debugging kernel load -- [SOLVED]

[jcas1411]

What is the best method for debugging the booting process? Is there a cheatcode (tried debug and failsafe). Standard linux kernel 2.6.35.8.

I having a problem with a dell server 2860 booting my version based on fanthoms work. It is hanging on

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loop: module loaded
loading iSCSI transport class v2.0-870

hangs here for ever.

If I boot another machine with the same disk it continues with

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ata_piix 0000:001f.2 version 2.13
ata_piix.....

and does not hang at all.

Booting my previous kernel 2.6.27.27(different disk with different initrd.gz) it loads the same as above but continues with

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loading iSCSI transport class v2.0-870
iscsi registered transport tcp

I'm stumped it the problem is with the ata_piix module or the iSCSI transport module or some firmware I might be missing. I booted fanthoms without issue, however he is not loading iSCSI module.
Thanks,
John

[Hamza]

It's a problem with slax-remix ?

[jcas1411]

not at all a problem with slax-remix, sorry will edit my thread to state my version based on fanthoms work

[Hamza]

It's with a based slax-remix , you need move your topic to General Chat in up of forum index .

Regards,

[jcas1411]

sorry, asked yesterday on my udev question [on my build] and was told to post in the 32bit general questions. see my solved thread in here? I appreciate any help...

I know this forum is new but think it should be clarified a bit more where to post what. There are a bunch of us who using fanthoms and others build come up with builds on our own to support our devices/needs. I use both, his and mine. Like to absorb some knowledge how to do some things, just as someone I'm sure showed someone else responding.

how do I move it if it should be moved?

[fanthom]

i will create another category for builds based on Porteus and then move your threads there

[jcas1411]

Thanks fanthom!

any idea on my question, what is the best way to debug the boot process? I'm familiar with ways on a system where the OS is installed since the dmesg log is saved and can be read after booting with a live cd. Is where it hangs the issue or is it the message that it doesnt make it to? I never really get a kernel hang message just unresponsive system.

[brokenman]

Use the debug cheatcode

[fanthom]

if it hangs during kernel initialization then you wont be able to use 'debug' cheatcode as initrd is not unpacked to the memory yet.
please post your kernel config to pastebin.com as i have some ideas about potential mistakes

lspci output would be also nice...

[jcas1411]

Thank you for your help.

I used your v9_x32 remix config as a basis and then modified for my environment. I double checked ISCSI and made some changes, now hanging on previous line "loop: module loaded" I must have missed something or something I changed shoudn't. I need this to boot as many systems as possible. Some reason older Dell servers seems to be my hangup.

Here is the kernel config http://pastebin.com/QwdsCR4B

and here is the lspi output using v9remix cd.

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00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation E7520 Memory Controller Hub (rev 09)
00:02.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation E7525/E7520/E7320 PCI Express Port A (rev 09)
00:04.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation E7525/E7520 PCI Express Port B (rev 09)
00:05.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation E7520 PCI Express Port B1 (rev 09)
00:06.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation E7520 PCI Express Port C (rev 09)
00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 02)
00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 02)
00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 02)
00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB2 EHCI Controller (rev 02)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 PCI Bridge (rev c2)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) LPC Interface Bridge (rev 02)
00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) IDE Controller (rev 02)
01:00.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 80332 [Dobson] I/O processor (A-Segment Bridge) (rev 06)
01:00.2 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 80332 [Dobson] I/O processor (B-Segment Bridge) (rev 06)
02:0e.0 RAID bus controller: Dell PowerEdge Expandable RAID controller 4 (rev 06)
03:0b.0 Fibre Channel: LSI Logic / Symbios Logic FC929X Fibre Channel Adapter
03:0b.1 Fibre Channel: LSI Logic / Symbios Logic FC929X Fibre Channel Adapter
05:00.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 6700PXH PCI Express-to-PCI Bridge A (rev 09)
05:00.2 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 6700PXH PCI Express-to-PCI Bridge B (rev 09)
06:07.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82541GI Gigabit Ethernet Controller (rev 05)
07:08.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82541GI Gigabit Ethernet Controller (rev 05)
09:05.0 Class ff00: Dell Remote Access Card 4 Daughter Card
09:05.1 Class ff00: Dell Remote Access Card 4 Daughter Card Virtual UART
09:05.2 Class ff00: Dell Remote Access Card 4 Daughter Card SMIC interface
09:06.0 IDE interface: Silicon Image, Inc. PCI0680 Ultra ATA-133 Host Controller (rev 02)
09:0d.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Radeon RV100 QY [Radeon 7000/VE]

[fanthom]

Slax-6.1.2 loads:

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iscsi registered transport tcp

while you have

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# CONFIG_ISCSI_TCP is not set

Try to enable it and see how it goes
If it wont help - try to built all LSI Logic drivers as (*) and not (M) - they shouldn't need a firmware.

[jcas1411]

I actually had this set first as y but then changed it to see if that would fix my hang. The kernel config is after I compared and changed the iscsi settings to your config file. however it is now hanging on

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loop: module loaded

. I believe the next line should be

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ata_piix: module loaded

or something like that. I checked and the ata_piix module is the same as v9 remix which boots.

I will try to build in the LSI drivers rather than modules and see if that fixes.

I was wondering if it might be something as simple as I set the processor as 686, whereas you used 486 instruction set. Would that hang it there if it was fed an instruction set it didn't understand? or is it definitely a device it can't find support for. It is a Pentium III server.

Thanks,
John

[fanthom]

You can also disable 'Low Level SCSI drivers' completely and in case of successful booting just add them one by one. I know that it's a pain, but sometimes there in no other way of finding dodgy driver.

Pentium III is an i686 so should be ok.

[jcas1411]

wow I found the bad scsi driver. I will post which one hangs as soon as I get a chance, been swamped but will mark this as solved now.

I had thought to compile and adding back one by one, just hoping the masters had a trick up their sleeve.

Thanks!