CentOS - Feb 2007 - CentOS 2.6.9-42.0.8 issue - no keyboard after reboot

I did this twice now, although the first couple of builds seemed to work
ok, they just weren't configured quite right.

On my third and fourth builds of the 42.0.8 kernel rpm, when booting,
kudzu came up and ran, but the keyboard was somehow not recognized and I
had to reboot using the mouse on the login screen (no text appears no
matter what I type).

I'm using the rpm build strategy from Jim's wiki, which works nicely,
but my fallback is a 42.0.3 non-smp kernel.

My main question, though, is how did this happen?  Is there a config
switch or something else I missed?  I'm using the base
kernel-2.6.9-x86_64-smp.config, and tweaking it to include ext3 and xfs
in the kernel (instead of loadable ext3 and no xfs).

Why?

Well, we need xfs to load so we can find out why it's so damned slow on
cached vs. direct i/o.  We have some tweaks we put into xfs (current
version, using SuSE Linux 9.something) in order to be able to control
the way the extents are allocated.  We need to be able to do large i/os
in large chunks quickly, and that kind of allocation works better than
little pieces all over the place.  (We're looking at 8Mb chunks and
larger.)  With direct i/o, we can get around 30-40Mb/s transfer rates,
but with cached (i.e., kernel) i/o, we are stuck at 8, which is too
slow.  It turns out we get better performance from jfs, but we want to
use xfs because it is faster with our changes.

The main issue here, though, is the failure of CentOS 2.6.9-42.0.8 to
recognize the keyboard - why would that happen?

Thanks.

mhr

On Fri, 2007-02-09 at 13:32 -0500, Mark Hull-Richter
wrote:
> I did this twice now, although the first couple of builds seemed to work
> ok, they just weren't configured quite right.
> 
> On my third and fourth builds of the 42.0.8 kernel rpm, when booting,
> kudzu came up and ran, but the keyboard was somehow not recognized and I
> had to reboot using the mouse on the login screen (no text appears no
> matter what I type).
> 
> I'm using the rpm build strategy from Jim's wiki, which works
nicely,
> but my fallback is a 42.0.3 non-smp kernel.
> 
> My main question, though, is how did this happen?  Is there a config
> switch or something else I missed?  I'm using the base
> kernel-2.6.9-x86_64-smp.config, and tweaking it to include ext3 and xfs
> in the kernel (instead of loadable ext3 and no xfs).
> 
> Why?
> 
> Well, we need xfs to load so we can find out why it's so damned slow on
> cached vs. direct i/o.  We have some tweaks we put into xfs (current
> version, using SuSE Linux 9.something) in order to be able to control
> the way the extents are allocated.  We need to be able to do large i/os
> in large chunks quickly, and that kind of allocation works better than
> little pieces all over the place.  (We're looking at 8Mb chunks and
> larger.)  With direct i/o, we can get around 30-40Mb/s transfer rates,
> but with cached (i.e., kernel) i/o, we are stuck at 8, which is too
> slow.  It turns out we get better performance from jfs, but we want to
> use xfs because it is faster with our changes.
> 
> The main issue here, though, is the failure of CentOS 2.6.9-42.0.8 to
> recognize the keyboard - why would that happen?
> 
If you are building in xfs from the 2.6.9 series kernel an using that
version, you are asking for trouble.

I have provided xfs kernel modules that contain the latest code from SGI
that can be installed against either the standard kernels or the CentOS
Plus kernels.

If you value your data .. DO NOT USE the 2.6.9 standard xfs kernel code.
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Where do I find your xfs source?

Thanks.

-----Original Message-----
From: centos-bounces at centos.org [mailto:centos-bounces at centos.org] On
Behalf Of Johnny Hughes
Sent: Friday, February 09, 2007 10:55 AM
To: CentOS ML
Subject: Re: [CentOS] CentOS 2.6.9-42.0.8 issue - no keyboard after
reboot

<redacted>

If you are building in xfs from the 2.6.9 series kernel an using that
version, you are asking for trouble.

I have provided xfs kernel modules that contain the latest code from SGI
that can be installed against either the standard kernels or the CentOS
Plus kernels.

If you value your data .. DO NOT USE the 2.6.9 standard xfs kernel code.

I have now built about six kernels for this and none of them come up
right - they all refuse to acknowledge the keyboard, and the mouse is
jerky and erratic.

I have checked the config to make sure that USB HID devices are
recognized, and that the keyboard is the right one (AT).  I have tried
unplugging and re-plugging the keyboard, switching their positions on
the LCD hub, even plugging directly into the motherboard - nothing
works.

Is there a bug or other problem in the standard USB driver for 42.0.8?
This is frustrating, and it has halted my development.  I should be able
to build and run the straight distro rpm without this kind of grief,
shouldn't I?

Suggestions, comments, etc. welcome.

-----Original Message-----
From: centos-bounces at centos.org [mailto:centos-bounces at centos.org] On
Behalf Of Mark Hull-Richter
Sent: Friday, February 09, 2007 10:33 AM
To: CentOS mailing list
Subject: [CentOS] CentOS 2.6.9-42.0.8 issue - no keyboard after reboot

I did this twice now, although the first couple of builds seemed to work
ok, they just weren't configured quite right.

On my third and fourth builds of the 42.0.8 kernel rpm, when booting,
kudzu came up and ran, but the keyboard was somehow not recognized and I
had to reboot using the mouse on the login screen (no text appears no
matter what I type).

I'm using the rpm build strategy from Jim's wiki, which works nicely,
but my fallback is a 42.0.3 non-smp kernel.

My main question, though, is how did this happen?  Is there a config
switch or something else I missed?  I'm using the base
kernel-2.6.9-x86_64-smp.config, and tweaking it to include ext3 and xfs
in the kernel (instead of loadable ext3 and no xfs).

Why?

Well, we need xfs to load so we can find out why it's so damned slow on
cached vs. direct i/o.  We have some tweaks we put into xfs (current
version, using SuSE Linux 9.something) in order to be able to control
the way the extents are allocated.  We need to be able to do large i/os
in large chunks quickly, and that kind of allocation works better than
little pieces all over the place.  (We're looking at 8Mb chunks and
larger.)  With direct i/o, we can get around 30-40Mb/s transfer rates,
but with cached (i.e., kernel) i/o, we are stuck at 8, which is too
slow.  It turns out we get better performance from jfs, but we want to
use xfs because it is faster with our changes.

The main issue here, though, is the failure of CentOS 2.6.9-42.0.8 to
recognize the keyboard - why would that happen?

Thanks.

mhr

_______________________________________________
CentOS mailing list
CentOS at centos.org
http://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos

New details:

I am running an SMP machine and have been using the
kernel-2.6.9-x86_64-smp.config config file, which is the one that I
can't get to work.

So, I figured, what the heck, I'll just use the
kernel-2.6.9-x86_64.config config file instead and just turn on SMP in
make menuconfig.

Voila!  It works.

There are huge differences between these two config files, and I'm
wondering what the heck is messed up in the former such that it doesn't
work but the latter does, even on SMP?

Thanks.

-----Original Message-----
From: centos-bounces at centos.org [mailto:centos-bounces at centos.org] On
Behalf Of Jim Perrin
Sent: Monday, February 12, 2007 12:05 PM
To: CentOS mailing list
Subject: Re: [CentOS] CentOS 2.6.9-42.0.8 issue - no keyboard after
reboot
> Is there a bug or other problem in the standard USB driver for 42.0.8?
> This is frustrating, and it has halted my development.  I should be
able
> to build and run the straight distro rpm without this kind of grief,
> shouldn't I?
>
> Suggestions, comments, etc. welcome.

1. usb drivers work fine here for all my devices (webcam, wireless
keyboard/mouse set, memory sticks, and external hard drives and dvd
burners.)

2. Um, the whole point of rpm based distributions is that you don't
have to build them. That part is done for you. That said, it all
rebuilds cleanly if you have a proper build environment. That's one of
the things which the centos developers are very picky about. It's also
pretty fundamental to the distribution, as it's all rebuilt from the
sources of the upstream vendor.




-- 
During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a
revolutionary act.
George Orwell
_______________________________________________
CentOS mailing list
CentOS at centos.org
http://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos

I'm not sure how to answer that.

I have a plain installation of CentOS 4.4 for x86_64 SMP (2.6.9-42.0.3),
installed from the DVD.  I am now running 2.6.9-42.0.8 built from the
rpm package
http://mirror.centos.org/centos-4/4/updates/SRPMS/kernel-2.6.9-42.0.8.EL
.src.rpm using the fedora rpmdevtools, kernel-smp-devel and the
"development tools" packages (from yum or the DVD).

Does that help?

-----Original Message-----
From: centos-bounces at centos.org [mailto:centos-bounces at centos.org] On
Behalf Of Jim Perrin
Sent: Monday, February 12, 2007 2:22 PM
To: CentOS mailing list
Subject: Re: [CentOS] CentOS 2.6.9-42.0.8 issue - no keyboard after
reboot
> There are huge differences between these two config files, and I'm
> wondering what the heck is messed up in the former such that it
doesn't
> work but the latter does, even on SMP?
The one question which has not been addressed yet is 'what does your
build environment look like?'

This could have everything to do with why you continue to have
problems with (re)building things.

-- 
During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a
revolutionary act.
George Orwell
_______________________________________________
CentOS mailing list
CentOS at centos.org
http://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos

I'm still new to CentOS/RHEL and rpm, so let me do this:
> I can guarantee that they both build fine on the centos builders and
on
> a machine with all the x86_64 packages and the only i[3,4,5,6]86
> packages are glibc.i686 and glibc-devel.i386.
How do I find this out?  If I do an rpm -q -a, I get 250+ lines of
output, none of which appear to be specifically identified/identifiable
as x86_64....
> You should either be building with plague and a full x86_64 tree ...
or
> a full tree as described in my first paragraph.
Not sure what that means, per se.  I'm building with rpm.
> Now, as to whether the keyboard works, that could be an issue.  Did
you
> ever try to boot with my SMP kernel and see if there where also issues
> with that.
Which one is "your" SMP kernel?

Told you I'm new at this....

Forgive my newbieness here, but how do I install the xfs module (and
xfsprogs) once I have the rpms?

I've never used rpm before this much, so I'm out of my depth here (but
willing to plunge in :-).

Thanks.

-----Original Message-----
From: centos-bounces at centos.org [mailto:centos-bounces at centos.org] On
Behalf Of Fabian Arrotin
Sent: Friday, February 09, 2007 11:44 AM
To: CentOS mailing list
Subject: RE: [CentOS] CentOS 2.6.9-42.0.8 issue - no keyboard after
reboot

On Fri, 2007-02-09 at 14:36 -0500, Mark Hull-Richter
wrote:
> Where do I find your xfs source?
> 
kernel-module-xfs and xfsprogs are available from the centosplus repo.
You can just enable this repo to download/install/use it ... see
http://wiki.centos.org/Repositories for documentation ...
-- 
Fabian Arrotin <fabian.arrotin at arrfab.net>

Jim Perrin wrote:
> Easiest way is via yum:
> yum --enablerepo centosplus install kernel-module-xfs
As I understand it, there are repercussions, or implications, to using
the centosplus features, like base kernel incompatibilities and soon.
If true, can you elaborate, and if not please let me/us know.

Thanks.