KERNEL PANIC fatal error CRASH

[adayton01]

I am having trouble install vmware v3.5 build 4 on Intel m/b DG45FC WITH CPU CORE 2 DUO e8500, 3.16 ghZ,

4 Gigs Ram, ICH10 ,

The CPU/motherboard has support for 64 bit and EM64T and VT and EM64T support.

presently Windows virtual server solution is operating on this hardware as follows:

Windows Server 2008 Server Standard 64 bit as HOST, Windows Hypervisor, Windows Server 2008 Standard

as Guest o/s running Exchange Server and SQL Server.

I created a vmware 3.5 build 4 boot install disk and wheni run it creates the usual start-up Ram-disk install

environment and a menu asks to start in GUI or in TEST mode... Selecting EITHER ends with a kernel panic fatal error crash.

Any work-arounds for this?? Ideas???? linux gurus......

Alfred Dayton

PS: PLEASE no response re "its not on HCL list".........

PPS: This hardware/vmware software solution is ONLY intended for training/study purpose NOT for production use.

please feel free to forward this post to other related forums..

thanks for your help.

[Texiwill]

Hello,

Moved to the ESX 3.5 forum.

1) Open up the box and reseat cards, memory, and see if there is anything untoward (perhaps a detached heatsink)

2) Run memtest86+ for at least 24 hours

3) Run any vendor provided hardware diagnostics

4) Verify that the Network, storage, and other IO devices are on the HCL. You want to see what drivers are in use for YOUR devices vs what is on the HCL. If the drivers used for your system for a standard Linux machine are different in anyway than the ones used by those devices on the HCL then things will not work.

So while you say not to reference the HCL, it will be required. Confirm Linux driver versions to those within ESX 4's HCL.

Best regards, Edward L. Haletky VMware Communities User Moderator, VMware vExpert 2009, DABCC Analyst[/url]
Now Available on Rough-Cuts: 'VMware vSphere(TM) and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing ESX and the Virtual Environment'[/url]
Also available 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise'[/url]
[url=http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Blog_Roll]SearchVMware Pro[/url]|Blue Gears[/url]|Top Virtualization Security Links[/url]|Virtualization Security Round Table Podcast[/url]

[adayton01]

A new message was posted in the thread "KERNEL PANIC fatal error CRASH":

http://communities.vmware.com/message/1259800#1259800

Author : Texiwill

Profile : http://communities.vmware.com/people/Texiwill

Message:

-

---

Hello,

Moved to the ESX 3.5 forum.

1) Open up the box and reseat cards, memory, and see if there is anything untoward (perhaps a detached heatsink)

Been there, done that.

2) Run memtest86+ for at least 24 hours

Been there, done that

3) Run any vendor provided hardware diagnostics

Been there, done that.

4) Verify that the Network, storage, and other IO devices are on the HCL. You want to see what drivers are in use for YOUR devices vs what is on the HCL.

If the drivers used for your system for a standard Linux machine are different in anyway than the ones used by those devices on the HCL then things will not work.

I do not understand what any currently running "drivers" have to do with a "CLEAN" format install?????

I presume the Vmware 3.5 build 4 install iso comes with all applicable (linux) drivers

and that they SHOULD be CAPABLE of running on any reasonably modern NEW hardware motherboard

that has VT and EM64T support..........

I would be willing to BET the world's best cup of coffee

that I can drop in a brand new linux o/s of ANY current distro

and there will be ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEMS OF ANY MAJOR SUBSTANCE !!!!!!

Therefore it begs the question.....Why will the Vmware distro NOT INSTALL??????

While I appreciate the time and effort you personally have made above to point

me in some potentially remedial direction, I cannot believe that with all the

strength and breadth and depth of knowledge behind Vmware Company there is not

a more definitive engineering solution to a MAJOR kernel panic fatal error CRASH

related to the particular linux distro vmware is using..... I m sorry but

"HCL" list is SIMPLY NOT A VIABLE EXCUSE.

Regards,

Alfred Dayton

631.928.2424

Dayton Realtime Equipment Company

Vmware ID: 2048829

So while you say not to reference the HCL, it will be required. Confirm Linux driver versions to those within ESX 4's HCL.

Best regards, Edward L. Haletky VMware Communities User Moderator, VMware vExpert 2009,

[Texiwill]

Hello,

I do not understand what any currently running "drivers" have to do with a "CLEAN" format install?????

I presume the Vmware 3.5 build 4 install iso comes with all applicable (linux) drivers

It contains a subset of drivers usable by only those devices listed in the HCL and similar more modern devices. Not every modern device is in this list.

and that they SHOULD be CAPABLE of running on any reasonably modern NEW hardware motherboard

Not necessarily. For example, you could have a modern Adaptec SCSI card that does not make use of the aic7xxxx driver. In that case that modern Adaptec SCSI card will not work within ESX.

that has VT and EM64T support..........

THat really does not have much to do with it.

I would be willing to BET the world's best cup of coffee

that I can drop in a brand new linux o/s of ANY current distro

and there will be ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEMS OF ANY MAJOR SUBSTANCE !!!!!!

ESX is NOT, I repeat NOT LInux, it has linux like drivers for VERY specific hardware listed on the HCL. If your IO devices are NOT listed on the HCL or do not use the same drivers for similar devices on the HCL, it will not work. THat is because only a subset of all possible devices is supported at the driver level.

Therefore it begs the question.....Why will the Vmware distro NOT INSTALL??????

Because VMware is not Linux.

While I appreciate the time and effort you personally have made above to point

me in some potentially remedial direction, I cannot believe that with all the

strength and breadth and depth of knowledge behind Vmware Company there is not

a more definitive engineering solution to a MAJOR kernel panic fatal error CRASH

related to the particular linux distro vmware is using..... I m sorry but

Because the item that boots first is the vmkernel, which is not the Linux distro. Remember VMware ESX is its own operating system with its own kernel. The kernel you see within the service console runs within a virtual machine as a management appliance.

Boot order is:

vmkernel (ESX aka hypervisor)

vmkernel creates a VM

RedHat kernel boots within the VM

Your crash is caused by the vmkernel having issues with your hardware and not Linux. This is purely ESX and it contains a limited # of drivers for a limited # of devices.

"HCL" list is SIMPLY NOT A VIABLE EXCUSE.

Actually it is a viable answer. I did not say that your IO devices must be on the HCL, I stated the possible drivers your IO devices use must be on the HCL. For full support from VMware the IO Devices must be on the HCL. For community support the drivers they would use must be available within the vmkernel. Even so for community supported devices there is a good chance your existing hardware because it is as modern as you claim just will not work.

Best regards, Edward L. Haletky VMware Communities User Moderator, VMware vExpert 2009, DABCC Analyst[/url]
Now Available on Rough-Cuts: 'VMware vSphere(TM) and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing ESX and the Virtual Environment'[/url]
Also available 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise'[/url]
[url=http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Blog_Roll]SearchVMware Pro[/url]|Blue Gears[/url]|Top Virtualization Security Links[/url]|Virtualization Security Round Table Podcast[/url]