Boot reboot issue after upgrade to 6.4 on amd64

[Riccardo Mottola]

Hi all,

I have a strange and blocking issue after upgrade to 6.4 on my x86-64
laptop, which was running 6.3 just fine.

I got the bsd.rd kernel, booted it and installed, quick, easy no issue.
Now, if I reboot, the kernel will reboot just after having written the
first line of numbers on the screen.

The bad news is that both booting the new kernel as well as the bsd.rd
kernel gives the issue, so the existing bsd.rd which for installation
booted just fine.

The only thing I can think is that the boot blocks were updated and that
they fail to load.

I also tried making an USB key with 64, I get to the bootloader prompt,
but everything I try will make the laptop reboot, both booting from hd0a
as wella s hd1a!
I also tried making an USB key with 63, but that too fails the same way?

Windows partition continues to boot fine, or I would almost think of
having some sort of hardware failure!!!

I did not make changes to the Bios, UEFI boot is still disabled. I found
"Intel Anti-Theft" enabled and disabled it.

And now?


Riccardo

[Nick Holland]

Post by Riccardo Mottola
Hi all,
I have a strange and blocking issue after upgrade to 6.4 on my x86-64
laptop, which was running 6.3 just fine.
I got the bsd.rd kernel, booted it and installed, quick, easy no issue.
Now, if I reboot, the kernel will reboot just after having written the
first line of numbers on the screen.

So far, with one or two exceptions, everyone complaining about this has
a One Big Partition disk layout. A bad idea, not suggested, and I don't
think you will get much sympathy.

I know of one machine that behaves as you describe with a very modest
(smaller than suggested) root partition, but I'm feeling very alone
here. :D

Nick.

[Riccardo Mottola]

Hi Nick,

Post by Nick Holland
So far, with one or two exceptions, everyone complaining about this has
a One Big Partition disk layout. A bad idea, not suggested, and I don't
think you will get much sympathy.

yes of course (TM).. I won't get much sympathy, but it is the best
set-up for a dual-booting laptop it works for every OS I test and worked
until 6.3 for me.
For other set-ups I use different partitioning schemes, but I suppose in
the past twenty years or so, we all had our issues with disk layouts.

Post by Nick Holland
I know of one machine that behaves as you describe with a very modest
(smaller than suggested) root partition, but I'm feeling very alone
here. :D

what is the actual size limit? from where? I wonder that I cannot even
boot the old kernel which worked.. at the previous boot!


I cannot shuffle the partitions, I cannot even reinstall from scratch,
since I am unable to boot from an USB key with the installer image, it
crashes both the 6.4 installer image as the old 6.3.

All important data is backed up, but I need to reinstall at least and
cennot even do that. Of course booting abd being able to copy a last
snapshot of my home directory would be even best, to retain my profiles.

Should I try boot from optical media? could that help? I suppose not...

Thanks,


Riccardo

[Joel Sing]

Post by Riccardo Mottola
Hi Nick,

Post by Nick Holland
So far, with one or two exceptions, everyone complaining about this has
a One Big Partition disk layout. A bad idea, not suggested, and I don't
think you will get much sympathy.

yes of course (TM).. I won't get much sympathy, but it is the best
set-up for a dual-booting laptop it works for every OS I test and worked
until 6.3 for me.
For other set-ups I use different partitioning schemes, but I suppose in
the past twenty years or so, we all had our issues with disk layouts.

Post by Nick Holland
I know of one machine that behaves as you describe with a very modest
(smaller than suggested) root partition, but I'm feeling very alone
here. :D

what is the actual size limit? from where? I wonder that I cannot even
boot the old kernel which worked.. at the previous boot!
I cannot shuffle the partitions, I cannot even reinstall from scratch,
since I am unable to boot from an USB key with the installer image, it
crashes both the 6.4 installer image as the old 6.3.

The specific "heap full" issue that can be triggered by using a single large
partition is not likely to be at fault here - if you cannot boot the ramdisk
(bsd.rd/installer) for 6.3 or 6.4 from a USB key, then something else is
presumably up (unless you're actually trying to load the installed kernel or
ramdisk from the hard disk).

Post by Riccardo Mottola
All important data is backed up, but I need to reinstall at least and
cennot even do that. Of course booting abd being able to copy a last
snapshot of my home directory would be even best, to retain my profiles.
Should I try boot from optical media? could that help? I suppose not...
Thanks,
Riccardo

[Theo de Raadt]

It is still a bug which needs fixing.

Post by Nick Holland

Post by Riccardo Mottola
Hi all,
I have a strange and blocking issue after upgrade to 6.4 on my x86-64
laptop, which was running 6.3 just fine.
I got the bsd.rd kernel, booted it and installed, quick, easy no issue.
Now, if I reboot, the kernel will reboot just after having written the
first line of numbers on the screen.

So far, with one or two exceptions, everyone complaining about this has
a One Big Partition disk layout. A bad idea, not suggested, and I don't
think you will get much sympathy.
I know of one machine that behaves as you describe with a very modest
(smaller than suggested) root partition, but I'm feeling very alone
here. :D
Nick.

[Marc Peters]

Post by Riccardo Mottola
Hi all,
I have a strange and blocking issue after upgrade to 6.4 on my x86-64
laptop, which was running 6.3 just fine.
I got the bsd.rd kernel, booted it and installed, quick, easy no issue.
Now, if I reboot, the kernel will reboot just after having written the first
line of numbers on the screen.
The bad news is that both booting the new kernel as well as the bsd.rd
kernel gives the issue, so the existing bsd.rd which for installation booted
just fine.
The only thing I can think is that the boot blocks were updated and that
they fail to load.
I also tried making an USB key with 64, I get to the bootloader prompt, but
everything I try will make the laptop reboot, both booting from hd0a as
wella s hd1a!
I also tried making an USB key with 63, but that too fails the same way?
Windows partition continues to boot fine, or I would almost think of having
some sort of hardware failure!!!
I did not make changes to the Bios, UEFI boot is still disabled. I found
"Intel Anti-Theft" enabled and disabled it.
And now?

Please check, that you don't use only one big a partition, and if you do,
please backup and rearrange your disklabels. This approach is not
working with 6.4 anymore and was already discussed several times
recently on this very ML.

hth,
Marc

[Theo de Raadt]

I disagree.

It is a bootblock bug which should be fixed. A refactoring caused it
to use more memory, and there is a problem.

I wish everyone would stop making excuses.

Post by Marc Peters

Post by Riccardo Mottola
Hi all,
I have a strange and blocking issue after upgrade to 6.4 on my x86-64
laptop, which was running 6.3 just fine.
I got the bsd.rd kernel, booted it and installed, quick, easy no issue.
Now, if I reboot, the kernel will reboot just after having written the first
line of numbers on the screen.
The bad news is that both booting the new kernel as well as the bsd.rd
kernel gives the issue, so the existing bsd.rd which for installation booted
just fine.
The only thing I can think is that the boot blocks were updated and that
they fail to load.
I also tried making an USB key with 64, I get to the bootloader prompt, but
everything I try will make the laptop reboot, both booting from hd0a as
wella s hd1a!
I also tried making an USB key with 63, but that too fails the same way?
Windows partition continues to boot fine, or I would almost think of having
some sort of hardware failure!!!
I did not make changes to the Bios, UEFI boot is still disabled. I found
"Intel Anti-Theft" enabled and disabled it.
And now?

Please check, that you don't use only one big a partition, and if you do,
please backup and rearrange your disklabels. This approach is not
working with 6.4 anymore and was already discussed several times
recently on this very ML.
hth,
Marc

[Angelo Rossi]

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Angelo Rossi <***@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Nov 27, 2018 at 9:31 PM
Subject: Re: Boot reboot issue after upgrade to 6.4 on amd64
To: <***@openbsd.org>


I agree with you, but it happens, anyway I found a simple trick to override
the problem: recompile boot changing HEAP_SIZE to 1 MB.

Angelo

Now it is a bug... Nice, when me and other people posted same comment it

wasn't! And

yes OpenBSD is indeed a magical OS.

It is a bug.
And using a single large partition is idiotic, completely ignoring a
safety pattern built into the system. Similar to making your password
"1234" because your machine isn't always on the internet.

[Angelo Rossi]

Sorry,

To fix this problem I changed /usr/src/sys/arch/amd64/stand/Makefile.inc

line #45 from

HEAP_LIMIT=0xA0000

to

HEAP_LIMIT=0xB0000

Angelo

Post by Angelo Rossi
---------- Forwarded message ---------
Date: Tue, Nov 27, 2018 at 9:31 PM
Subject: Re: Boot reboot issue after upgrade to 6.4 on amd64
I agree with you, but it happens, anyway I found a simple trick to
override the problem: recompile boot changing HEAP_SIZE to 1 MB.
Angelo

Now it is a bug... Nice, when me and other people posted same comment

it wasn't! And

yes OpenBSD is indeed a magical OS.

It is a bug.
And using a single large partition is idiotic, completely ignoring a
safety pattern built into the system. Similar to making your password
"1234" because your machine isn't always on the internet.

[Joel Sing]

Post by Angelo Rossi
Sorry,
To fix this problem I changed /usr/src/sys/arch/amd64/stand/Makefile.inc
line #45 from
HEAP_LIMIT=0xA0000
to
HEAP_LIMIT=0xB0000

That may work on your machine, however it is not a change that can be safely
made (at least, not without a massive amount of testing). The correct solution
is to reduce the memory usage/requirements, such that it remains within the
existing allocated heap size.

Post by Angelo Rossi
On Tue, Nov 27, 2018 at 9:37 PM Angelo Rossi

Post by Angelo Rossi
---------- Forwarded message ---------
Date: Tue, Nov 27, 2018 at 9:31 PM
Subject: Re: Boot reboot issue after upgrade to 6.4 on amd64
I agree with you, but it happens, anyway I found a simple trick to
override the problem: recompile boot changing HEAP_SIZE to 1 MB.
Angelo

Now it is a bug... Nice, when me and other people posted same comment

it wasn't! And

yes OpenBSD is indeed a magical OS.

It is a bug.
And using a single large partition is idiotic, completely ignoring a
safety pattern built into the system. Similar to making your password
"1234" because your machine isn't always on the internet.