Bug in 2.2 kernels (mysterious hangs after freeing unused memory)

Bug in 2.2 kernels (mysterious hangs after freeing unused memory)

[Blizbor]

Hi,

I have found something weird in kernel 2.2.17.
After installation on the Pentium PRO equipped machine,
I have moved hard disk to another one, but equipped
with AMD-K5 and after encountering problems I moved again
this disk to machine equipped with Intel Pentium MMX.

On all machines except Pentium PRO boot process was stopping
after freeing unused kernel memory.

I've made some steps (incl. simple kernel source modification)
to find why. It was mysterious for me why even "init=/bin/bash"
option doesn't help.
I have found that read_exec is done three times at start on good machine,
and only once on bad. This inspired me to issue "init=/sbin/sash" to
kernel. And bingo !. System was booted.
Next - each try to start something using shared libraries was fault.
Problem was: signal 4 due to glibc was compiled for i686 (f...d RH7,
automated like windows)

My conclusion is: kernel doesnt handle situations when "init" process
dies.

I was'nt tested this on 2.4 series kernel.

.
________________________________________________
Nie ma zlecen niemozliwych do zrealizowania. Sa tylko trudne, bardzo trudne
i takie za ktore klient nie bedzie w stanie zaplacic.

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Re: Bug in 2.2 kernels (mysterious hangs after freeing unused memory)

[Erik Mouw]

On Sun, Jan 07, 2001 at 07:21:08PM +0100, Blizbor wrote:
> I have found something weird in kernel 2.2.17.
> After installation on the Pentium PRO equipped machine,
> I have moved hard disk to another one, but equipped
> with AMD-K5 and after encountering problems I moved again
> this disk to machine equipped with Intel Pentium MMX.
> 
> On all machines except Pentium PRO boot process was stopping
> after freeing unused kernel memory.

A kernel compiled and optimised for a PPro does not neccesarily run on
an AMD K5 or a Pentium MMX.


Erik

-- 
J.A.K. (Erik) Mouw, Information and Communication Theory Group, Department
of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Information Technology and Systems,
Delft University of Technology, PO BOX 5031,  2600 GA Delft, The Netherlands
Phone: +31-15-2783635  Fax: +31-15-2781843  Email: J.A.K.Mouw@its.tudelft.nl
WWW: http://www-ict.its.tudelft.nl/~erik/
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Re: Bug in 2.2 kernels (mysterious hangs after freeing unused memory)

[Blizbor]

At 01-01-08 21:09, you wrote:
>On Sun, Jan 07, 2001 at 07:21:08PM +0100, Blizbor wrote:
>> I have found something weird in kernel 2.2.17.
>> After installation on the Pentium PRO equipped machine,
>> I have moved hard disk to another one, but equipped
>> with AMD-K5 and after encountering problems I moved again
>> this disk to machine equipped with Intel Pentium MMX.
>> 
>> On all machines except Pentium PRO boot process was stopping
>> after freeing unused kernel memory.
>
>A kernel compiled and optimised for a PPro does not neccesarily run on
>an AMD K5 or a Pentium MMX.

Yes, I know that. 
Kernel was compiled for i386.
Problem was by simplified "init" process handling in kernel
- especially no error handling for them. Problem is not in that 
something doesnt run but in that so there aren't information 
about error. I didn't expect that kernel do something more 
complicated than saying about error. Hanging is not good idea ;)
I've lost few work days to find whats
going on. Problem is lack of one short line displayed on console:
"init process failed, reason: killed by signal 4".
I was really surprised that on installation CD marked as i386,
some stupid guy put binaries for i686.
Exactly six rpm's - three containing kernel (that's OK) and one 
containing glibc. Even if "smart guys" wanted to make preformance
boost, they should do that in the safe way. But this is problem of the 
RedHat 7 developers. Together with glibc srpms that doesnt have chance
to build on i386 platform due to bugs in specs file. But let we
leave alone RH and their problems with their experimental distribution.

Cheers,
Blizbor

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