Bug 57380

Does this machine have a 450NX chipset ? If so, could you please try the kernel 2.4.9-17.6
from http://people.redhat.com/arjanv/testkernels
that kernel has a fix for a bug in the compaq 450nx chipset handling.
(if it complains about too old modutils you can ignore that error with --nodeps if needed)

I have this Kernel installed on the CPQ DL380 G2.
(incl. the entry in /etc/lilo.conf + lilo -v)

The result ist the same.

I think it is a problem with /mkinitrd filesystem in the / filesystem.
Because the size of the / filesystem is 14 GB.
We have an special /boot with 50MB, but this new /mkinitrd in in the /.

Is it possible that the kernel can not change the root ?

 /mkinitrd or /initrd ? (it SHOULD be the later)

it is /initrd.

here is the output of the ls command:
[root@rh05 /]# ls -ld initrd
drwxr-xr-x    8 root     root         1024 Nov 26 14:52 initrd

is this correct ?

[root@rh05 /initrd]# ls -l
total 7
drwxr-xr-x    2 root     root         1024 Nov 26 14:52 bin
drwxr-xr-x    2 root     root         1024 Nov 26 14:52 dev
drwxr-xr-x    2 root     root         1024 Nov 26 14:52 etc
drwxr-xr-x    2 root     root         1024 Nov 26 14:52 lib
-rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root          168 Nov 26 14:52 linuxrc
drwxr-xr-x    2 root     root         1024 Nov 26 14:52 loopfs
drwxr-xr-x    2 root     root         1024 Nov 26 14:52 sbin
[root@rh05 /initrd]# ls sbin
bin  modprobe
[root@rh05 /initrd]# cd sbin
[root@rh05 sbin]# ls
bin  modprobe
[root@rh05 sbin]# cd bin
bash: cd: bin: Too many levels of symbolic links
[root@rh05 sbin]# ls -l
total 0
lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     root            3 Nov 26 14:52 bin -> bin
lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     root            9 Nov 26 14:52 modprobe -> /bin/nash
[root@rh05 sbin]# pwd
/initrd/sbin
[root@rh05 sbin]# ls /bin/nash
ls: /bin/nash: No such file or directory

Why is the initrd in / instead of in /boot?  (The first part of the
report says that it is in /boot, so I'm really confused here.)
Second, I think that the bin -> bin symlink is the problem you are
seeing here, which would make this a bug in mkinitrd, not in the
kernel.  I'm re-assigning this to mkinitrd.

One of the problem i have, is follow:

The Compaq DL380 G2 has two RAID Controllers ( 5i and 5304).
Kernel 2.4.2 use the Compaq CISS Driver (v 2.4.2).

The result is:

Smart Array 5i   will be /dev/cciss/c1xxxx
Smart Array 5304 will be /dev/cciss/c0xxxx

After upgrading to kernel to 2.4.9-12 -13 or -17 
a newer Compaq CCISS Driver (2.4.5 or later is used) 
the controller order will be the follows:

Smart Array 5i   will be /dev/cciss/c0xxxx
Smart Array 5304 will be /dev/cciss/c1xxxx

THE RESULT IS KERNEL PANIC !!!

i don't use the 5i controller.
i have the 5i controller deactive.

So the Smart Array 5304 will be /dev/cciss/c0xxxx
But i have many other errors while init works the runlvel 
(USB and so on).
I think i need a complete testet packet for the updatet kernel.

Which software MUST be updatet an RH71 for use with the kernel 2.4.9-17.6 ?

Sorry, there is mistake in Steps to Reproduce point 3.
The commands that i have used for mkinitrd:

[root@rh05 /root]# history | grep "mkinitrd init"
  151  mkinitrd initrd-2.4.9-12enterprise.img vmlinuz-2.4.9-12enterprise
  465  mkinitrd initrd-2.4.9-17.6enterprise.img 2.4.9-17.6enterprise

The startup report of the system with kernel: vmlinuz-2.4.9-17.6enterprise
================================================================================
latest ok-message is:
=====================
Remounting root filesystem                                         

the errors:
===========
/etc/rc.sysinit: /bin/rm cannot execute binary file
/etc/sysconfig/harddisks cannot execute binary file
/bin/cat cannot execute binary file
/bin/rm cannot execute binary file
/bin/uname cannot execute binary file
/bin/cat cannot execute binary file
Finding module dependencies: /sbin/depmod: /sbin/depmod cannot execute binary 
file
/sbin/mingetty: /sbin/mingetty: cannot execute binary file

following messages occures after this:
======================================
INIT: Id "1" respawning too fast: disabled for 5 minutes
INIT: Id "2" respawning too fast: disabled for 5 minutes
INIT: Id "3" respawning too fast: disabled for 5 minutes
INIT: Id "4" respawning too fast: disabled for 5 minutes
INIT: Id "5" respawning too fast: disabled for 5 minutes
INIT: Id "6" respawning too fast: disabled for 5 minutes

The new problem is fixed by reducing the memory=3500M

The COMPAQ DL380 G2 doesn't start with the kernel 2.4.9-17.6enterprise without 
memory limitation (2.4.2-2 works fine !)
The 2.4.9-17.6enterprise works fine with the limitation of 3500M.

But this COMPAQ DL380 G2 has 6GB memory (this not so nice) 

i have made new tests with kernel memory limitation:

3800M works fine
3900M results kernel panic !

LILO does not do proper e820 memory map hole detection.  GRUB should properly
navigate around memory holes.  Until GRUB is an option you will need to pass the
mem= limitation to keep LILO from loading the initrd in a reserved section of
memory.

With the new Kernel 2.4.9-21enterprise the problem is complete fixed.
This Kernel works fine with 6GB Memory! 
It was not a problem of LILO.