PROBLEM: random crashes while loading modules into 2.6.36-rc8

From: Helmut Grohne
Date: Sun Oct 17 2010 - 15:44:35 EST


I tried to use vanilla 2.6.36-rc8 and failed. While trying track down
the random oopses, bugs and lockups the problem appeared to get broader
and broader. In fact the best description I can come up with is loading
a module with at least one dependency.

Steps to reproduce:
1) Get 2.6.36-rc8.
2) Use my config (attached).
3) Compile it on amd64. (I used gcc 4:4.4.5-1 from Debian Sid.)
4) Get qemu. (I used 0.12.5+dfsg-2 from Debian Sid.)
5) Create an initramfs that contains the modules and some shell.
6) qemu-system-x86_64 -m 256 -kernel vmlinuz-2.6.36-rc8 -initrd foo.cpio.gz
7) load a module. If it does not crash, try more.

This is also reproducible without qemu for me. The most reliable module
was sky2 (both inside and outside qemu). Also loading ohci_hcd caused a
variety of oopses and bugs on my system. Note that not all modules
caused problems. For instance the dependencies for sky2 (bitrev and
crc32) could be loaded just fine.

Helmut

Attachment: config.gz
Description: Binary data