Re: Kernel panic - not syncing : Attempted to kill init !

>...each Kernel file (vmlinuz-2.6.9-67.0.20.EL) have corresponding initrdfile ( initrd-2.6.9-67.0.20.EL.img)

(The  vmlinuz-2.6.9-67.0.20.EL is a single-processor kernel. Proliant DL360 G5 has either dual-core or quad-core CPU(s), so it would benefit from a multi-processor kernel. With the single-processor kernel, only one core is being used.)

Wait... I think I understand now.

2.6.9-67.0.20.EL is an errata kernel.

The original release kernel for RHEL 4 Update 6 was 2.6.9-67.EL (or .ELsmp for a multi-processor flavor) - and that version is still used by the rescue mode.

I guess that when the system was installed, a driver disk was used, and then an updated cpq_cciss RPM may or may not have been installed.

At some later date, someone updated the kernel version to 2.6.9-67.0.20, but forgot to check for corresponding updates to the cpq_cciss RPM - and apparently did not check that the system was bootable afterwards. Because it was not bootable.

The latest cpq_cciss RPM that supports RHEL 4 Update 6 (cpq_cciss-2.6.20-34.rhel4.x86_64.rpm) has this text in its Release Notes:

SUPPORTED KERNELS:
The kernels of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 (AMD64/EM64T) supported by this binary rpm are:
2.6.9-67.EL - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 Update 6 (AMD64/EM64T)
2.6.9-67.0.1.EL
2.6.9-67.0.4.EL
2.6.9-67.0.7.EL
2.6.9-67.0.15.EL
2.6.9-78.EL - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 Update 7 (AMD64/EM64T)
2.6.9-89.EL - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 Update 8 (AMD64/EM64T)
2.6.9-89.0.7.EL
2.6.9-89.0.9.EL
2.6.9-89.0.11.EL
2.6.9-89.0.16.EL
2.6.9-89.0.18.EL
2.6.9-89.0.20.EL

 Note that version 2.6.9-67.0.20 is not listed - so it is not supported.

The newest cpq_cciss RPM for RHEL4 (cpq_cciss-2.6.20-36.rhel4.x86_64.rpm) only supports RHEL 4 Update 7 and Update 8.

Now you must choose what you want to do:

• the best option would probably be to update the kernel to RHEL 4 Update 9 levels (version 2.6.9-100.* or newer), since the RHEL 4 Update 9 kernels include the updated cciss driver as standard. If you do this, the cpq_cciss RPM should become completely unnecessary and can be removed.
• If you cannot upgrade that far, choose one of the supported kernel versions for RHEL 4 Update 7 or 8 (see above).
• if you cannot upgrade at all, consider downgrading the kernel to 2.6.9-67.0.15, the last HP-supported RHEL 4 Update 6 kernel.
• If you absolutely must stay with the 2.6.9-67.0.20, find the sources for the updated cciss module at /opt/hp/storage_drivers (if any version of the cpq_cciss RPM is installed) and try and compile it yourself.

Whatever you choose to do, first run "chroot /mnt/sysimage" in rescue mode, so that you can use the complete set of system commands, and the package management tools will work without extra tricks.

If you choose to upgrade, first install the higher version kernel (or kernel-smp) RPM, then the appropriate cpq_cciss RPM (if necessary). The installation of the cpq_cciss RPM will automatically create a new initrd for you, after replacing the standard cciss module with the updated version.

Unfortunately I don't have a RHEL 4 test VM at the moment, so I cannot check how hard would it be to compile the updated cciss module manually.