Re: [URGENT ASSISTANCE REQUESTED] production machines dying

Thomas Schenk (tschenk@dejanews.com)
Mon, 24 Nov 1997 15:56:06 -0600 (CST)


On 24-Nov-97 Alan Cox wrote:
>> Kernel panic: skput : over: nnnnnnnn:nnn
>> In swapper task - not syncing
>>
>> I have checked both machines and can find no other error messages as
>> to why it is crashing. I can't recall the exact value of nnnnnnnnn:nnn.
>
> Those numbers are absolutely critical. Furthermore this is one variant
> of the effects of the "teardrop" fragment attack against Linux/95/NT
> that is fixed in 2.0.32. If you see it with 2.0.32 I -do- want to know
>
> Alan

All of you pointed out the need for the values on nnnnnnnn:nnn. Can any
of you describe to me how to interpret these numbers in a way that does
not involve running gdb on the machine in question (which is not possible,
since when I receive this error, the machine freezes).

Many thanks to those who have responded thus far. As for suggestions that
I move these machines to any of the 2.1.x kernels...not on your life. The
systems in question are part of our production web site and have to be up
24 hours a day, seven days a week. (We aren't even allowed to bring down
the service to move it to a new building 10 miles away from the old one,
which is what we did this past weekend. Eat your hearts out Infoseek.)

Tom

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+-----------------------+-------------------------+------------------------+
| Tom Schenk            | Use Linux!              | All opinions expressed |
| tschenk@dejanews.com  |    Friends don't let    | are mine and not those |
| tschenk@theoffice.net |     friends do Windows! | of my employer.        |
+-----------------------+-------------------------+------------------------+