[Server-devel] kernel panic in XS-163

[Tony Pearson]

> Had a chat with Wad today about this - the kernel is the _latest_
> kernel on vanilla F7. The standard F7 install CD has a very early
> kernel, our install CD has a recent F7 kernel. In short, the recent F7
> kernel doesn't like your SATA controller.

> It's a nasty incompatibility. One alternative is patience + google to
> find a workaround. Another one is to get a different mobo or SATA
> controller.

Martin,
I tried different kernels:
2.6.25.04-fd16 Gentoo-based SysRescueCD -- works
2.6.23.17-88.fc7  Fedora 7-i386 install DVD -- works
2.6.23.1-21.fc7  the XS-163 CD -- kernel panic
2.6.21-1.3194.fc7 Fedora 7-i386 install DVD alternate kernel -- works

However, your suggestion sparked an idea that appears to have solved the 
problem.  Even when I use
the Fedora7-i386 vanilla DVD, it uses /dev/mapper/pdc_bbbh as the device 
instead of /dev/sda.  When
I was using the "kickstart configurator" it would generate lines like 
"--clearpart --all --/dev/mapper/pdc_bbbh"
instead of the "--clearpart --linux --sda" that  you have on your XS-163.

So, I took the cover off the machine and unplugged the second drive, so 
that now there is only a single SATA
disk.  In this configuration, XS-163 CD (unmodified, straight from the 
OLPC website) installs just fine.  This
clears a major hurdle.  Apparently having two identical SATA drives was 
enough for it to think that "software" or
"hardware-assisted" RAID would be used, and changes /dev/sda to 
/dev/mapper/pdc_bbbh.

I will now see if "adding a second drive" can be tolerated 
"post-installation".

Thanks





Tony Pearson
Senior Storage Consultant, IBM System Storage?
Telephone: +1 520-799-4309 |  tie 321-4309 |  Cell: +1 520 990-8669
email: tpearson at us.ibm.com |  GSA: http://tucgsa.ibm.com/~tpearson
Blog: http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/blogs/page/InsideSystemStorage
AKA: 990tony Paravane, eightbar specialist 






"Martin Langhoff" <martin.langhoff at gmail.com> 
06/17/2008 10:51 PM

To
Tony Pearson/Tucson/IBM at IBMUS
cc
"XS Devel" <server-devel at lists.laptop.org>
Subject
Re: kernel panic in XS-163






On Wed, Jun 18, 2008 at 1:31 AM, Tony Pearson <tpearson at us.ibm.com> wrote:
> Please, let me know what I need to help figure this out?  What 
information
> should I gather for these kinds of problems.

Had a chat with Wad today about this - the kernel is the _latest_
kernel on vanilla F7. The standard F7 install CD has a very early
kernel, our install CD has a recent F7 kernel. In short, the recent F7
kernel doesn't like your SATA controller.

It's a nasty incompatibility. One alternative is patience + google to
find a workaround. Another one is to get a different mobo or SATA
controller.

cheers,



m
-- 
 martin.langhoff at gmail.com
 martin at laptop.org -- School Server Architect
 - ask interesting questions
 - don't get distracted with shiny stuff - working code first
 - http://wiki.laptop.org/go/User:Martinlanghoff

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