system hangs on "Checking for crash dump"

[Qing Zhu]

V5.1B/Patch#4, DS10
System hangs on "Checking for crash dump" when boot up, what would possibly be the cause of
that?

Thanks,
Qing

[Vladimir Fabecic]

Hello
Can you give us more details? Are you able to boot the system in single user mode (without system crash)? Are you able to mount all file systems in single user mode? Try to "fsck" file systems (when in singe user mode).
Before going to next step you must be sure that everything is OK with your disks (hardware problem, i.e. bad blocks can also cause such a problem.

[Qing Zhu]

I can boot in single user mode and mount all file systems. "/sbin/advfs/verify -a root_domain" as well as usr_domain also shows no problem. "init 3" on this point also
hangs up.

I did a "Ctrl-C" on "Checking crash dump", it bypassed but still crashed on a series
of stuff that follows.

[Victor Semaska_3]

Qing,

I'd say when in single-user mode, see what's in /var/adm/crash/. If there are files in there (besides bounds), move them somewhere else so the startup won't find them. Then try a reboot.

Vic

[Qing Zhu]

There's nothing in /var/adm/crash

[Vladimir Fabecic]

Hello
Is your "/var" file set in some domain or it is simbolic link to "/usr/var"?
I have another idea that maybe can help.
Try following:
1. Boot system in single user mode
2. Mount all file systems (do mount -a)
3. Manualy execute startup scripts in "/sbin/rc3.d" one by one
You will find out which script causes crash. Then we can analyze problem with more details.

[Hamel_2]

After the crash, reboot in single user mode (boot -fl s), then cd /sbin/init.d, then ls -ltu to see which file last accessed.
I have a similar case with advfsd daemon on a bad unmonted domain.

[Johan Brusche · Accepted solution]

The script that displays the "Checking for crash dumps" message is /sbin/init.d/savecore, called via the /sbin/rc2.d/S00savecore link.

Right after that message it executes "/sbin/savecore $DIR", where DIR is /var/adm/crash/ OR whatever you defined via SAVECORE_DIR in /etc/rc.config .

What happens when you execute:

sh -x /sbin/init.d/savecore ??


___ Johan.

[Kaushik Chatterjee]

Hi Qing,

You need to install 5.B - Patch Kit5 to overcome this issue.

You can download the patch kit from

http://www1.itrc.hp.com/service/patch/patchDetail.do?patchid=T64KIT0023187-V51BB25-E-20040804

The ERP Kit name is T64KIT0023187-V51BB25-E-20040804.tar

[Johan Brusche]

The ERP patchkit mentionned in previous post has no bearing at all on the issue at hand, and patchkit #5 is not out yet.

Furthermore T64KIT0023187-....-kit has been superseeded by T64KIT0024519-V51BB25-E-20041218 and corrects some UBC issues in addition to the panics with vm_pg_free and VPP_REPL...

__ Johan.

[Han Pilmeyer]

Just to reply to the previous reply:
- V5.1B PK5 isn't shipping yet. I also see no reason why it would fix the problem described in this topic.
- The ERP mentioned is related to a VM fix for a panic. Again, no reason why it would fix this problem.

I would go with the advise given by Johan. Since you mentioned that other steps after "savecore" also fail, it wouldn't surprise me if you have a problem with one of the file systems (e.g. /var).

[Han Pilmeyer]

Oops. reply-collision. Seems like Johan and I agree... again.

[Qing Zhu]

Thanks guys for all your help, problem solved.
sh -x /sbin/init.d/savcore is OK.
sh -x /sbin/init.d/paging hangs up on "/usr/bin/X11/xfs start" in the rc.config file, I commented this line out and system boots up. The usage of xfs here is wrong which caused the problem.

Thanks,
Qing

[Han Pilmeyer]

Hm... Interesting. None of my files in /sbin/init.d/ have an xfs command in them. And certainly not the paging command. Also one of the first lines in "paging" is an echo command which you didn't get (otherwise you wouldn't have pointed to "savecore").

Are you sure nobody has fiddled with the startup command scripts in /sbin/init.d/?

We recommend that you do no change those scripts. If there is a need to additional things, we recommend that you add a new script and link that to the appropriate /sbin/rcX.d/ directories.

[Yong_7]

Hi Qing,

I have something here for you.
send me a message to dickjiao@hotmail.com

regards !

YJ