RHBA-2013:1321 - Bug Fix Advisory

Topic

Updated kexec-tools packages that fix several bugs are now available for Red Hat
Enterprise Linux 5.

Description

The kexec-tools packages contain the /sbin/kexec binary and utilities that
together form the user-space component of the kernel's kexec feature.
The /sbin/kexec binary facilitates a new kernel to boot, using the kernel's
kexec feature either on a normal or a panic reboot. The kexec fastboot mechanism
allows booting a Linux kernel from the context of an already running kernel.

This update fixes the following bugs:

• The vmcore file is generated in the /proc file system. Prior to this update,

the kdump (kernel crash collection) service failed to copy vmcore to the desired
encrypted target partition. As a consequence, kdump failed to mount rootfs and
dropped to a shell. With this update, the user is now notified to not dump to
encrypted disks. (BZ#864011)

• A previous version of kexec-tools introduced a regression whereby kdump called

findmodule for the ext[234] dump target. As ext2 is built into Red Hat
Enterprise Linux 5 kernel, mkdumprd failed with the following error message: "No
module ext2 found for kernel 2.6.18-238.5.1.el5, aborting.". To fix this bug,
ext2 has been removed from the findmodule list and mkdumprd no longer fails.
(BZ#901620)

• Due to incorrect computing of MEMSZ (amount of physical memory allocated to a

resource pool or virtual machine), kdump failed to start on Red Hat Enterprise
Linux 5 Xen Domain-0 if it had less than 4G RAM. The kdump service also asked
for the /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.18-348.el5PAE Physical Address Extension (PAE)
location. The kdump kernel service has been set to be non-PAE for systems with
less than 4G RAM, thus fixing the bug. As a result, kdump starts as expected.
(BZ#919369)

• The makedumpfile(8) manual pages have now been added to the Red Hat Enterprise

Linux 5 documentation. (BZ#919962)

Users of kexec-tools are advised to upgrade to these updated packages, which fix
these bugs.

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
https://access.redhat.com/site/articles/11258

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 - 919369 - Wrongly computing MEMSZ
• BZ - 919962 - No makedumpfile manual in RHEL5 kexec-tools

CVEs

(none)

References

(none)