-->]autoremove_wake_function
[<----sth-->]kswapd
[<----sth-->]kernel_thread_helper

I can't understand any line of it. I hope you do.
So, is it a hardware problem? If so, what kind? Is it because the pc is not powerful? How can I tell what's wrong?

Thanks so much for your help.
yersin

Title: Re: from "panic in 5 seconds" to "kernel_thread_helper"
Post by: Stefano on October 28, 2008, 08:46:03 AM

Hi

check your ram with memtest.. and, of course, if you feel that your hd could be damaged, replace it

HTH
Ciao
Stefano

Title: Re: from "panic in 5 seconds" to "kernel_thread_helper"
Post by: yersin on October 28, 2008, 04:17:23 PM

Quote from: nenonano on October 28, 2008, 08:46:03 AM

check your ram with memtest.. and, of course, if you feel that your hd could be damaged, replace it

HTH
Ciao
Stefano

Thanks for replying. Does it mean it is definitely a hardware problem and not something to do with the SME installation or mysql running to support the intranet?

I am finding out more about memtest to use it.
Thanks

Title: Re: from "panic in 5 seconds" to "kernel_thread_helper"
Post by: Stefano on October 28, 2008, 04:35:13 PM

hi

in my experience kernel panic is 99% due to an hw problem..

good luck
Ciao

Stefano

Title: Re: from "panic in 5 seconds" to "kernel_thread_helper"
Post by: CharlieBrady on October 28, 2008, 05:05:52 PM

Quote from: nenonano on October 28, 2008, 04:35:13 PM

in my experience kernel panic is 99% due to an hw problem..

The other 1% is kernel bugs. mysql (or any other program) cannot cause a kernel panic even if it tries.