kdump-config(8) 					Linux System Administrator's Manual					   kdump-config(8)

NAME

       kdump-config - configure kdump, check status, or save a vmcore file

SYNOPSIS

       kdump-config { help | test | show | status | load | unload | savecore }

DESCRIPTION

       kdump-config  manages  the kdump feature of the Linux kernel.  When a kdump enabled kernel panics, it immediately boots into a clean kernel
       called the kdump kernel.  The memory image of the panicked kernel will be presented in /proc/vmcore while the  kdump  kernel  (or  "capture
       kernel") is running.

       kdump-config  loads  the  kdump kernel into the current kernel and after a kdump, captures the vmcore image via kdump kernel.  kdump-config
       can take advantage of the linux-image-$(uname -r)-dbg package and will try to use makedumpfile to capture the vmcore.  The crash  tool  can
       then be used to analyze the vmcore at a later time.

       kdump-config exits with 0 on success and 1 on failure.

COMMANDS

       help   Print a usage summary.

       test   Determine  the parameters that would be used to load the kdump kernel, but do not load the kdump kernel.	Useful for evaluating your
	      configuration settings.

       show   Show current parameters and the saved kexec command from the last kdump-config load.

       status Evaluate /sys/kernel/kexec_crash_loaded
	       and print a corresponding message.

       load   Load the kdump kernel.

       unload Unload the kdump kernel.

       savecore
	      If /proc/vmcore exists, save it using makedumpfile.

FILES

       /etc/init.d/kdump-tools
		      init script to automatically load a kdump kernel, or save a vmcore and reboot.

       /etc/default/kdump-tools
		      configuration file

       /var/crash/kernel_link
		      a link to the current debug kernel

       /var/crash/kexec_cmd
		      the last kexec_cmd executed by kdump-config

DIAGNOSTICS

       USE_KDUMP is not set or zero
	      The variable USE_KDUMP in the file /etc/default/kdump-tools
	       is 0.  To use kdump, edit the file and change the value to 1.

       kdump is not supported by this kernel
	      The file /sys/kernel/kexec_crash_loaded does not exist.  This means that the currently running kernel either was not  configured	to
	      support kdump, or that a crashkernel= commandline parameter was not used when the currently running kernel booted.

       no crashkernel= parameter in the kernel cmdline
	      a  crashkernel=  commandline  parameter  was not used when the currently running kernel booted.  You will need to add a crashkernel=
	      parameter to your /etc/lilo.conf, /etc/elilo.conf or grub  /boot/grub/menu.lst  file  and  reboot,  before  kdump  will  work.   See
	      installed READMEs for suggestions.

       could not find an installed debug vmlinux image and
       DEBUG_KERNEL is not specified in /etc/default/kdump-tools
       Warning: makedumpfile will be limited to -d 1.
	      A debug version of the currently booted kernel could not be found.

       KDUMP_KERNEL does not exist: $KDUMP_KERNEL
	      A KDUMP_KERNEL was specified in /etc/default/kdump-tools, but it cannot be found.

       KDUMP_INITRD does not exist: $KDUMP_INITRD
	      A KDUMP_INITRD was specified in /etc/default/kdump-tools, but it cannot be found.

       no KDUMP_KERNEL in $KDUMP_DEFAULTS and
       can't find a kdump package directory in /usr/lib
	      no kdump kernel could be found.

       found a linux-kdump package in $KDUMP_PKG_DIR
       but can't find a kdump kernel in $KDUMP_PKG_DIR
	      this indicates a broken linux-kdump package installation.

       no kdump initrd image: $KDUMP_INITRD
       an initrd will not be used
	      this indicates that although a kdump kernel was found, a corresponding initrd was not found.

       kdump kernel relocation address does not match crashkernel= parameter
	      For  non-relocatable  architectures, the kdump kernel must be built with a predetermined start address.  This message indicates that
	      the start address of the kdump kernel and the start address in the crashkernel= parameter do not match.

       failed to load kdump kernel
	      kexec reported that it could not load the kdump kernel.

       failed to unload kdump kernel
	      kexec reported that it could not unload the kdump kernel.  Run 'kexec -u' directly for more detail.

       makedumpfile failed, falling back to 'cp'
	      this message is printed if the kdump-tools init script attempts to save a /proc/vmcore file using makedumpfile and the save fails.

       failed to save vmcore in $KDUMP_STAMPDIR
	      this message indicates that makedumpfile and the fallback method of using cp has failed.	This usually occurs if pathnames are wrong
	      or if the disk is full.

SEE ALSO

       /usr/share/doc/kdump-tools/README
       /usr/share/doc/kdump-tools/README.Debian
       kdump-tools(5), kexec(8), crash(8), gdb(1), makedumpfile(8)

AUTHOR

       Terry Loftin <terry.loftin@hp.com>

kdump-tools v1.1.3						    April 2007							   kdump-config(8)