Re: v2.6.26-rc7: BUG: unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference

[Ingo Molnar <mingo@elte.hu>]

* Rusty Russell <rusty@rustcorp.com.au> wrote:

> On Tuesday 24 June 2008 18:06:23 Zhang, Yanmin wrote:

> > In function _cpu_up, the panic happens when calling 
> > __raw_notifier_call_chain at the second time. Kernel doesn't panic 
> > when calling it at the first time. If just say because of 
> > nr_cpu_ids, that's not right.
> >
> > By checking source codes, I find function do_boot_cpu is the 
> > culprit. Consider below call chain:
> >  _cpu_up=>__cpu_up=>smp_ops.cpu_up=>native_cpu_up=>do_boot_cpu.
> >
> > So do_boot_cpu is called in the end. In do_boot_cpu, if 
> > boot_error==true, cpu_clear(cpu, cpu_possible_map) is executed. So 
> > later on, when _cpu_up calls __raw_notifier_call_chain at the second 
> > time to report CPU_UP_CANCELED, because this cpu is already cleared 
> > from cpu_possible_map, get_cpu_sysdev returns NULL.
> >
> > Many resources are related to cpu_possible_map, so it's better not to
> > change it.
> >
> > Below patch against 2.6.26-rc7 fixes it by removing the bit clearing in
> > cpu_possible_map.
> >
> > Vegard, would you like to help test it?
> >
> > Signed-off-by: Zhang Yanmin <yanmin_zhang@linux.intel.com>
[...]

> Nice catch.  Basically, cpu_possible_map should only be cleared at 
> boot, and probably not even then.
> 
> Acked-by: Rusty Russell <rusty@rustcorp.com.au>

applied to tip/x86/urgent for v2.6.26 merging - thanks everyone!

	Ingo