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mark
PostPosted: Fri May 01, 2009 1:15 pm 
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How are security updates and new kernel versions handled on a Debian Linode installation?

Is it possible to have the Debian packaging system manage the kernel version/security updates for a Debian linode installation? How would I go about changing a new installation to allow the Debian packaging system to manage changes to the kernel?

Thanks!

Mark
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Stever
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PostPosted: Fri May 01, 2009 1:28 pm 
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http://www.linode.com/wiki/index.php/PV-GRUB
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saman007uk
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PostPosted: Fri May 01, 2009 2:08 pm 
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If you are not using pv_grub, you have no control over the kernel - it's managed and upgraded by linode (althoigh you do get a choice of the version).
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mark
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PostPosted: Fri May 01, 2009 2:42 pm 
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Thanks.

Does Linode patch the kernel as new security updates are generated? What is the process for me to upgrade my kernel to a patched kernel from Linode?

Thanks,

Mark
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jed
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PostPosted: Fri May 01, 2009 2:52 pm 
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mark wrote:
Does Linode patch the kernel as new security updates are generated? What is the process for me to upgrade my kernel to a patched kernel from Linode?

Keep an eye on this page, and look for kernel announcements. Once you see a new kernel that you want to run, switch to it and reboot. Voilà.

If you want your own kernel, you'll have to look at pv_grub as another poster said...and that is a relatively unsupported approach.
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Xan
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PostPosted: Fri May 01, 2009 7:38 pm 
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It may be relatively unsupported, but it does work great. I've used it for exactly what you're looking for: to run stock Debian Lenny, and get the kernel updates as they're released. Had no problems getting it set up or working.
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mark
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PostPosted: Fri May 01, 2009 9:20 pm 
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I read through the pv-grub wiki article. If I understand the article correctly, I can run a stock Debian kernel and do not have to compile my own. Is this correct? Are these the steps I go through:

1. Install a stock Debian kernal
Code:
apt-get install linux-image-xen-686

2. create /boot/grub/menu.lst and fill it with
Code:
default 0
timeout 5
title Debian GNU/Linux 2.6.26-2-xen-686
root (hd0)
kernel /boot/kernel-2.6.26-2-xen-686 root=/dev/xvda ro

3. Install grub:
Code:
apt-get install grub
mkdir -p /boot/grub
update-grub


What am I missing? Do I have to compile my own kernel?

I have separate partitions (i.e. disk images) for /tmp, /home, /var, and /opt - will this be a problem?

Thanks!

Mark
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saman007uk
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PostPosted: Sat May 02, 2009 4:39 am 
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That should be fine.

However, remove any refrences to UUIDs in menu.1st, it seems that pv_grub doesn't like them.

I have to use "root=ca00" in Grub ....
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mark
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PostPosted: Wed May 06, 2009 9:44 am 
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I am having a small problem getting my linode to boot. This is my menu.lst
Code:
default 0
timeout 5
title Debian GNU/Linux 2.6.26-2-xen-686 (2.6.26-15)
root (hd0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.26-2-xen-686 root=ca00 ro

I also tried
Code:
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.26-2-xen-686 root=/dev/xvda ro

with the same results - kernel panic:
Quote:
Showing last 100 lines from current boot
-----------------------------------------
[ 0.004000] fixmap : 0xf5555000 - 0xf57ff000 (2728 kB)
[ 0.004000] pkmap : 0xf5000000 - 0xf5200000 (2048 kB)
[ 0.004000] vmalloc : 0xd7800000 - 0xf4ffe000 ( 471 MB)
[ 0.004000] lowmem : 0xc0000000 - 0xd7000000 ( 368 MB)
[ 0.004000] .init : 0xc038f000 - 0xc03c0000 ( 196 kB)
[ 0.004000] .data : 0xc02ccfe8 - 0xc03868a0 ( 742 kB)
[ 0.004000] .text : 0xc0100000 - 0xc02ccfe8 (1843 kB)
[ 0.004000] Checking if this processor honours the WP bit even in supervisor mode...Ok.
[ 0.224022] Calibrating delay using timer specific routine.. 5006.56 BogoMIPS (lpj=10013133)
[ 0.224085] Security Framework initialized
[ 0.224095] SELinux: Disabled at boot.
[ 0.224100] Capability LSM initialized
[ 0.224118] Mount-cache hash table entries: 512
[ 0.224232] Initializing cgroup subsys ns
[ 0.224240] Initializing cgroup subsys cpuacct
[ 0.224244] Initializing cgroup subsys devices
[ 0.224270] CPU: L1 I cache: 32K, L1 D cache: 32K
[ 0.224275] CPU: L2 cache: 6144K
[ 0.224287] Checking 'hlt' instruction... OK.
[ 0.224607] SMP alternatives: switching to UP code
[ 0.239536] Brought up 1 CPUs
[ 0.241355] net_namespace: 660 bytes
[ 0.241494] NET: Registered protocol family 16
[ 0.242912] SMP alternatives: switching to SMP code
[ 0.256016] Initializing CPU#1
[ 0.256016] CPU: L1 I cache: 32K, L1 D cache: 32K
[ 0.256016] CPU: L2 cache: 6144K
[ 0.258164] Initializing CPU#2
[ 0.258164] CPU: L1 I cache: 32K, L1 D cache: 32K
[ 0.258164] CPU: L2 cache: 6144K
[ 0.260514] Initializing CPU#3
[ 0.260514] CPU: L2 cache: 6144K
[ 0.260612] 1 2 3 0
[ 0.260673] Brought up 4 CPUs
[ 0.261177] PCI: Fatal: No config space access function found
[ 0.261183] PCI: setting up Xen PCI frontend stub
[ 0.262073] ACPI: Interpreter disabled.
[ 0.262081] Linux Plug and Play Support v0.97 (c) Adam Belay
[ 0.262113] pnp: PnP ACPI: disabled
[ 0.262343] suspend: event channel 19
[ 0.262639] xen_mem: Initialising balloon driver.
[ 0.266842] PCI: System does not support PCI
[ 0.266847] PCI: System does not support PCI
[ 0.269997] NET: Registered protocol family 2
[ 0.277428] IP route cache hash table entries: 4096 (order: 2, 16384 bytes)
[ 0.277676] TCP established hash table entries: 16384 (order: 5, 131072 bytes)
[ 0.277730] TCP bind hash table entries: 16384 (order: 5, 131072 bytes)
[ 0.277780] TCP: Hash tables configured (established 16384 bind 16384)
[ 0.277785] TCP reno registered
[ 0.277894] NET: Registered protocol family 1
[ 0.278450] platform rtc_cmos: registered platform RTC device (no PNP device found)
[ 0.280163] audit: initializing netlink socket (disabled)
[ 0.280192] type=2000 audit(1241617070.387:1): initialized
[ 0.281117] VFS: Disk quotas dquot_6.5.1
[ 0.281151] Dquot-cache hash table entries: 1024 (order 0, 4096 bytes)
[ 0.281183] msgmni has been set to 720
[ 0.281361] Block layer SCSI generic (bsg) driver version 0.4 loaded (major 253)
[ 0.281368] io scheduler noop registered
[ 0.281372] io scheduler anticipatory registered
[ 0.281375] io scheduler deadline registered
[ 0.281405] io scheduler cfq registered (default)
[ 0.285445] Serial: 8250/16550 driver $Revision: 1.90 $ 4 ports, IRQ sharing enabled
[ 0.289403] brd: module loaded
[ 0.289403] Xen virtual console successfully installed as hvc0
[ 0.289403] Event-channel device installed.
[ 0.355513] netfront: Initialising virtual ethernet driver.
[ 0.356146] xen-vbd: registered block device major 202
[ 0.356169] blkfront: xvda: barriers enabled
[ 0.356581] xvda: unknown partition table
[ 0.361060] blkfront: xvdb: barriers enabled
[ 0.361511] xvdb: unknown partition table
[ 0.391305] blkfront: xvdc: barriers enabled
[ 0.391305] xvdc: unknown partition table
[ 0.410345] blkfront: xvdd: barriers enabled
[ 0.410345] xvdd: unknown partition table
[ 0.421659] blkfront: xvde: barriers enabled
[ 0.421659] xvde: unknown partition table
[ 0.476417] blkfront: xvdf: barriers enabled
[ 0.476644] xvdf: unknown partition table
[ 0.495036] PNP: No PS/2 controller found. Probing ports directly.
[ 0.495036] i8042.c: No controller found.
[ 0.495036] mice: PS/2 mouse device common for all mice
[ 0.495036] rtc_cmos rtc_cmos: rtc core: registered rtc_cmos as rtc0
[ 0.495036] No iBFT detected.
[ 0.495036] TCP cubic registered
[ 0.495036] NET: Registered protocol family 17
[ 0.495036] Using IPI No-Shortcut mode
[ 0.495036] registered taskstats version 1
[ 0.592634] XENBUS: Device with no driver: device/console/0
[ 0.592645] drivers/rtc/hctosys.c: unable to open rtc device (rtc0)
[ 0.592704] List of all partitions:
[ 0.592711] ca00 1024000 xvda driver: vbd
[ 0.592716] ca10 1024000 xvdb driver: vbd
[ 0.592721] ca20 2048000 xvdc driver: vbd
[ 0.596008] ca30 2048000 xvdd driver: vbd
[ 0.596013] ca40 2048000 xvde driver: vbd
[ 0.596018] ca50 524288 xvdf driver: vbd
[ 0.596022] No filesystem could mount root, tried:
[ 0.596028] Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(202,0)

[linode20747@fremont86 lish]#

I would appreciate any suggestions for getting my dead linode to boot using the debian xen kernel as described in the PV-GRUB instructions (http://www.linode.com/wiki/index.php/PV-GRUB).
Thanks!
Mark
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saman007uk
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PostPosted: Wed May 06, 2009 9:55 am 
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Tried
Code:
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.26-2-xen-686 root=/dev/ca00 ro


I had the same problem a while ago, changing root to "/dev/ca00" or "ca00" solved it.
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Stever
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PostPosted: Wed May 06, 2009 10:19 am 
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mark wrote:
I am having a small problem getting my linode to boot. This is my menu.lst
Code:
default 0
timeout 5
title Debian GNU/Linux 2.6.26-2-xen-686 (2.6.26-15)
root (hd0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.26-2-xen-686 root=ca00 ro

I also tried
Code:
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.26-2-xen-686 root=/dev/xvda ro

with the same results - kernel panic:

Is your root filesystem on xvda, or did you make an image that just holds your kernel on xvda?
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mark
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PostPosted: Wed May 06, 2009 10:49 am 
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Posts: 13
Yes, my root file system on xdva. I alos have separate partitions/disk images for /tmp, /opt, /var, and /home. Everything worked before I tried to setup the kernel as per this post - i.e. stock debian image from linode booted and mounted my separate partitions/disk images just fine.
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mark
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PostPosted: Wed May 06, 2009 12:02 pm 
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I have tried root=/dev/xvda, root=ca00, root=/dev/ca00 in menu.lst and I get the same result at boot - the kernal panic described above.
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Stever
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PostPosted: Wed May 06, 2009 12:20 pm 
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I don't use Debian, so I'm just guessing here, but does the stock Debian kernel need an initrd to mount your root filesystem? The linode kernels have all the filesystems built-in, but maybe debian has them built as modules?
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mark
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PostPosted: Wed May 06, 2009 3:11 pm 
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Stever,

I don't know the answer to your question. The Linode wiki article http://www.linode.com/wiki/index.php/PV-GRUB does not mention anything about that. It says the stock Debian xen kernal should work out of the box, with a few mods to menu.lst and grub.
I am still stuck with a DOA linode.
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