From owner-freebsd-bugs@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Jan 29 20:30:01 2008 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-bugs@hub.freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id C1BBC16A41B for ; Tue, 29 Jan 2008 20:30:01 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from gnats@FreeBSD.org) Received: from freefall.freebsd.org (freefall.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::28]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A053E13C461 for ; Tue, 29 Jan 2008 20:30:01 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from gnats@FreeBSD.org) Received: from freefall.freebsd.org (gnats@localhost [127.0.0.1]) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.14.2/8.14.2) with ESMTP id m0TKU1cE079386 for ; Tue, 29 Jan 2008 20:30:01 GMT (envelope-from gnats@freefall.freebsd.org) Received: (from gnats@localhost) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.14.2/8.14.1/Submit) id m0TKU1A5079385; Tue, 29 Jan 2008 20:30:01 GMT (envelope-from gnats) Resent-Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2008 20:30:01 GMT Resent-Message-Id: <200801292030.m0TKU1A5079385@freefall.freebsd.org> Resent-From: FreeBSD-gnats-submit@FreeBSD.org (GNATS Filer) Resent-To: freebsd-bugs@FreeBSD.org Resent-Reply-To: FreeBSD-gnats-submit@FreeBSD.org, Jeremy Chadwick Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 254C416A4CB for ; Tue, 29 Jan 2008 20:25:03 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from jdc@parodius.com) Received: from mx01.sc1.parodius.com (mx01.sc1.parodius.com [72.20.106.3]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 17D2213C465 for ; Tue, 29 Jan 2008 20:25:03 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from jdc@parodius.com) Received: by mx01.sc1.parodius.com (Postfix, from userid 1000) id 06BEC1CC07B; Tue, 29 Jan 2008 12:25:03 -0800 (PST) Message-Id: <20080129202503.06BEC1CC07B@mx01.sc1.parodius.com> Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2008 12:25:03 -0800 (PST) From: Jeremy Chadwick To: FreeBSD-gnats-submit@FreeBSD.org X-Send-Pr-Version: 3.113 Cc: Subject: kern/120127: Loading of gzip'd mfsroot from pxeboot(8) causes loader reload/reset X-BeenThere: freebsd-bugs@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list Reply-To: Jeremy Chadwick List-Id: Bug reports List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2008 20:30:01 -0000 >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: