Description of problem: The kernel-debug package in Fedora 14 provides a compressed kernel, which crash doesn't recognize. rpm -q --filesbypkg kernel-debug | grep vmlinu kernel-debug /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35.10-74.fc14.x86_64.debug but crash reports: crash: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35.10-74.fc14.x86_64.debug: not a supported file format I was able to open the dump in question by rebuilding the kernel rpm which produced an uncompressed kernel binary, which is consistent with crash's manpage. I'm not sure if this is an RFE for crash to be able to use the compressed kernel provided by F14, or a bug in the kernel-debug package for not providing the uncompressed kernel. Either way, F14 should provide a debug kernel that works without having to rebuild the kernel src rpm.
Man, you are falling out of touch... Fedora builds two kernel flavors for x86_64, a "base" version and a "debug" version: kernel-2.6.35.10-69.fc14.x86_64.rpm kernel-debug-2.6.35.10-69.fc14.x86_64.rpm Those packages contain the vmlinuz (with a z) files, which are stripped-down compressed images that get loaded into memory, and which are completely useless to the crash utility. The vmlinux (with an x) files needed by crash (or gdb), are found in the associated debuginfo packages: kernel-debuginfo-2.6.35.10-69.fc14.x86_64.rpm kernel-debug-debuginfo-2.6.35.10-69.fc14.x86_64.rpm And if you install either of the above, rpm requires that you also install the "common" part for both kernel types: kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64-2.6.35.10-69.fc14.x86_64.rpm So depending upon which kernel version you're debugging, you need to install the relevant -debuginfo package and the -debuginfo-common package. If you're not debugging any kernel modules, you can use rpm2cpio and just pull out the "vmlinux" file from the relevant -debuginfo rpm filem, i.e, without having to install the two -debuginfo packages.
Hey Dave, so sorry for the noise, and thanks for the guidance; it does of course work as you describe after I do debuginfo-install kernel