Subject: Re: Linux 2.6.35
From: Donald Parsons <dparsons@brightdsl.net>
To: Harald Hoyer <harald.hoyer@gmail.com>
Cc: Bjorn Helgaas <bjorn.helgaas@hp.com>,
        linux-kernel <linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org>,
        Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org>
In-Reply-To: <AANLkTimK8sv5aWfcv_BAmipgVnukR5NJsZQOXYbb2LAH@mail.gmail.com>
References: <1280716262.5125.42.camel@falcon.homelinux.org>
	 <201008012138.39036.bjorn.helgaas@hp.com>
	 <1280722876.5125.83.camel@falcon.homelinux.org>
	 <AANLkTimK8sv5aWfcv_BAmipgVnukR5NJsZQOXYbb2LAH@mail.gmail.com>
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Date: Mon, 02 Aug 2010 22:31:41 -0400
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On Mon, 2010-08-02 at 18:08 +0200, Harald Hoyer wrote: 
> On Mon, Aug 2, 2010 at 6:21 AM, Donald Parsons <dparsons@brightdsl.net> wrote:
> > On Sun, 2010-08-01 at 21:38 -0600, Bjorn Helgaas wrote:
> >> On Sunday, August 01, 2010 08:31:02 pm Donald Parsons wrote:
> >> > 2.6.35 still fails to boot for me, as first reported here:
> >> >  http://lkml.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/1007.3/01144.html
> >> >
> >> > I've manually bisected it down to around May 20 between
> >> >   2.6.34-git4 (boots) and 2.6.34-git5 (boot fails)
> >> > Also -git[23] boot, and -git8, -rc[126], rc6-git[136] all fail.
> >> >
> >> > Unfortunately first time I tried was with 2.6.35-rc6 and
> >> > it failed to boot.
> >> >
> >> > Failure when switching from initramfs to real /root?
> >> > Removing kernel "quiet" param appears to show several
> >> > lines listing:
> >> >
> >> >   usb drives/hubs? followed by
> >> >   dracut switching root (when booting works)
> >> >               or
> >> >   usb drives/hubs? followed by
> >> >         (missing dracut... line)
> >> >   No root device found
> >> >   Boot has failed, sleeping forever.   (when it does not boot)
> >> >
> >> > Grub, typical entry:
> >> > title Fedora (2.6.35)
> >> >     root (hd0,0)
> >> >     kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.35 ro
> >> > root=UUID=686dc496-8814-4c36-8fb7-5ded2916e825 rhgb
> >> > SYSFONT=latarcyrheb-sun16 LANG=en_US.UTF-8 KEYTABLE=us
> >> > rdblacklist=nouveau init=/sbin/bootchartd
> >> >     initrd /initramfs-2.6.35.img
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > My boot failure seems to be different than other two reported
> >> > in the thread "2.6.35-rc6-git6: Reported regressions from 2.6.34"
> >> > under Bug #16173 and #16228
> >>
> >> Will it boot with the "pci=nocrs" option?  If so, please open a
> >
> > No, I tried this on a few attempts when I saw it mentioned under
> > bug #16228.  But it had no effect/benefit.  Sorry, I should have
> > mentioned this.
> >
> >> report at https://bugzilla.kernel.org, mark it a regression, assign
> >> it to me, and attach the complete dmesg log.  And please respond to
> >> this thread with a pointer to the bugzilla.
> >>
> >> Otherwise, a complete console log should have a clue.  The best
> >> thing would be a log from a serial console or netconsole, with
> >> "ignore_loglevel".
> >
> > Maybe I will try netconsole tomorrow.  But is Ethernet up when
> > this boot failure happens?  I think not, since initramfs should
> > not need networking.
> >
> > Should I try building sata driver into kernel?  Oh, I am using
> > ext3, and fdisk -l shows:
> 
> # dracut --add-drivers "sata" ....
> 
> or edit /etc/dracut.conf:
> 
> add_drivers+=" sata "

But the kernel used to boot with same identical modules before
but not after 2.6.34-git4.
 --------

Using your suggestion as to where the problem lies, I investigated
more deeply and found:

I've now got 2.6.35-rc6-git3 to boot (and almost certainly 2.6.35 final)

Make oldconfig broke at the transition where boot began failed, ie,
between 2.6.34-git4 and 2.6.34-git5.   Even though modules are the
same, boot fails.  If I use gconfig and set CONFIG_SATA_AHCI=y
instead of CONFIG_SATA_AHCI=m it works, except cannot select =y
unless CONFIG_ATA changed from m to y.

So at some point in past, make oldconfig had apparently changed
CONFIG_SATA_AHCI from y to m and system still booted.  But between
2.6.34-git4 and 2.6.34-git5 the ability to boot was lost.

So make oldconfig is not 100% trustworthy in this case.  I do not
know if this is a problem that should be fixed.  Ask if you want
any .config diffs.

I am going to reboot with 2.6.35 to make sure it boots. Yes!

I consider this boot problem solved unless someone wants to
improve "make oldconfig" behavior.

Thanks,
Don


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