Description of problem: kernel frequently crashes Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): 2.6.17-1.2488.fc6 (I've been seeing this bug since many kernel revisions. I also crash frequently on fc5 since about the same time as it started to appear on rawhide. might be same bug on both systems? will try to produce an usb serial console dump on my laptop - that does not have a real serial port...) How reproducible: just start the system and let it run, and cause some system activity, e.g. do a "yum update -y". sooner or later it will crash. Note my standard PC has a PCI wireless card as its only connection to the internet, I'm using a recent madwifi snapshot that I compiled myself. Steps to Reproduce: 1. boot computer 2. start some activity 3. wait 4. sooner or later kernel crashes Actual results: crash Expected results: no crash Additional info: I was able to use the serial console and get a stack trace. Please see attached file. I will check whether it is always the same stack.
Created attachment 133441 [details] kernel crash stack trace
Created attachment 133450 [details] kernel crash stack trace #2
can't do anything with tainted kernels.
Dave, if I understand your comment 3 correctly, you refuse to look into this, because I compiled in the madwifi driver. If this is a problem I can offer the following: I will uninstall the madwifi kernel module. To solve my wireless only environment situation, I can connect an external rj-45 to wireless gaming adapter, so that the kernel will use standard cabled networking only. I assume, if the kernel still crashes in that configuration, you are ok to look into it. I will give that a try and reopen if it is indeed still crashing.
To my surprise, the system runs very stable when not using madwifi, but the external ethernet-to-wireless bridge. Looks like the frequent crash was indeed caused by that kernel module...