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Date:      Tue, 29 Jan 2008 12:25:03 -0800 (PST)
From:      Jeremy Chadwick <koitsu@FreeBSD.org>
To:        FreeBSD-gnats-submit@FreeBSD.org
Subject:   kern/120127: Loading of gzip'd mfsroot from pxeboot(8) causes loader reload/reset
Message-ID:  <20080129202503.06BEC1CC07B@mx01.sc1.parodius.com>
Resent-Message-ID: <200801292030.m0TKU1A5079385@freefall.freebsd.org>

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>Number:         120127
>Category:       kern
>Synopsis:       Loading of gzip'd mfsroot from pxeboot(8) causes loader reload/reset
>Confidential:   no
>Severity:       non-critical
>Priority:       low
>Responsible:    freebsd-bugs
>State:          open
>Quarter:        
>Keywords:       
>Date-Required:
>Class:          sw-bug
>Submitter-Id:   current-users
>Arrival-Date:   Tue Jan 29 20:30:01 UTC 2008
>Closed-Date:
>Last-Modified:
>Originator:     Jeremy Chadwick
>Release:        FreeBSD 7.0-PRERELEASE i386
>Organization:
>Environment:
FreeBSD icarus.home.lan 7.0-PRERELEASE FreeBSD 7.0-PRERELEASE #0: Sat Jan 26 08:08:30 PST 2008     root@icarus.home.lan:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/ICARUS  i386
>Description:
	During my recent adventure to get FreeBSD 7.0 to install by PXE booting
	and using serial console, I came across a bug where loading a compressed
	mfsroot.gz results in the machine "reloading" the loader and bombing out
	to an OK prompt.  It also loses all loader environment variables at that
	point, and has some strange device ID-related messages on the screen.  For
	others, it apparently reboots their box.

	The problem happens even when manually doing "load -t mfs_root /boot/mfsroot"
	from the VGA console via pxeboot(8) and TFTP.

	A few others have also touched on this subject in the past, which implies
	the problem exists in older versions of FreeBSD as well:

	http://typo.submonkey.net/articles/2006/2/12/having-a-bad-day
	http://unix.derkeiler.com/Mailing-Lists/FreeBSD/questions/2004-02/2170.html
	http://unix.derkeiler.com/Mailing-Lists/FreeBSD/questions/2004-01/2115.html
	http://lists.soekris.com/pipermail/soekris-tech/2007-July/012530.html
	http://lists.soekris.com/pipermail/soekris-tech/2004-January/004858.html
	https://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=409972

	And so on...

	I describe the problem in Step 7 of my document:

	http://jdc.parodius.com/freebsd/pxeboot_serial_install.html#step7

	I can easily reproduce this problem, and can provide a remote serial
	console for anyone willing to take it on.  But keep in mind that once the
	problem happens, all serial console access is lost, which will require me
	to have to physically take a picture of the VGA screen and reboot the box.

	I'll work on getting a video as well as a screenshot of the problem, so
	people can see what's going on.

	I've only confirmed this happens on i386; no idea about amd64.

>How-To-Repeat:
	Boot a machine via Intel's PXE protocol, using pxeboot(8) as the downloaded
	loader and TFTP + DHCP from another machine.

	When given the choice to drop to boot2/loader, do so.

	Type 'load -t mfs_root /boot/mfsroot' which should load /boot/mfsroot.gz
	via TFTP from the TFTP server.

	Machine will reload the loader, or possibly reboot.
>Fix:
	None known.

>Release-Note:
>Audit-Trail:
>Unformatted:



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