Rsync --daemon v 2.5.5 v26 causing kernel panic

[jw schultz]

On Fri, Jan 10, 2003 at 02:25:57PM -0600, Edward King wrote:
> Has anyone seen this?  Looking for past experiences / ideas.  Will post 
> progress.
> 
> I'm tracking down a problem that seems to be caused by rsync.  When 
> moving files from a remote server I get a kernel panic.
> 
> We have a number of servers that back up to a main box -- the panic only 
> occurs when a specific client backs up.  It occurs on the box it is 
> backing up to -- not the client.
> 
> The kernel is Linux 2.4.20 (just compiled -- no patches), files are 
> stored on a 4 disk raid (80GB Western Digital drives, software raid) 
> with Reiserfs.  This is being done over a vpn connection controlled by 
> another machine (gateway machine) running tinc so we're not using ssh or 
> any other shell on the rsync machine.
> 
> I have:
> 
> recompiled rsync at both locations
> recompiled the kernel from new source code (panic in 2.4.19, system 
> rebooted in 2.4.20)
> 
> I will:
> 
> try different hardware
> run a file system check at the main system (the one that crashes)
> exclude directories in the backup (rsync one directory at a time -- see 
> where it crashes)
> 
> I did notice filenames on the client machine that contain control 
> characters -- but they seem to have backed up before.

Just to confirm:  You are doing backup-server initiated pull
something like "rsync server::module destdir" and the
machine you execute this on (the receiver) panics.

Rsync will of course not be the culprit.  However, rsync is
very good at stressing a system and the kernel developers
have found it to be a common test case.

Most likely it is a hardware fault.  Probably timing
sensitive.  I'd check the logs for oopses and and disk
errors.  Also try downgrading the mode with hdparm.

If this isn't a obvious hardware fault you should report it
to the linux-kernel people.  Look on www.kernelnewbies.org 
for instructions.  This will be of interest to the
developers of md, reiserfs and the specific IDE driver.

-- 
________________________________________________________________
	J.W. Schultz            Pegasystems Technologies
	email address:		jw at pegasys.ws

		Remember Cernan and Schmitt