SLES 11 SP2 update failed, broke kernel

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server SLES Updates
1

Today I ran “zypper update” on one of our servers, and all went well untill kernel update (from default 3.0.51-0.7.9 to 3.0.58-0.6.6). After I stupidly tried to re-install the kernel, I now have a running system without a bootable kernel. Any pointers?

Installing: kernel-default-base-3.0.58-0.6.6.1 [done]
Additional rpm output:

Kernel image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.0.58-0.6.6-default
Initrd image: /boot/initrd-3.0.58-0.6.6-default
Root device: /dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SServeRA_raid1_58D4D505-part3 (/dev/sda3) (mounted on / as ext3)
Resume device: /dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SServeRA_raid1_58D4D505-part2 (/dev/sda2)
find: `/lib/modules/3.0.58-0.6.6-default/kernel/drivers/scsi/device_handler’: No such file or directory
modprobe: Module thermal not found.
WARNING: no dependencies for kernel module ‘thermal’ found.
modprobe: Module processor not found.
WARNING: no dependencies for kernel module ‘processor’ found.
modprobe: Module fan not found.
WARNING: no dependencies for kernel module ‘fan’ found.
modprobe: Module aacraid not found.
WARNING: no dependencies for kernel module ‘aacraid’ found.
modprobe: Module ata_generic not found.
WARNING: no dependencies for kernel module ‘ata_generic’ found.
modprobe: Module piix not found.
WARNING: no dependencies for kernel module ‘piix’ found.
modprobe: Module ide_pci_generic not found.
WARNING: no dependencies for kernel module ‘ide_pci_generic’ found.
modprobe: Module usbhid not found.
WARNING: no dependencies for kernel module ‘usbhid’ found.
Kernel Modules: scsi_mod libata ata_piix jbd mbcache ext3 edd usb-common usbcore ohci-hcd uhci-hcd ehci-hcd crc-t10dif sd_mod
Features: acpi block usb resume.userspace resume.kernel
Bootsplash: SLES (1024x768)
31694 blocks

Network: auto
Calling mkinitrd -B -k /boot/vmlinuz-3.0.58-0.6.6-default -i /boot/initrd-3.0.58-0.6.6-default-kdump -f ‘kdump network’ -s ‘’
Regenerating kdump initrd …

Kernel image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.0.58-0.6.6-default
Initrd image: /boot/initrd-3.0.58-0.6.6-default-kdump
Root device: /dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SServeRA_raid1_58D4D505-part3 (/dev/sda3) (mounted on / as ext3)
Resume device: /dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SServeRA_raid1_58D4D505-part2 (/dev/sda2)
Boot device: /dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SServeRA_raid1_58D4D505-part1 (/dev/sda1)
find: `/lib/modules/3.0.58-0.6.6-default/kernel/drivers/scsi/device_handler’: No such file or directory
modprobe: Module thermal not found.
WARNING: no dependencies for kernel module ‘thermal’ found.
modprobe: Module processor not found.
WARNING: no dependencies for kernel module ‘processor’ found.
modprobe: Module fan not found.
WARNING: no dependencies for kernel module ‘fan’ found.
modprobe: Module aacraid not found.
WARNING: no dependencies for kernel module ‘aacraid’ found.
modprobe: Module ata_generic not found.
WARNING: no dependencies for kernel module ‘ata_generic’ found.
modprobe: Module piix not found.
WARNING: no dependencies for kernel module ‘piix’ found.
modprobe: Module ide_pci_generic not found.
WARNING: no dependencies for kernel module ‘ide_pci_generic’ found.
modprobe: Module usbhid not found.
WARNING: no dependencies for kernel module ‘usbhid’ found.
modprobe: Module pci:v000014E4d0000164Csv00001014sd00000342bc02sc00i00 not found.
WARNING: no dependencies for kernel module ‘pci:v000014E4d0000164Csv00001014sd00000342bc02sc00i00’ found.
modprobe: Module nls_utf8 not found.
WARNING: no dependencies for kernel module ‘nls_utf8’ found.
Kernel Modules: scsi_mod libata ata_piix jbd mbcache ext3 edd usb-common usbcore ohci-hcd uhci-hcd ehci-hcd af_packet crc-t10dif sd_mod
Features: acpi block usb network resume.userspace resume.kernel kdump
44977 blocks
Don’t refresh the bootloader. You may have to do that manually!

2

Hi hkth,

have you tried re-installing the kernel package (not kernel-base, but i.e. kernel-default)? That’s where those missing modules are packaged, afaik.

Regards,
Jens

3

That gives fewer error messages, but still don’t dare to boot the system:

Retrieving package kernel-default-3.0.58-0.6.6.1.x86_64 (1/1), 20.2 MiB (78.1 MiB unpacked)
Retrieving: kernel-default-3.0.58-0.6.6.1.x86_64.rpm [done (1.5 MiB/s)]
Installing: kernel-default-3.0.58-0.6.6.1 [done]
Additional rpm output:
Scanning scripts …
Resolve dependencies …
Install symlinks in /lib/mkinitrd/setup …
Install symlinks in /lib/mkinitrd/boot …

Kernel image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.0.58-0.6.6-default
Initrd image: /boot/initrd-3.0.58-0.6.6-default
Root device: /dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SServeRA_raid1_58D4D505-part3 (/dev/sda3) (mounted on / as ext3)
Resume device: /dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SServeRA_raid1_58D4D505-part2 (/dev/sda2)
modprobe: Module piix not found.
WARNING: no dependencies for kernel module ‘piix’ found.
modprobe: Module ide_pci_generic not found.
WARNING: no dependencies for kernel module ‘ide_pci_generic’ found.
Kernel Modules: hwmon thermal_sys thermal processor fan scsi_mod aacraid libata ata_piix ata_generic jbd mbcache ext3 edd scsi_dh scsi_dh_emc scsi_dh_rdac scsi_dh_alua scsi_dh_hp_sw usb-common usbcore ohci-hcd uhci-hcd ehci-hcd hid usbhid crc-t10dif sd_mod
Features: acpi block usb resume.userspace resume.kernel
Bootsplash: SLES (1024x768)
33083 blocks

Network: auto
Calling mkinitrd -B -k /boot/vmlinuz-3.0.58-0.6.6-default -i /boot/initrd-3.0.58-0.6.6-default-kdump -f ‘kdump network’ -s ‘’
Regenerating kdump initrd …

Kernel image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.0.58-0.6.6-default
Initrd image: /boot/initrd-3.0.58-0.6.6-default-kdump
Root device: /dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SServeRA_raid1_58D4D505-part3 (/dev/sda3) (mounted on / as ext3)
Resume device: /dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SServeRA_raid1_58D4D505-part2 (/dev/sda2)
Boot device: /dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SServeRA_raid1_58D4D505-part1 (/dev/sda1)
modprobe: Module piix not found.
WARNING: no dependencies for kernel module ‘piix’ found.
modprobe: Module ide_pci_generic not found.
WARNING: no dependencies for kernel module ‘ide_pci_generic’ found.
Kernel Modules: hwmon thermal_sys thermal processor fan scsi_mod aacraid libata ata_piix ata_generic jbd mbcache ext3 edd scsi_dh scsi_dh_emc scsi_dh_rdac scsi_dh_alua scsi_dh_hp_sw usb-common usbcore ohci-hcd uhci-hcd ehci-hcd hid usbhid af_packet bnx2 nls_utf8 crc-t10dif sd_mod
Firmware: bnx2/bnx2-rv2p-09ax-6.0.17.fw bnx2/bnx2-rv2p-09-6.0.17.fw bnx2/bnx2-mips-09-6.2.1a.fw bnx2/bnx2-rv2p-06-6.0.15.fw bnx2/bnx2-mips-06-6.2.1.fw
Features: acpi block usb network resume.userspace resume.kernel kdump
47045 blocks
Don’t refresh the bootloader. You may have to do that manually!

4

[QUOTE=hkth;12424]That gives fewer error messages, but still don’t dare to boot the system:

Retrieving package kernel-default-3.0.58-0.6.6.1.x86_64 (1/1), 20.2 MiB (78.1 MiB unpacked)
Retrieving: kernel-default-3.0.58-0.6.6.1.x86_64.rpm [done (1.5 MiB/s)]
Installing: kernel-default-3.0.58-0.6.6.1 [done]
Additional rpm output:
Scanning scripts …
Resolve dependencies …
Install symlinks in /lib/mkinitrd/setup …
Install symlinks in /lib/mkinitrd/boot …

Kernel image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.0.58-0.6.6-default
Initrd image: /boot/initrd-3.0.58-0.6.6-default
Root device: /dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SServeRA_raid1_58D4D505-part3 (/dev/sda3) (mounted on / as ext3)
Resume device: /dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SServeRA_raid1_58D4D505-part2 (/dev/sda2)
modprobe: Module piix not found.
WARNING: no dependencies for kernel module ‘piix’ found.[/QUOTE]

That module now goes by the name “ata_piix”, if I see this right

[QUOTE=hkth;12424]modprobe: Module ide_pci_generic not found.
WARNING: no dependencies for kernel module ‘ide_pci_generic’ found.[/QUOTE]

I believe this to be “ata_generic” now.

[QUOTE=hkth;12424]Kernel Modules: hwmon thermal_sys thermal processor fan scsi_mod aacraid libata ata_piix ata_generic jbd mbcache ext3 edd scsi_dh scsi_dh_emc scsi_dh_rdac scsi_dh_alua scsi_dh_hp_sw usb-common usbcore ohci-hcd uhci-hcd ehci-hcd hid usbhid crc-t10dif sd_mod
Features: acpi block usb resume.userspace resume.kernel
Bootsplash: SLES (1024x768)
33083 blocks[/QUOTE]

Have a look in /etc/sysconfig/kernel, there should be a line for “INITRD_MODULES”, where these are referenced. Looking at a current SLES11SP2 system, I see

INITRD_MODULES="thermal ata_piix ata_generic ide_pci_generic processor fan jbd ext3 raid1 dm_mod edd piix qla2400 ahci generic"

So you should be ok if you modify the two module names there.

Regards,
Jens

5

OK, no error messages now! Turns out, both the old and the new module names were mentioned in the INITRD_MODULES -list. I’ll try booting the server tomorrow. Thanks!