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Obsolete Releases => SME Server 7.x => Topic started by: mudtoe on November 25, 2008, 04:16:55 AM

Title: Upgrade from 7.3 to 7.4 kernel panic
Post by: mudtoe on November 25, 2008, 04:16:55 AM
Hi folks:

I was trying to upgrade from 7.3 to 7.4 using the upgrade ISO image and I'm having some problems.  After the upgrade completes and it reboots I'm getting a kernel panic error that looks like SME 7.4 is unable to mount the file system.  I verified that the file system is still there by booting into the 7.4 rescue environment and it does mount the file system under /mnt/sysimage and I'm able to access the files from there, so there hasn't been any damage do the file system.  Fortunately SME is running as a VM and I took a snapshot before the upgrade, so I can go back easily, but I'm not sure what's wrong.  I looked at the changes made to grub.conf from 7.3 to 7.4 and I don't see anything obvious, but then again I'm not a real Linux expert.  I'm attaching images of the console showing the 7.4 panic error, and the grub.conf files for the 7.3 and 7.4 installations. 

Suggestions welcome.

mudtoe

=========================

Kernel Panic Error:

(http://home.fuse.net/e2d9e6/temp/kernelpanic.jpg)


SME 7.3 grub.conf:

(http://home.fuse.net/e2d9e6/temp/grub73.jpg)


SME 7.4 grub.conf:

(http://home.fuse.net/e2d9e6/temp/grub74.jpg)
Title: Re: Upgrade from 7.3 to 7.4 kernel panic
Post by: gzartman on November 25, 2008, 06:51:48 AM
Please post this over in the bug tracker:  http://bugs.contribs.org/

If there is a problem with SME 7.4, the bug tracker is the place to get it solved.

Title: Re: Upgrade from 7.3 to 7.4 kernel panic
Post by: mudtoe on November 28, 2008, 03:36:51 AM
Well, for the record, if I do the upgrade via the yum upgrade screen instead of booting the 7.4 CD and doing the upgrade from the CD, everything works find and I don't get the kernel panic error.
 
mudtoe
Title: Re: Upgrade from 7.3 to 7.4 kernel panic
Post by: jptechnical on November 28, 2008, 06:26:16 AM
Well, for the record, if I do the upgrade via the yum upgrade screen instead of booting the 7.4 CD and doing the upgrade from the CD, everything works find and I don't get the kernel panic error.
 
mudtoe

Can you tell me if the yum upgrade screen you mentioned is the same 'Software Installer' page in the server/manager? I haven't upgraded any systems a full release, just updates via the server-manager. Just curious if installing the updates via the https://hostname/server-manager/cgi-bin/yum is acceptable as opposed to booting from the CD. I have several installs in semi-remote locations... trying to spare some panicy service calls.

Thanks.
Title: Re: Upgrade from 7.3 to 7.4 kernel panic
Post by: cactus on November 28, 2008, 10:02:09 AM
Well, for the record, if I do the upgrade via the yum upgrade screen instead of booting the 7.4 CD and doing the upgrade from the CD, everything works find and I don't get the kernel panic error.
 
mudtoe
Also please report that to the bugtracker. Since no additional updates have been released AFAIK the update from CD should do the same as per server-manager.
Title: Re: Upgrade from 7.3 to 7.4 kernel panic
Post by: Stefano on November 28, 2008, 02:03:47 PM
Can you tell me if the yum upgrade screen you mentioned is the same 'Software Installer' page in the server/manager? I haven't upgraded any systems a full release, just updates via the server-manager. Just curious if installing the updates via the https://hostname/server-manager/cgi-bin/yum is acceptable as opposed to booting from the CD. I have several installs in semi-remote locations... trying to spare some panicy service calls.

Thanks.

such an upgrade should be done via shell access.. not via web interface.

IMHO

Ciao
Stefano
Title: Re: Upgrade from 7.3 to 7.4 kernel panic
Post by: cactus on November 28, 2008, 07:47:33 PM
such an upgrade should be done via shell access.. not via web interface.
I am curious to know why as they should both do the same.
Title: Re: Upgrade from 7.3 to 7.4 kernel panic
Post by: mudtoe on November 29, 2008, 02:06:37 AM
Can you tell me if the yum upgrade screen you mentioned is the same 'Software Installer' page in the server/manager? I haven't upgraded any systems a full release, just updates via the server-manager. Just curious if installing the updates via the https://hostname/server-manager/cgi-bin/yum is acceptable as opposed to booting from the CD. I have several installs in semi-remote locations... trying to spare some panicy service calls.


Yes, I did the update from the Software Installer page in the Server Manager.   I have no idea why doing it from the CD resulted in the kernel panic error and doing it from the software installer didn't.  I did it from the CD first because I figured it might be better to do a big update like that when the server itself wasn't running; however it turned out that the other way around was the right way.  Also, someone posted about doing it from the command line, and the only reason I didn't do it that way was that there were some updates listed for Cyrus (I'm using Toltec Connector so I had to install Cyrus as the IMAP software) that I didn't want to apply at the same time as a version upgrade.  I also have no idea if the presence of Cyrus somehow screwed up the CD upgrade; however, since the kernel panic error had something to do with not being able to mount the file system I wouldn't think that the presence of Cyrus would cause that kind of error.  If Cyrus was going to be an issue for the CD upgrade I would expect problems with IMAP after the upgrade, as opposed to a problem with the whole file system.
 
mudtoe
Title: Re: Upgrade from 7.3 to 7.4 kernel panic
Post by: gustlsoft on November 30, 2008, 12:39:01 PM
Hello,
I ran into the same problem. My SME Server is a virtual machine too (on ESXi 3.5U3).
Unfortunatly I didn't make a snapshot before updating.
So I googled around and found a posting in the VMware Community:
Red Hat 4 virtual machine with "kernel" panic after update 4 on ESX 3.0.1
http://communities.vmware.com/thread/67781;jsessionid=ACB1F00C46A833E15B862E2FD73DAE1E?tstart=0 (http://communities.vmware.com/thread/67781;jsessionid=ACB1F00C46A833E15B862E2FD73DAE1E?tstart=0)
Have a look at tsightler's Post from Jan 18, 2007 10:46 AM
This worked for me!
Delete all SCSI_HOSTADAPTER lines from /etc/modprobe.conf, leaving one line:
alias scsi_hostadapter mptscsih
Then rename the /boot/initrd..................img files to something like initrd...............img.old
and do a fresh:
mkinitrd /boot/initrd-2.6.9-78.0.8.EL.img 2.6.9-78.0.8.EL
Reboot, configure vmware-tools and enjoy your fresh SME 7.4
Title: Re: Upgrade from 7.3 to 7.4 kernel panic
Post by: Stefano on November 30, 2008, 01:32:29 PM
I am curious to know why as they should both do the same.

just because, via console, you can have a better control of what is going on..

I repeat, IMHO. :-)

Ciao
Stefano
Title: Re: Upgrade from 7.3 to 7.4 kernel panic
Post by: m on November 30, 2008, 01:37:13 PM
FYI:
On a fresh SME 7.4 install and SME 7.4 updated from 7.3 from ISO image, both running on ESXi3.5 Update3, I have these scsi_hostadapter aliases:
Code: [Select]
alias scsi_hostadapter mptbase
alias scsi_hostadapter1 mptscsi
alias scsi_hostadapter2 mptspi
alias scsi_hostadapter3 mptsas
alias scsi_hostadapter4 mptscsih
alias scsi_hostadapter5 ata_piix
Title: Re: Upgrade from 7.3 to 7.4 kernel panic
Post by: mark on December 01, 2008, 12:15:43 AM
On Friday I updated a 7.3 with yum update which appeared to go smoothly untill the reboot when it refused to boot saying there were disk errors (there weren't) - The only way I could get it to boot was to select the previous kernel then it seemed  fine.

I updated my office server today using yum update from 7.3 and it ignored the signal-event reboot (but not the subsequent reboot cmd) then came up without internet access. Another 'signal-event post-upgrade' and warm boot didn't fix the problem but a subsequent hard boot brought everything to life.

I certainly wont be updating my remote servers for a while.

And before someone jumps on his/her high horse and tells me to use the bug tracker - I have tried several times and simply find it too confusing - I can't/wont be bothered.

cheers

Mark
Title: Re: Upgrade from 7.3 to 7.4 kernel panic
Post by: cactus on December 01, 2008, 09:05:23 AM
And before someone jumps on his/her high horse and tells me to use the bug tracker - I have tried several times and simply find it too confusing - I can't/wont be bothered.
But I will ride that horse, it is not very much harder than writing in the proper board on the forums. If you do not report it as a bug it is not likely to be fixed. So please, take a plunge in the bugtracker and report where you get stuck so we can guide you. The bugtracker is the single and only place to report problems if you want them fixed.
With the use of open source like this you are morally obliged to do something back IMHO, which in your case would be take a little effort to learn how to work the bugtracker to report a new bug and follow-up when questions are asked. So I suggest you saddle up! :-D
Title: Re: Upgrade from 7.3 to 7.4 kernel panic
Post by: okepc on December 10, 2008, 09:09:10 AM
I have exact the same problem as the topic starter.
Running a scsi raid.
I have had this problem before some while ago and there is an old bug somewhere in the bug tracker.
As of now im running on the previous kernel.

Is there already filed a bug and so what's the link?

Dirk
Title: Re: Upgrade from 7.3 to 7.4 kernel panic
Post by: okepc on December 10, 2008, 09:29:33 AM
Old but..

http://bugs.contribs.org/show_bug.cgi?id=698
Title: Re: Upgrade from 7.3 to 7.4 kernel panic
Post by: FraunhoferIFF on December 10, 2008, 04:33:43 PM
same Problem...

Title: Re: Upgrade from 7.3 to 7.4 kernel panic
Post by: okepc on December 11, 2008, 10:48:45 AM
I have added a bug report

http://bugs.contribs.org/show_bug.cgi?id=4847

Dirk
Title: Re: Upgrade from 7.3 to 7.4 kernel panic
Post by: Igi2003 on December 11, 2008, 11:31:51 AM
The Problem is that the ahci controler not works after Update. mkinitrd with Option "--with=ahci" will solve this Problem or edit modprobe.conf manually and add "alias scsi_hostcontroller ahci" and make a new initrd for the new kernel. This Problem is only on SATA Controller in AHCI Mode.

Mfg Igi
Title: Re: Upgrade from 7.3 to 7.4 kernel panic
Post by: okepc on December 11, 2008, 01:51:35 PM
Quote
This Problem is only on SATA Controller in AHCI Mode

Weird... im running a ultra 320 scsi mirror raid

Dirk
Title: Re: Upgrade from 7.3 to 7.4 kernel panic
Post by: Igi2003 on December 11, 2008, 02:23:31 PM
then boot from cd with "sme rescue". Boot without Ethernet drivers, make an chroot /mnt/syslinux.
Then type "kudzu -q". When ready type "kmodule". This shows your hardware controller module. Edit /etc/modprobe.conf and insert your SCSI module shown from kmodule, "alias scsi_hostcontroller(?) module_name", e.g. mptscsih and then build a new initrd image. Replace the original initrd-2.6.9-78.0.8.EL(smp).img in /boot/ folder and restart your server. This may fix your SCSI Problem.

regards
Title: Re: Upgrade from 7.3 to 7.4 kernel panic
Post by: Stefano on December 11, 2008, 02:57:49 PM
then boot from cd with "sme rescue". Boot without Ethernet drivers, make an chroot /mnt/syslinux.
Then type "kudzu -q". When ready type "kmodule". This shows your hardware controller module. Edit /etc/modprobe.conf and insert your SCSI module shown from kmodule, "alias scsi_hostcontroller(?) module_name", e.g. mptscsih and then build a new initrd image. Replace the original initrd-2.6.9-78.0.8.EL(smp).img in /boot/ folder and restart your server. This may fix your SCSI Problem.

regards

this is only, IMO, a workaround.. we should look at CentOS/RH bugtracker to see where's the problem.. kernel's ones are not in the hands of SME's developers

ciao
Stefano
Title: Re: Upgrade from 7.3 to 7.4 kernel panic
Post by: Igi2003 on December 11, 2008, 03:46:08 PM
This is not an Kernel Problem. This is an Problem of SME. The module driver is removed from modprobe.conf and so not build in on kernel update. But why is the "alias scsi_hostadapter xxxxxxx" string removed in modprobe.conf? "kudzu" makes the /etc/sysconfig/hwconf correctly, rc.sysinit load the same modules as the initrd, so the SME works correctly without the scsi_hostadapter strings in the modprobe.conf. When mkinitrd makes a new initrd, it looks in modprobe.conf whitch modules are loaded and build them in the inintd. But when tha ahci module or any hostadapter module string is missing, so mkinitrd does not incluce the module in the new initrd. So the SME stops at boot. I´ve tried to rescan the server for hostadapters, but there is not any program who insert the right module for the found hostadapter to modprobe.conf. The strings are insterted by install from CD.

regards