RHEL6: makedumpfile fails with "check_elf_format: Can't get valid ehdr."

Solution Unverified - Updated -

Issue

  • We have a RedHat KVM server running RHEL 6.2 and a RHEL 5.5 virtual. The virtual server became in a hung state and unable to get output from console but virsh list showed it as running. Ran a virsh dump against the virtual and would like to have it examined to find out why it hangs.
  • makedumpfile fails with check_elf_format: Can't get valid ehdr.
$ makedumpfile -d1 guest_dump guest_dump-d1
check_elf_format: Can't get valid ehdr.

makedumpfile Failed.

  • The file type is identifed as QEMU's suspend to disk image
$ file guest_dump
guest_dump: QEMU's suspend to disk image
  • Also, crash fails with initialization failed
$ crash guest_dump ./vmlinux 

crash 6.1.0-1.el6
Copyright (C) 2002-2012  Red Hat, Inc.
Copyright (C) 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010  IBM Corporation
Copyright (C) 1999-2006  Hewlett-Packard Co
Copyright (C) 2005, 2006, 2011, 2012  Fujitsu Limited
Copyright (C) 2006, 2007  VA Linux Systems Japan K.K.
Copyright (C) 2005, 2011  NEC Corporation
Copyright (C) 1999, 2002, 2007  Silicon Graphics, Inc.
Copyright (C) 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002  Mission Critical Linux, Inc.
This program is free software, covered by the GNU General Public License,
and you are welcome to change it and/or distribute copies of it under
certain conditions.  Enter "help copying" to see the conditions.
This program has absolutely no warranty.  Enter "help warranty" for details.

crash: guest_dump: initialization failed

Environment

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.2
  • makedumpfile, crash
  • large RHEL5.5 guest vmcore generated from "virsh dump" on RHEL6 kvm host

Subscriber exclusive content

A Red Hat subscription provides unlimited access to our knowledgebase of over 48,000 articles and solutions.

Current Customers and Partners

Log in for full access

Log In
Close

Welcome! Check out the Getting Started with Red Hat page for quick tours and guides for common tasks.