anaconda doesn't install kernel-smp

[Daniel Spratlen]

I'm working on a customized install disk for our x86-64 systems using
RHEL ES 3.0 update 4.  My problem is that even though the smp kernel is
on the CD, and even though the systems are dual cpu systems, anaconda
won't install the smp kernel.  I can manually install the smp kernel
after I've booted the freshly installed system and everything works as
intended.  What could I be missing that's causing anaconda to skip
installing the smp kernel?

thanks,
Daniel

[Daniel Spratlen]

On Wed, 2005-03-02 at 16:55 -0500, Daniel Spratlen wrote:
> I'm working on a customized install disk for our x86-64 systems using
> RHEL ES 3.0 update 4.  My problem is that even though the smp kernel is
> on the CD, and even though the systems are dual cpu systems, anaconda
> won't install the smp kernel.  I can manually install the smp kernel
> after I've booted the freshly installed system and everything works as
> intended.  What could I be missing that's causing anaconda to skip
> installing the smp kernel?
>
> thanks,
> Daniel
>
> Anaconda-devel-list mailing list
> [e-mail]
> https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/anaconda-devel-list

I ended up figuring this one out and I thought I'd share the info.  We
are using Sun v20z servers, and it seems that the bios was the cause.
After updating the bios anaconda now installs the smp kernel.  Does
anyone know what portion(s) of code in anaconda detects the number of
cpu's in a system?

thanks,
Daniel

[Matt Wilson]

On Thu, Mar 03, 2005 at 03:31:20PM -0500, Daniel Spratlen wrote:
> I ended up figuring this one out and I thought I'd share the info.  We
> are using Sun v20z servers, and it seems that the bios was the cause.
> After updating the bios anaconda now installs the smp kernel.  Does
> anyone know what portion(s) of code in anaconda detects the number of
> cpu's in a system?

anaconda/isys/smp.c.  On i386 it walks the MP tables in the
BIOS. These days BIOS providers are screwing up the MP tables every
now and then because the ACPI CPU information is getting used instead
of the "legacy" MP tables in the BIOS.  It's pretty likely that the
BIOS update just fixed the MP tables.

Cheers,

Matt