Hi !
No, No. Memory leak on the client of course !
But, more ....
So from the "distance" I have no idea.
Perhaps it is a good idea to find anywhere GRUB (netbooted or booted via
disk).
It is really a good chance to "play around", otherwise you such long
turn around
cycles....
I hope I can help, but at the moment I cannot see the reason of your
problem.
With friendly regards
Christoph P.
Rajesh Fowkar wrote:
>
> Hi Chris,
>
> Thanks for sparing so much time to help me solve this etherboot problem.
>
> >
> >I think, this looks like a memory leak. How much memory do you have ?
> >Check if you have added a "mem=" kernel parameter by accident.
>
> The Linux server has got 256MB RAM. It is a PIII 550MHZ machine with RAID1 configured(Mirroring). Not added any mem= kernel parameters because without doing that the memory is detected as 256MB.
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> [root@rhlinux rajeshpc]# free
> total used free shared buffers cached
> Mem: 257680 198952 58728 61216 37040 118864
> -/+ buffers/cache: 43048 214632
> Swap: 512888 0 512888
> [root@rhlinux rajeshpc]#
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> >What tool have you used to prepare the kernel. Wich parameter du you
> >have used ?
>
> make xconfig.
> Thinking that I might have done something wrong while compiling the kernel, I recompiled using the following options : ( I have indicated the options selected in brackets )
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> -> Processor type & features
> - Processor Family (386)
> - Disable PIII Serial No. (Y)
> - Maximum Physical Memory (1GB)
>
> -> Block Devices
> - Disabled options for RAID
>
> -> Networking options
> - IP Kernel level autoconfiguration
> - BOOTP Support (Y)
> - RARP Support (Y)
> -> Ethernet ( 10 or 100 Mbit )
> - NE2000/NE1000 Support (Y)
>
> -> Appletalk Devices
> - Support (N)
>
> -> Joystick Support (N)
>
> -> Network File System
> - NFS Filesystem Support (Y)
> - Root Filesystem on NFS (Y)
>
> -> Sound
> - Sound Card Support (N)
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> ->
> >The interesting points are:
> >
> > "VM: killing process XXXXX"
>
> These errors are still repeating.
>
> Than it gives the following :
>
> Mounting /proc [Failed]
> Starting Kernel Parameters [Failed]
>
> >Perhaps it is a good idea to check the kernel itself. For example, if
> >your
> >target (client) has a floppy drive, do following hack. Do a `dd' of the
> >kernel
> >on a floppy
> > dd if=/tftpboot/.../vmlinuz of=/dev/fd0 bs=512
> >and boot from floppy. The create a "dummy" device, which has the major 0
> >and
> >minor 255, like
> > mknod /dev/nfs c 0 255
> >on the linux host. After that use
> > rdev /dev/fd0 /dev/nfs
> >... so the kernel is patched to boot from major 0 and minor 255.
> >(Another way is to edit with a hex editor the space, where the kernel
> >saves
> >major and minor of the boot device).
> >
> >Boot the client from floppy and everything should work (?!)
>
> I have done all this. But when I try to boot the node from this floppy nothing happens. Just floppy is accessed and than nothing happens.
>
> >AND: Before you do anything, read the kernel informations on the screen,
> >when
> >ther kernel starts to boot, if there is anything, which seems to be a
> >problem.
>
> Only problem which I found on the node was it tries to access hda which it cannot find and than it gies hda disk error and than the NFS-root mounting starts. No other error.
>
> Thanks
>
> Warm Regards
>
> Rajesh
>
> >Rajesh Fowkar wrote:
> >>
> >> Hi,
> >>
> >> I tried everything. Copying /etc/ld.so.cache to /tftpboot/rajeshpc/etc.
> >>
> >> Used ldconfig -r /tftpboot/rajeshpc
> >>
> >> But still I am getting the following messages on the Diskless node :
> >>
> >> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >> VFS: Mounted root(NFS filesystem)
> >> Freeing unused kernel memory : 76K freed
> >> INIT: version 2.78 booting
> >> VM: killing process rc.sysinit
> >> INIT: Entering runlevel: 3
> >> bash: out of virtual memory!
> >> VM: killing process rc
> >> INIT: no more processes left in this runlevel
> >> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>
> >> >From the above messages can anybody help me out in tracing the problem. Chris :-)
> >>
> >> Thanks in advance.
> >>
> >> Warm Regards
> >>
> >> Rajesh
> >>
> >> On Wed, Nov 01, 2000 at 11:23:14PM +0100, Christoph Plattner wrote:
> >>
> >> >
> >> >This problem never should occur. The libraries `/sbin/init' needs, are
> >> >libc.so.6 and ld-linux.so.2. Both libraries are in /lib and have to
> >> >be on the root file system, which is mounted ! To be sure, copy the
> >> >/etc/ld.so.cache file to your client path (/tftpboot/rajeshpc/root/etc,
> >> >or whatever). Or you can use the ldconfig tool, which is able (in
> >> >newer versions, check man page) to configure on an alternate root.
> >> >If, for example, /tftpboot/rajeshpc/root is the path of the root file
> >> >system, then run
> >> > ldconfig -r /tftpboot/rajeshpc/root
> >> >so it sets up the paths
> >> > /tftpboot/rajeshpc/root/lib
> >> >and
> >> > /tftpboot/rajeshpc/root/etc/ld.so.cache
> >> >
> >> >I hope this helps.
> >> >
> >> >Another important point !
> >> >
> >> >Check if the network configuration for the client is correct. On my
> >> >first netboot attempts (one year ago), I had a small copied root
> >> >file system from the server for the client. The problem was, that
> >> >the setup for the ethernet was wrong (setup from server not from
> >> >client !!). So the client was configured well over BOOTP, but
> >> >when the system comes up via init, it also (re)initialized the
> >> >ethernet wit the "wrong" setting and suddenly the client looses
> >> >the contact to the server. The first reaction was the missed
> >> >libraries, then blocking for file access and finally the error
> >> >NFS error 111, which means `no access to server'.
> >> >
> >> >So here are some items to check again !
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >Rajesh Fowkar wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >> Hi Chris,
> >> >>
> >> >> Initially I had copied the kernel in /tftpboot and the Diskless client was booting the kernel and than giving -13 error.
> >> >>
> >> >> Now I thought of copying the kernel to the actual workstation directory /tftpboot/rajeshpc and changed the dhcpd.conf file to point to /tftpboot/rajeshpc/kernel.
> >> >>
> >> >> Now the root filesystem is getting mounted but the init part gives error since the init is I think dynamically linked. The diskless node gives a list of errors like
> >> >>
> >> >> killing process getty
> >> >> killing process init etc.
> >> >> error in mounting shared libraries etc.
> >> >>
> >> >> I am not getting the login prompt. All these error are reapeating on the screen.
> >> >>
> >> >> How can I solve this problem to get the login prompt on the Diskless client.
> >> >>
> >> >> Thanks in advance.
> >> >>
> >> >> Warm Regards
> >> >>
> >> >> Rajesh
> >> >>
> >> >> >
> >> >> >First of all test the mount point on your local linux server:
> >> >> >
> >> >> > bash# mount -t nfs your_server:/tftpboot/xxxxxx /mnt/tmp
> >> >> >
> >> >> >(Of course, you must have a /mnt/tmp directory !)
> >> >> >
> >> >> >Further try following to nfs root for the diskless client:
> >> >> >2 ways:
> >> >> >
> >> >> >ONE: Use bootloader GNU Grub. Compile it with network support
> >> >> > (uses etherboot network drivers !!)
> >> >> > Install boot loader to disk and boot from disk (on client)
> >> >> > Now you are at the GRUB prompt:
> >> >> >
> >> >> > grub> bootp
> >> >> >
> >> >> > (Now you see the server and client address)
> >> >> >
> >> >> > grub> root (nd)
> >> >> >
> >> >> > (Use the network connction as root for the boot loader (not linux !)
> >> >> >
> >> >> > grub> kernel /tftpboot/xxxxxx/vmlinuz root=/dev/nfs
> >> >> > nfsroot=ip_of_server:/tftpboot/xxxx/root ip=........
> >> >> >
> >> >> > (All in one line, then the command ...)
> >> >> >
> >> >> > grub> boot
> >> >> >
> >> >> >The advantage here is to try the kernel without any image and to use the
> >> >> >kernel parameter line for the boot (no bootp or any automatic for the
> >> >> >first test (see /usr/src/linux/Documentation/nfsroot.txt,
> >> >> > /usr/doc/HOWTO/mini/NFS-Root, /usr/doc/HOWTO/BootPrompt-HOWTO).
> >> >> >
> >> >> >The second way is to boot via ldlinux.sys (syslinux.cfg), like on the
> >> >> >RedHat boot disk (!). Here in syslinux.cfg the kernel parameter line can
> >> >> >also be added.
> >> >> >
> >> >> >I prefer GRUB for all those experiements. I added support for diskless
> >> >> >boot of GRUB itself. So the boot image is nbgrub, and you never had to
> >> >> >use mknbi(-linux) any more !!!
> >> >> >With the use of the grub config file (menu.lst) you can also
> >> >> >automatcally
> >> >> >boot the linux, everything diskless !! (I use this at home !)
> >> >> >
> >> >> >With friendly regards
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Christoph plattner
> >> >> >
>
> ===========================================================================
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> Rajesh Fowkar <Mail@dempos.com>
> To get help about this list, send a mail with 'help' as the only string in
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--
+--------V--------+ Christoph.Plattner@alcatel.at
| A L C A T E L | -----------------------------
+-----------------+ Phone: +43 1 27722 3706
T A S Fax: +43 1 27722 3955
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