Escalated to Bugzilla from IssueTracker
Event posted on 10-19-2009 06:01am EDT by Glen Johnson =Comment: #0================================================= ANTHONY N. LIGUORI <aliguori.com> - ---Problem Description--- When using -initrd and a guest with > 4GB of memory, the guest detects a corrupted initrd and fails to launch. Contact Information = Anthony Liguori <aliguori.com> ---uname output--- Linux cn01tn01bold.boulder.vsc.ibm.com 2.6.18-164.el5 #1 SMP Tue Aug 18 15:51:48 EDT 2009 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux Machine Type = iDataPlex dx360 M2 ---Debugger--- A debugger is not configured ---Steps to Reproduce--- Launch a guest using -kernel and -initrd with > 4GB of memory. This can be done through libvirt or directly via qemu-kvm. To reproduce this, we used the isolinux kernel/initrd from the RHEL5.3 cd. We can reproduce this issue with the following command line: /usr/libexec/qemu-kvm -m 8192 -kernel /root/RHEL5.3/vmlinuz -initrd /root/RHEL5.3/initrd.img The following command line works: /usr/libexec/qemu-kvm -m 2048 -kernel /root/RHEL5.3/vmlinuz -initrd /root/RHEL5.3/initrd.img ---KVM Component Data--- Userspace tool common name: qemu-kvm The userspace tool has the following bit modes: 64-bit Userspace rpm: kvm-83-105.el5 Userspace tool obtained from project website: na *Additional Instructions for Anthony Liguori <aliguori.com>: -Attach ltrace and strace of userspace application. =Comment: #1================================================= ANTHONY N. LIGUORI <aliguori.com> - This is probably fixed by: commit e6ade764ebbbac9a0ce2f710ef0d97272eb1657f Author: Glauber Costa <glommer> Date: Mon May 18 16:35:58 2009 -0400 keep initrd in below 4g area. initrd must be kept on the memory area below 4g. By not doing this, we're seeing guests break while using -initrd and values of -mem superior to 4096. Signed-off-by: Glauber Costa <glommer> I'll confirm this by backporting the patch to RHEL5.4 =Comment: #2================================================= ANTHONY N. LIGUORI <aliguori.com> - This problem can be worked around by installing a guest with less than 4GB of memory and then increasing the memory allocation after install. =Comment: #4================================================= ANTHONY N. LIGUORI <aliguori.com> - Backport of upstream fix =Comment: #5================================================= ANTHONY N. LIGUORI <aliguori.com> - I've confirmed the attached patch fixes this issue against RHEL5.4's kvm package. This event sent from IssueTracker by jkachuck [IBM-LTC] issue 355544
Created attachment 365240 [details] keep-initrd-in-below-4gb.patch
Reproducer: Action 1. - #cd /home/529694 - #wget http://download.englab.nay.redhat.com/pub/rhel/rel-eng/RHEL5.3-Server-latest/tree-x86_64/images/pxeboot/initrd.img http://download.englab.nay.redhat.com/pub/rhel/rel-eng/RHEL5.3-Server-latest/tree-x86_64/images/pxeboot/vmlinuz - #qemu-img create test.raw 10G 2. start guest with "-m 8192" - /usr/libexec/qemu-kvm -rtc-td-hack -usbdevice tablet -no-hpet -cpu qemu64,+sse2 -no-kvm-pit-reinjection -drive file=test.raw,if=virtio,boot=on -kernel vmlinuz -initrd initrd.img -smp 2 -m 8192 -net nic,macaddr=00:12:2A:0B:6E:0E,model=virtio,vlan=0 -net tap,ifname=pxe,script=/etc/qemu-ifup,vlan=0 -uuid 928CE801-488E-51BC-3BB6-2F6C7F130CB7 -vnc :1 -monitor stdio 3. vnc connect to guest - #vncviewer ip:1 Result after step3,Could NOT find the following information on vnc window: - RAMDISK: Couldn't find valid RAM disk image starting at 0. - Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS:Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(9.1) This bug could not be reproduced on kvm-83-132.el5; kernel 2.6.18-164.2.1.el5
Could not find this bug on kvm-83-139.el5
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 therefore 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/RHSA-2010-0271.html