linux-kernel - Re: [RFC][PATCH] introduce panic

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Message-ID: <p73hcoh20zq.fsf@bingen.suse.de>
Date:	06 Jul 2007 14:03:05 +0200
From:	Andi Kleen <andi@...stfloor.org>
To:	Clemens Koller <clemens.koller@...gramm.de>
Cc:	Bodo Eggert <7eggert@....de>, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [RFC][PATCH] introduce panic_gently

Clemens Koller <clemens.koller@...gramm.de> writes:

> Bodo Eggert schrieb:
> > If the boot process failes to find init or the root fs, the cause
> > has usually scrolled off the screen, and because of the panic, it
> > can't be reached anymore.
> > This patch introduces panic_gently, which will allow to use the
> > scrollback buffer and to reboot, but it can't be called from unsafe
> > context.
> 
> In the case where you introduced panic_gently() there is IMHO no reason
> to panic() at all. There is no bug which got hit, the machine just needs
> user intervention because of wrong boot parameters (in most cases).
> 
> What about asking the user for the correct root= or init= parameters
> and just retry/continue the boot process?

BSDs have a boot shell for this. But not sure it's a good idea.
On EFI systems it might be better to just drop back to the boot environment
where a "re-boot" could be initiated.

> The 180seconds reboot timeout also doesn't make sense here. The problem
> won't go away after a reboot without user interaction.

It will when lilo -R/grubonce were used or the NFS server fixed itself
on nfs root or ... There can be many reasons for it being a good idea.

-Andi
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