UNIX for Advanced & Expert Users

Hi,

Last week, we experienced 2 KERNEL PANIC error on our SCO Unix 5.0.7 server within a 2 hour span. So I called our sofware support which is OGC using running on an Informix Database. Within 5 minutes I had as answer that the problem was an Hardware issue. Since the server is supported by another supplier, I then called them. They told me that such of a problem could be software as well. Not only hardware like the SCO site posts here.

Why did my UNIX kernel "panic"?

They mentionned for example that a FTP command could make the server PANIC! So I went back to the OGC software provider and told them that we couldn't find any evidence within logs and everything of the source of the problem happened that day. So How you could tell me in 5 minutes that it was an Hardware issue? They answered that software means SCO Unix, NOT their software!!!!

So my question is: Is a PANIC error could be the result of a software function or programming synthax or command other than the OS itself? Assuming it's not hardware of course.

Thanks in advance.

Adamsville2k

It's hard to talk in general terms. You should post the specifics of your error messages. Crashing the kernel via ftp would be possible on most versions of unix provided that the ftp process was running as root. As one example, files such as /dev/mem or /dev/kmem may exist that give root the power to overwrite memory. Now do:

get /remote/phonebook.txt /dev/kmem

Most commands output to a file and thus any command invoked by a malicious or clueless root user might crash the system. Even:
echo hello world > /dev/kmem
might do it. That said, ftp would not be my first suspect. It is usually a kernel bug with hardware being a distant second. There are usually tools of some sort to analyse the system dump and determine the cause. And many times the particular panic message is a strong clue.

Did you check your informix logs to see if you had an issue with informix?
Its possible.

No I haven't check Informix log though I assume the the software provider did!

Thanks

Adams

I've been experiencing Kernel Panics on a random basis on my Macintosh for a couple months. It would panic, (then I'd panic), and it would give me grief for an hour or so as it doesn't want to start up, then, finally, it would start up fine and not give me any more trouble for a couple weeks.

I finally brought it to an Apple store last week. They determined that it was bad ram.


Food for thought.