Description of problem: Occasionally the system won't find a time source on boot and so it kernel panics before reaching the initrd. rhel4u3 64bit software works but the 32 bit software doesn't work. It works if you specify "acpi_skip_timer_override". This is an nvidia based motherboard. Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): 2.6.9-34.ELsmp How reproducible: kernel panics 10% of the time. Steps to Reproduce: 1. Boot 2. 3. Actual results: It says it tries a couple time sources and can't get one so it dies. I'll set up a serial console on Monday and collect the full dmesg from a failed boot. Expected results: Additional info:
Created attachment 130438 [details] lspci
Created attachment 130439 [details] dmesg for reference
Created attachment 130535 [details] kernel panic dmesg
Some changes in this code went into U4 which may or may not resolve this issue. Please verify the problem still exists in U4, and this issue can be queued for the RHEL4 U5 release. If this issue does still exist in U4, please provide more info on the exact system that exibits the problem... a "dmidecode" output might be helpfull, but simply listing the exact make and model of the system would be enough.
Ok, I'll test those when they become available. There aren't any kernel packages in the beta channel on rhn yet (and u4 itself hasn't been released obviously). I'm going to attach the DMI data.
Created attachment 130713 [details] dmidecode output
The difference between x86_64 and i386 is that in x86_64 it does an lspci in check_ioapic() in arch/x86_64/kernel/io_apic.c. If there are any nvidia or via pci bridges then it automatically turns on acpi_skip_timer_override. I'm going to attach my lspci info as well.
Created attachment 130718 [details] lspci output
Created attachment 137753 [details] backport of RHEL4 x86_64 patch to resolve the issue This issue had been previously addressed in RHEL4 for x86_64. This patch is a backport of the x86_64 functionality to i386.
This request was evaluated by Red Hat Product Management for inclusion in a Red Hat Enterprise Linux maintenance release. Product Management has requested further review of this request by Red Hat Engineering, for potential inclusion in a Red Hat Enterprise Linux Update release for currently deployed products. This request is not yet committed for inclusion in an Update release.
QE ack for 4.5.
*** Bug 200412 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
committed in stream U5 build 42.40. A test kernel with this patch is available from http://people.redhat.com/~jbaron/rhel4/
An advisory has been issued which should help the problem described in this bug report. This report is therefore being closed with a resolution of ERRATA. For more information on the solution and/or where to find the updated files, please follow the link below. You may reopen this bug report if the solution does not work for you. http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHBA-2007-0304.html