If you are compiling a Linux kernel and it fails complaining about
isd200_get_inquiry_data
ide_fix_friveid
Make sure that
CONFIG_USB_STORAGE_ISD200=n
when
CONFIG_USB_STORAGE=y
Postgresql oom-killer
I have never seen the oom-killer before. I had heard stories from battle hardened veterans about their tussles with the beast but these stories where all just myths to me, until today, when the beastie raised its head in my logs.
Dec 20 18:08:50 debian kernel: oom-killer: gfp_mask=0x1d2
59071 Dec 20 18:08:51 debian kernel: DMA per-cpu:
59072 Dec 20 18:08:51 debian kernel: cpu 0 hot: low 2, high 6, batch 1
59073 Dec 20 18:08:51 debian kernel: cpu 0 cold: low 0, high 2, batch 1
59074 Dec 20 18:08:51 debian kernel: Normal per-cpu:
59075 Dec 20 18:08:51 debian kernel: cpu 0 hot: low 32, high 96, batch 16
59076 Dec 20 18:08:51 debian kernel: cpu 0 cold: low 0, high 32, batch 16
59077 Dec 20 18:08:51 debian kernel: HighMem per-cpu:
59078 Dec 20 18:08:51 debian kernel: cpu 0 hot: low 14, high 42, batch 7
59079 Dec 20 18:08:51 debian kernel: cpu 0 cold: low 0, high 14, batch 7
59080 Dec 20 18:08:51 debian kernel:
59081 Dec 20 18:08:51 debian kernel: Free pages: 1040kB (112kB HighMem)
59082 Dec 20 18:08:51 debian kernel: Active:253987 inactive:249 dirty:0 writeback:5 unstable:0 free:260 slab:2326 mapped:254 013 pagetables:680
59083 Dec 20 18:08:52 debian kernel: DMA free:16kB min:16kB low:32kB high:48kB active:12296kB inactive:0kB present:16384kB
59084 Dec 20 18:08:52 debian kernel: protections[]: 0 0 0
59085 Dec 20 18:08:52 debian kernel: Normal free:912kB min:936kB low:1872kB high:2808kB active:873984kB inactive:996kB prese nt:901120kB
59086 Dec 20 18:08:52 debian kernel: protections[]: 0 0 0
59087 Dec 20 18:08:52 debian kernel: HighMem free:112kB min:128kB low:256kB high:384kB active:129668kB inactive:0kB present: 131008kB
59088 Dec 20 18:08:52 debian kernel: protections[]: 0 0 0
59089 Dec 20 18:08:52 debian kernel: DMA: 0*4kB 0*8kB 1*16kB 0*32kB 0*64kB 0*128kB 0*256kB 0*512kB 0*1024kB 0*2048kB 0*4096k B = 16kB
59090 Dec 20 18:08:52 debian kernel: Normal: 0*4kB 0*8kB 1*16kB 2*32kB 1*64kB 0*128kB 1*256kB 1*512kB 0*1024kB 0*2048kB 0*40 96kB = 912kB
59091 Dec 20 18:08:52 debian kernel: HighMem: 0*4kB 0*8kB 1*16kB 1*32kB 1*64kB 0*128kB 0*256kB 0*512kB 0*1024kB 0*2048kB 0*4 096kB = 112kB
59092 Dec 20 18:08:52 debian kernel: Swap cache: add 848298, delete 845230, find 151472/187493, race 0+3
59093 Dec 20 18:08:52 debian kernel: Out of Memory: Killed process 6332 (postmaster).
It would appear I was being a bit greedy with Postgres.
Kernel 2.6.5 and 2.6.9 fun
I upgraded from kernel 2.6.5 to kernel 2.6.9 because I was getting DMA errors when ripping CD’s to disc. I was also getting major errors with the SATA disk when copying the CD’s to my mp3 player so I have bit the bullet and decided to try and upgrade.
During boot I came across what I thought was some king of bug. When I rebooted the kernel fsck complained about a bad file system, no indication as to which device just the error message.
I logged back in and my SATA disk was gone. It had not been mounted during boot which was a bit of a bummer. I had a look at the dmesg output and lo and behold it is now a SCSI device and my three old mount points are now invalid. I am using the VIA controller ie
CONFIG_SCSI_SATA_VIA=y
in my config. I find these changes very disconcerting but then I am not a kernel hacker. I wonder if there is an easy way to see changes like this without having to read through tons of Change logs. Its even worse when you are jumping several versions.
Kernel upgrades, like life are is just full of little surprises.
Compiling a single module for the 2.6 Kernel
This is relatively straight forward. I just recently installed a new network card to play around with and to see if I can make head or tail of the driver details so I need to make sure I have the driver for the card.
I installed a NetGear F311, I had a couple of spares. The driver for this card is the natsemi driver. To see if you have the source try the following.
]$ locate natsemi
/usr/src/kernel-source-2.6.5/drivers/net/natsemi.c
/usr/src/kernel-source-2.6.5/include/config/natsemi.h
There is no need to be the root user for any of this until you need to actually install the driver, I will tell you when 😉
Copy both these files to a directory of your choice. Then, in the same directory create a Makefile with the following text:
1 obj-m := natsemi.o
2
3 KDIR := /lib/modules/$(shell uname -r)/build
4 PWD := $(shell pwd)
5
6 default:
7 $(MAKE) -C $(KDIR) SUBDIRS=$(PWD) modules
save it and then execute the folloing command:
]$ make
Some text should whizz past detailing what it is doing. In the directory which you ran make in there should now be several new files
natsemi.ko
natsemi.mod.c
natsemi.mod.o
natsemi.o
The one you are interested in is “natsemi.ko”. As the root user change to the directory containing the “natsemi.ko” file and run
]$ insmod natsemi.ko
If all goes well there should be no messages. To see if it loaded and to satisfy your curiosity try
]$ lsmod
natsemi 18976 0
tulip 36640 0
crc32 3840 2 natsemi,tulip
af_packet 12552 4
The above is what I have on mine
To see if the card works (Debian) edit your
/etc/network/interfaces
file and add the following. Note that I already have a card installed using eth0 so I have chosen eth1 for this card
11 iface eth1 inet static
12 address 192.168.1.10
13 netmask 255.255.255.0
Then issue the command
]$ ifup eth1
]$ ping 192.168.1.10
and you should now have the card working.
Writing Linux Device Drivers
I lost my internet connection at the weekend and was at a bit of a loss as to what I could do so I decided to take a pop at writing a simple module for the Linux kernel. I have a copy of
Beginning Linux Programming
ISBN: 1861002971
Authors: Richard Stevens and Neil Matthew
Ed: 2nd
so I turned to the back of it and started my foray into the Kernel. Now you need to remember that I am not a C programmer by trade and turning to the back of this book was a keen reminder of just how rusty my C is getting, not that it was ever rust free.
Luckily for me I have another book that is considered the C bible ie K&R and it deserves its reputation, it is a classic and I would recommend any programmer regardless of language choice to have a flick through it. When I was looking at some odd construct that those pointy hats had invented I had a flick through K&R and soon sorted it out.
Anyway back to the kernel. I was quick to discover that writing a module for the 2.6 kernel is not quite as straight forward as copying from the book and trying to understand what was going on. Things have been changing and I was getting all sorts of weird (or at least to me) and wonderful errors when trying to compile the kernel.
I eventually started to have a read at the recent modules in the source for 2.6.5 which I am running on this box. I also have the source for a 2.4 kernel on here so I opened 2 character drivers and compared notes between them. This is where I started to notice things that had changed. I made the changes I thought where necessary and I managed to get most of the “Hello World” module compiling but I was still getting errors.
I had a hunt around and I found a reference to some new build procedures for 2.6.5 so off I went in search of kbuild documentation and found some more stuff that had changed in the kernel. Namely the build procedure. This part was actually harder than the C that I had been struggling with.
After much swearing (I hate Makefiles and adding some more sugar is a pain in the ass) I managed to get the module compiling and I was on my way.
After a days work I now had a module that, on load would say
“Hello World”
and on removal
“Goodbye World”
time well spent or not? I haven’t decided yet. I wonder how often changes like this take place in the kernel and how much porting takes place because of it.
Where to go from here. I asked a few friends who know more about this stuff than I do and I got mixed advice about continuing. Some of them think the kernel is a mess because they are always changing the driver API among other things. I cannot comment because my knowledge of the Linux kernel is limited to spelling it and I sometimes get that wrong.
I did get some useful pointers though. The following is the best book I have found so far for someone like me who is just starting out in the kernel.
Linux Device Drivers, 2nd Edition
It is written for the 2.4 kernel but has a wealth of information that is still valid today. I have started porting the scull drivers from this to the 2.6 kernel I am running and it is proving very interesting. I printed off chapter 2 and 3 yesterday and have have almost finished them (40 mins from Luton to London on the train each way helps). So far it seems to be moving along at a fair old pace, I am just hoping I can keep up.
I could have done with the following at the weekend. This tells me what I needed to know about moving from 2.4 to 2.6. I can see myself using this a lot in the next few weeks.
Driver Porting