From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id ; Tue, 23 Jan 2001 04:18:26 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id ; Tue, 23 Jan 2001 04:16:02 -0500 Received: from hal.astr.lu.lv ([195.13.134.67]:12037 "EHLO hal.astr.lu.lv") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id ; Tue, 23 Jan 2001 03:26:14 -0500 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-13" From: Andris Pavenis To: rgooch@atnf.csiro.au Subject: Re: devfs breakage in 2.4.0 release Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 10:25:50 +0200 X-Mailer: KMail [version 1.2] Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org In-Reply-To: <01010615285000.00465@hal> <01011213352000.00369@hal> In-Reply-To: <01011213352000.00369@hal> MIME-Version: 1.0 Message-Id: <01012310255000.31379@hal> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org On Friday 12 January 2001 13:35, Andris Pavenis wrote: > On Saturday 06 January 2001 15:28, Andris Pavenis wrote: > > Noticed following devfs related problems with kernel version 2.4.0 on one > > Pentium 200MMX box (the same problem with 2.4.0-ac2, but earlier > > 2.4.0-test10 doesn't have this problem) > > > > I was able to reproduce it reliably by following steps: > >          - booted machine in runlevel 3 > >          - logged in as user and started MC (on first console) > >          - logged out > >          - logged in as different user (in this case root) and tried to > > start MC again > > > > This time it hangs. The source of problem appears to be devfs related as > > devfsd exited with error message that it cannot state vcc/1 as there is > > no such file or directory. Related parts of log files (boot parameter > > devfs=dall) and other related information (I hope...) is in attachment. > > Of course MC is not behaving nicely, but the primary source of problem > > seems to be devfs > > As I tested devfsd dies after I'm logging out (very often on P200MMX, > much more seldom on P3 700). I suspect some devfs related race > > > On this machine kernel was compiled for Pentium CPUs. I tried to > > reproduce the same on a different machine with Pentium III 700 using > > kernel 2.4.0. It took more relogging as on Pentium 200, but I got the > > same problem once (on slower machine I was able to reproduce it more > > reliably). > > I tries 2.4.1-pre3 and got the same. Modifying devfsd.c to retry stating > some times before giving up workarounds the problem (As far as I tested > I'm getting only one retry ...) > > Perhaps it's kernel's bug anyway, but I think it's doesn't harm to make > devfsd slightly more errorproof. I'm including patch for devfsd (I had also > to define __USE_GNU to get devfsd compile with glibc-2.2 at all ...) > > Of course best solution would be to fix the race itself (it appeared > sometimes between 2.4.0-test10 and 2.4.0-test12, first one is OK) .... > I spent some time building various kernels on P200MMX box I have this problem to happen more often. It looks that problem appears in 2.4.0-test12-pre8 but is not present in 2.4.0-test12-pre7 Andris - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/