"CPU Soft lockup" kernel panic message

Hello to all who read!
Whenever I try to boot up OpenSUSE, I get a kernel panic message, while it is loading drivers, saying “CPU## soft lock-up bug”. I am using the “Default” kernel (Not the “Desktop” kernel), and this error happens with GRUB 0.97 and 1.99.
Thanks to all responses.

Hello to all who read!
Whenever I try to boot up OpenSUSE, I get a kernel panic message, while it is loading drivers, saying “CPU## soft lock-up bug”. I am using the “Default” kernel (Not the “Desktop” kernel), and this error happens with GRUB 0.97 and 1.99.
Thanks to all responses.

Most likely this means a software bug of some sort or corruption of the loaded kernel. You did not mention which version of openSUSE (11.3, 11.4 etc) that you are using, if its 32 or 64 bit, what desktop (gnome or KDE) that you are using, if this is running in a VM like VMWare or VirtualBOX, or anything about your computer hardware. It is not a common issue to see and so more system information will be needed for us to help you out.

Thank You,

I am using OpenSUSE 11.4 64-bit and I usually use KDE, and it is a naitive installation.
My system’s specs:
HP Media Centre m7160n
CPU: Intel Pentium D 820
RAM: 4GB Kingston ValueRAM DDR2
GPU: ASUS GeForce GT440 (I installed official drivers)
Sometimes this issue doesn’t occur, and sometimes I have to just reboot it a few times until it works.

hmmm maybe a failing drive? Get a low level drive checker from your disk drive maker’s website. This really sounds like a hardware problem

I am able to boot Fedora and Ubuntu from the same drive without issues.
FYI: I have my Linux distros installed on an external USB HDD, and I added “rootdelay=10” to the opensuse kernel append.

I am able to boot Fedora and Ubuntu from the same drive without issues.
FYI: I have my Linux distros installed on an external USB HDD, and I added “rootdelay=10” to the opensuse kernel append.

Booting from an external hard drive is a very good solution and should not contribute to the issue that you have. I have not found the need to use the root delay option before. Perhaps you could post a copy of a couple of files for us to see? /etc/fstab and /boot/grub/menu.lst. This is to look at mount and startup options only since the system does boot up and load, except for the error you get. You can open a terminal session and run the commands:

cat /etc/fstab
sudo cat /boot/grub/menu.lst

Then, using the advanced message editor, copy and paste the text into a code block (#) of a message here or you can put it into SUSE Paste, leaving us a pointer to it here and just make sure to select Delete After: Never before pressing create so it will show up in your message here for more than a weeks time.

Thank You,

grub.cfg (I use GRUB 1.99):


if  -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then
  load_env
fi
set default="0"
if  "${prev_saved_entry}" ]; then
  set saved_entry="${prev_saved_entry}"
  save_env saved_entry
  set prev_saved_entry=
  save_env prev_saved_entry
  set boot_once=true
fi

function savedefault {
  if  -z "${boot_once}" ]; then
    saved_entry="${chosen}"
    save_env saved_entry
  fi
}

function load_video {
  insmod vbe
  insmod vga
  insmod video_bochs
  insmod video_cirrus
}

insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd1,msdos6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root cc0603ee-797f-443f-a9f9-3ad97ee2cc8a
if loadfont /usr/local/share/grub/unicode.pf2 ; then
  set gfxmode=1024x768
  load_video
  insmod gfxterm
  insmod part_msdos
  insmod ext2
  set root='(hd1,msdos1)'
  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 77cb386e-1360-45c5-8192-d998436bbaf0
  set locale_dir=($root)/grub/locale
  set lang=en_CA
  insmod gettext
fi
terminal_output gfxterm
set timeout=60
### END /usr/local/etc/grub.d/00_header ###

### BEGIN /usr/local/etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### END /usr/local/etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /usr/local/etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###

### END /usr/local/etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###

### BEGIN /usr/local/etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
if  ${recordfail} != 1 ]; then
  if  -e ${prefix}/gfxblacklist.txt ]; then
    if hwmatch ${prefix}/gfxblacklist.txt 3; then
      if  ${match} = 0 ]; then
        set linux_gfx_mode=keep
      else
        set linux_gfx_mode=text
      fi
    else
      set linux_gfx_mode=text
    fi
  else
    set linux_gfx_mode=keep
  fi
else
  set linux_gfx_mode=text
fi
export linux_gfx_mode
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
insmod gfxterm
insmod gfxmenu
insmod jpeg
set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
set gfxpayload=1024x768
set gfxmode=1024x768
background_image /grub/splash.jpg
if  "$linux_gfx_mode" != "text" ]; then load_video; fi
menuentry "OpenSUSE Default" --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
	set gfxpayload=1024x768
	insmod gzio
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod ext2
	set root='(hd1,msdos1)'
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 77cb386e-1360-45c5-8192-d998436bbaf0
	echo Loading Linux Kernel.....
	linux /vmlinuz-2.6.37.6-0.7-default root=/dev/disk/by-id/usb-HP_External_HDD_574341563534323437393730-0:0-part5 rootdelay=10 resume=/dev/disk/by-id/usb-HP_External_HDD_574341563534323437393730-0:0-part10 splash=silent quiet showopts vga=0x31a
	echo Loading Initial RAM Disk.....
	initrd /initrd-2.6.37.6-0.7-default
}
### END /usr/local/etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

fstab:


/dev/disk/by-id/usb-HP_External_HDD_574341563534323437393730-0:0-part5 /                    ext4       acl,user_xattr        1 1
/dev/disk/by-id/usb-HP_External_HDD_574341563534323437393730-0:0-part10 swap                 swap       defaults              0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/usb-HP_External_HDD_574341563534323437393730-0:0-part1 /boot                ext4       defaults              1 2
proc                 /proc                proc       defaults              0 0
sysfs                /sys                 sysfs      noauto                0 0
debugfs              /sys/kernel/debug    debugfs    noauto                0 0
usbfs                /proc/bus/usb        usbfs      noauto                0 0
devpts               /dev/pts             devpts     mode=0620,gid=5       0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/usb-HP_External_HDD_574341563534323437393730-0:0-part3 /media/VirtualPC     ext4       defaults              1 2

My comments include: Your video is "GPU: ASUS GeForce GT440 (I installed official drivers) "; What does that mean? I suggest you try installing the proprietary video driver. Read more about that here:

Installing the nVIDIA Video Driver the Hard Way - Blogs - openSUSE Forums

LNVHW - Load NVIDIA (driver the) Hard Way from runlevel 3 - Version 1.10 - Blogs - openSUSE Forums

If you load the nVIDIA driver as I suggest, you will need to add the following line from Grub 1.99:

linux /vmlinuz-2.6.37.6-0.7-default root=/dev/disk/by-id/usb-HP_External_HDD_574341563534323437393730-0:0-part5 rootdelay=10 resume=/dev/disk/by-id/usb-HP_External_HDD_574341563534323437393730-0:0-part10 splash=silent quiet showopts **nomodeset** vga=0x31a

The video driver can make a lot of difference in how well your PC operates. Next, looking at your fstab file; You do not have a /home partition which is suggested and you have a /boot which is normally not required. Normally I Do Not Suggest you mount anything to media as in /media/VirtualPC. I suggest you go with another location like /VM/VirtualPC because auto mounts go here and can even cause odd problem when you are using as well so move away from the /media folder. Next is your kernel version as a newer kernel can help with a new computer due to newer built-in hardware drivers in the latest kernel. Check out these scripts I have.

Use this to get any kernel version you want: SGTB - SuSE Git Kernel Tarball Creator - Version 1.77 - Blogs - openSUSE Forums

And use this to install it: S.A.K.C. - SUSE Automated Kernel Compiler - Version 2.50 - Blogs - openSUSE Forums

This is just what I see looking at your post.

Thank You,

First off, thanks for sticking with me for this issue.
When I mean “I installed official drivers” I mean I went to the NVIDIA website and downloaded drivers from there, and I disabled nouveau.
I don’t have a separate “/home” partition because (sigh) I usually login as root, and I’ll try removing “/media/VirtualPC” from fstab.
Thanks again!

On 2011-11-04 00:56, Spartacus1 wrote:
> I don’t have a separate “/home” partition because (sigh) I usually
> login as root,

That’s a recipe for disaster, sooner or later.


Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 11.4 x86_64 “Celadon” at Telcontar)

I’m in!
Thanks to all for your help!

I’m in!
Thanks to all for your help!

You are welcome for the help, but we would like to know more about what you did from our suggestions and just how it was helping.

Thank You,

The “nomodeset” option and removing “/media/VirtualPC” from fstab I think did it

The “nomodeset” option and removing “/media/VirtualPC” from fstab I think did it

That is good news to hear. Its helpful to know what makes any difference and what does not. Please let us know if we can help you in any other way.

Thank You,