Kernel Update To 6.2 Stable Causes Dell PowerEdge 1750 (SMP) To Freeze On Boot

[Sean Benoit]

Hello Robert,

First, thanks for the quick response and yes, PR 103697 was in fact  
the initial PR generated by me last fall referred to in my original  
message below. The current issue is identical with the same symptoms.

I have confirmed that our kernels were compiled with the ULE  
scheduler enabled. Your response in addition to some Googling and a  
quick look in the GENERIC kernconf and I can see that the 4BSD  
scheduler should be enabled by default.

I have recompiled and installed the kernel using the 4BSD scheduler  
and this enables the systems to boot correctly with both processors  
enabled in the BIOS.


Thanks again,

Sean



On 23-Feb-07, at 7:19 AM, Robert Watson wrote:

>
> On Thu, 22 Feb 2007, Sean Benoit wrote:
>
>> Last fall, while updating a 6.1 Stable kernel to 6.2 Pre-Release,  
>> I noted that the then new kernel caused all our previously  
>> functioning Dell PowerEdge 1750s (dual processor) to freeze on  
>> boot at the point in the boot process where the second processor  
>> was being detected. Disabling the second processor in the BIOS  
>> served as a temporary workaround and enabled the systems to boot  
>> successfully.
>>
>> At that time I submitted a PR via the website and a patch was  
>> issued within a few hours. The patch resolved the problem. I  
>> didn't keep that original correspondence because I assumed that  
>> all was well moving forward.
>>
>> Last weekend I attempted to update the same systems for the first  
>> time since last fall from the patched 6.2 Pre-Release kernel to  
>> the new 6.2 Stable kernel. I was alarmed to see that the EXACT  
>> same issue had reappeared. The symptoms are exactly the same - as  
>> is the workaround (disable the second processor in the BIOS).
>>
>> I have once again submitted a PR (109267) via the website (details  
>> at http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/query-pr.cgi?pr=109267); however, I  
>> have been advised that I should post the issue to this mailing  
>> list instead/prior.
>>
>> Not sure what to do from here...
>
> Does this relate to PR 103697 which seems to be a similar  
> correspondence:
>
>   http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/query-pr.cgi?pr=103697
>
> Are you using the ULE scheduler?
>
> Robert N M Watson
> Computer Laboratory
> University of Cambridge