Test early kdump by passing custom kernel command line parameter early_panic

Resolution

• We can test early kdump by passing custom kernel commandline parameter.

• This can be achieved by creating a custom service which should get started before kdump service and executes a shell script.

• The shell script should check if the mentioned custom kernel commandline parameter is present in command line and then panic the system using SysRq at early booting stage.

Steps to test early kdump

• Create a custom unit file sysrq.service which starts before kdump.service and executes a shell script:

  # touch /etc/systemd/system/sysrq.service
  # chmod 664 /etc/systemd/system/sysrq.service
  # cat /etc/systemd/system/sysrq.service
  [Unit]
  Description=Custom SysRq Service to test early kdump
  Before=kdump.service
  
  [Service]
  ExecStart=/usr/local/early-kdump-test.sh
  Type=simple
  
  [Install]
  WantedBy=default.target
  

• The shell script to check kernel commandline "early_panic", if found, it will triggers panic using SysRq:

  # cat /usr/local/early-kdump-test.sh
  #!/bin/bash
  /usr/bin/grep "early_panic" /proc/cmdline> /dev/null
  output=$(echo $?)
  if [ $output -eq "0" ]
  then
       echo c > /proc/sysrq-trigger
  fi
  
  # chmod +x /usr/local/early-kdump-test.sh
  # systemctl daemon-reload
  # systemctl enable sysrq.service
  

• Reboot the system.

• When the GRUB splash screen is seen, interrupt the booting and follow below step:

  a. Press the "e" key to edit the kernel boot entry and at the end of the line "linux"  add parameter "early_panic"
  
  b. press ctrl+x
  

• System will then panic and start capturing vmcore , once the vmcore is captured, system will be rebooted.

• After the system is rebooted, check dump target for vmcore.

• Post early kdump is tested successfully, disable the custom service sysrq.service

  # systemctl disable sysrq.service
  

• Note Disabling the custom sysrq.service may require booting to rescue mode. To do so, boot the system with the kernel parameter systemd.unit=rescue.target which drops the user to the rescue shell before system services are started. From here, login as root and disable the service.