RHBA-2011:0061 - Bug Fix Advisory

Topic

An updated kexec-tools package that fixes various bugs is now available

Description

kexec-tools provides /sbin/kexec binary that facilitates a new kernel to boot
using the kernel's kexec feature either on a normal or a panic reboot. This
package contains the /sbin/kexec binary and ancillary utilities that together
form the userspace component of the kernel's kexec feature.

This update fixes the following bugs:

• The setting of the path line on /etc/kdump.conf was not reflected. Now, this

script is corrected. (BZ#379521)

• Certain systems became unresponsive because Kdump could not handle receipts of

dhcp NAK frames. This update resolves this issue. (BZ#515208)

• Mkdumprd failed because the temporary file was not created when root was

read-only. Now, the command "mkdumprd" works as expected. (BZ#530265)

• Mkdumprd failed when the using a network bridge. Now, kdump works as

expected.(BZ#558733)

• Kdump failed to dump vmcore on Nehalem EX machine. Now, kdump dumps vmcore as

expected.(BZ#559928)

• Systems could fail to perform a core dump due to DNS problems on AMD64 or

Intel64 based hardware on the x86 PAE kernel. This update resolves this issue.
(BZ#559928)

• A reference to deprecated .ssh/authorized_keys2, not .ssh/authorized_keys was

hardcoded in kdump. Now, the key is configurable. (BZ#567708)

• In the kexec initrd environment, the request_module() failed. Now,

request_module() loads the requested module. (BZ#576075)

• Kdump did not save vmcore on machines with 1TB memory. Now, kdump saves

vmcore. (BZ#585979)

• Mkdumprd regenerated the ld.so.cache. This removed any symlinks to shared libs

which reside on autofs managed filesystems. Now, mkdumprd restores the
ld.so.cache to return the original cache even if network filesystems aren't
available. (BZ#589768)

• Kexec could not dump vmcore through NFS on PowerPC systems due to issues with

DNS lookups. Now, dumps to NFS locations succeed. (BZ#601273)

• The kexec kernel attempted to load inside xen-guest and could panic the

central processing unit. Now, kexec-tools prevent the kexec kernel from loading
in xen-guest. (BZ#608322)

• Kdump would not start on ppc servers with 256 Gigbytes of memory enabled. This

update fixes this problem. (BZ#625828)

• The call to kdump_pre was missing from the kdump init script. Now, kdump_pre

is part of the kdump init script. (BZ#640577)

• Kdump saved the vmcore to the Network File System too slow. This update

improves the performance. (BZ#642552)

• The ld.so.cache could not be restored in read-only root. This issue is

resolved. (BZ#642921)

• The ssh key did not propagate. Now, kdump uses '.ssh/authorized_keys' instead

of '.ssh/authorized_keys2'. (BZ#643325)

• Depmod in mkdumprd failed on dom0 with memory bigger than 4 Gigabytes. This

update resolves this issue. (BZ#646791)

• Systems became unresponsive when a forced crash occured due the hugepages=X

boot option. Now, the system exits and produces a core. (BZ#647046)

• The system was not rebooted after dumping. Now, kdump reboots to normal system

if no "default" action is available. (BZ#647627)

• Due to DNS problems nfs dumping failed on dom0. This update resolves this

problem. (BZ#648416)

• Errors occured during ssh dumping. Now, ssh dumping works as expected.

(BZ#648766)

• While loading shared libraries: libc.so.6, ssh dumping failed because ifup

did not have all the variables for lo/inet. This update resolves this issue.
(BZ#648771)

• Warning messages echoed when starting kdump service. Now, kdump service

behaves as expected. (BZ#652500)

• The system would reboot when dhcp failed to read IPs. Now, the system enters

use-space and saves the vmcore. (BZ#654997)

• The vmcore was wrongly named vmcore.flat due problems with 'core_collector

cp'. This update resolves this issue. (BZ#657198)

This update also adds the following enhancement:

• This update adds the opption "poweroff" to 'default' in /etc/kdump.conf.

(BZ#543336)

All users are advised to upgrade to this updated kexec-tools package, which
resolves these issues and adds this enhancement.

Solution

Before applying this update, make sure all previously-released errata
relevant to your system have been applied.

This update is available via the Red Hat Network. Details on how to
use the Red Hat Network to apply this update are available at
http://kbase.redhat.com/faq/docs/DOC-11259

Affected Products

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 5 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 5 ia64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 5 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation 5 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation 5 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop 5 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop 5 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for IBM z Systems 5 s390x
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Power, big endian 5 ppc
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server from RHUI 5 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server from RHUI 5 i386

Fixes

• BZ - 379521 - Please reflect the setting of "path" line in /etc/kdump.conf
• BZ - 558733 - mkdumprd fails when using a network bridge
• BZ - 559928 - failed to dump vmcore on Nehalem EX machine
• BZ - 576075 - request_module() and modprobe fail in the kexec initrd environment
• BZ - 585979 - kdump fails to save vmcore on machine with 1TB memory
• BZ - 589768 - mkdumprd should restore ld.so.cache rather than re-generate it
• BZ - 601273 - cannot dump vmcore through NFS on ppc system
• BZ - 625828 - kdump will not start on ppc64 server with 256G of memory enabled
• BZ - 640577 - Call to kdump_pre is missing from kdump init script
• BZ - 642552 - kdump save vmcore to NFS too slow
• BZ - 642921 - ld.so.cache can't be restored in read-only root
• BZ - 643325 - ssh key propagate failed
• BZ - 643659 - kdump cannot be started: Kdump is not supported on this kernel
• BZ - 646791 - depmod in mkdumprd failed on dom0 with memory bigger than 4G
• BZ - 647627 - kdump.init change the behaviour of post dumping
• BZ - 648416 - nfs dumping failed on dom0
• BZ - 648766 - ssh: error while loading shared libraries: libc.so.6: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory
• BZ - 648771 - ssh dumping failed: ifup: Don't seem to have all the variables for lo/inet
• BZ - 652500 - warning messages echoed when starting kdump service
• BZ - 654997 - system reboot when dhcp failed to get IP
• BZ - 657198 - 'core_collector cp' causes vmcore being named vmcore.flat though it's copied by scp

CVEs

(none)

References

(none)