NAME

       kdump-config - configure kdump, check status, or save a vmcore file

SYNOPSIS

       kdump-config { help | test | show | status | load | unload | savecore }

DESCRIPTION

       kdump-config  manages  the kdump feature of the Linux kernel.  When a kdump enabled kernel
       panics, it immediately boots into a clean kernel called  the  kdump  kernel.   The  memory
       image  of the panicked kernel will be presented in /proc/vmcore while the kdump kernel (or
       "capture kernel") is running.

       kdump-config loads the kdump kernel into the current kernel and after  a  kdump,  captures
       the  vmcore  image  via  kdump  kernel.   kdump-config  can  take  advantage of the linux-
       image-$(uname -r)-dbg package and will try to use makedumpfile to capture the vmcore.  The
       crash tool can then be used to analyze the vmcore at a later time.

       kdump-config exits with 0 on success and 1 on failure.

COMMANDS

       help   Print a usage summary.

       test   Determine  the  parameters  that would be used to load the kdump kernel, but do not
              load the kdump kernel.  Useful for evaluating your configuration settings.

       show   Show current parameters and the saved kexec  command  from  the  last  kdump-config
              load.

       status Evaluate /sys/kernel/kexec_crash_loaded
               and print a corresponding message.

       load   Load the kdump kernel.

       unload Unload the kdump kernel.

       savecore
              If /proc/vmcore exists, save it using makedumpfile.

FILES

       /etc/init.d/kdump-tools
                      init  script  to  automatically  load  a kdump kernel, or save a vmcore and
                      reboot.

       /etc/default/kdump-tools
                      configuration file

       /var/crash/kernel_link
                      a link to the current debug kernel

       /var/crash/kexec_cmd
                      the last kexec_cmd executed by kdump-config

DIAGNOSTICS

       USE_KDUMP is not set or zero
              The variable USE_KDUMP in the file /etc/default/kdump-tools
               is 0.  To use kdump, edit the file and change the value to 1.

       kdump is not supported by this kernel
              The file /sys/kernel/kexec_crash_loaded  does  not  exist.   This  means  that  the
              currently  running  kernel  either  was  not configured to support kdump, or that a
              crashkernel= commandline parameter was not used when the currently  running  kernel
              booted.

       no crashkernel= parameter in the kernel cmdline
              a crashkernel= commandline parameter was not used when the currently running kernel
              booted.  You will need to add a  crashkernel=  parameter  to  your  /etc/lilo.conf,
              /etc/elilo.conf  or  grub  /boot/grub/menu.lst  file  and reboot, before kdump will
              work.  See installed READMEs for suggestions.

       KDUMP_KERNEL does not exist: $KDUMP_KERNEL
              A KDUMP_KERNEL was specified in /etc/default/kdump-tools, but it cannot be found.

       KDUMP_INITRD does not exist: $KDUMP_INITRD
              A KDUMP_INITRD was specified in /etc/default/kdump-tools, but it cannot be found.

       no KDUMP_KERNEL in $KDUMP_DEFAULTS and
       can't find a kdump package directory in /usr/lib
              no kdump kernel could be found.

       found a linux-kdump package in $KDUMP_PKG_DIR
       but can't find a kdump kernel in $KDUMP_PKG_DIR
              this indicates a broken linux-kdump package installation.

       no kdump initrd image: $KDUMP_INITRD
       an initrd will not be used
              this indicates that although a kdump kernel was found, a corresponding  initrd  was
              not found.

       kdump kernel relocation address does not match crashkernel= parameter
              For   non-relocatable  architectures,  the  kdump  kernel  must  be  built  with  a
              predetermined start address.  This message indicates that the start address of  the
              kdump kernel and the start address in the crashkernel= parameter do not match.

       failed to load kdump kernel
              kexec reported that it could not load the kdump kernel.

       failed to unload kdump kernel
              kexec  reported that it could not unload the kdump kernel.  Run 'kexec -u' directly
              for more detail.

       makedumpfile failed, falling back to 'cp'
              this message is  printed  if  the  kdump-tools  init  script  attempts  to  save  a
              /proc/vmcore file using makedumpfile and the save fails.

       failed to save vmcore in $KDUMP_STAMPDIR
              this  message  indicates  that makedumpfile and the fallback method of using cp has
              failed.  This usually occurs if pathnames are wrong or if the disk is full.

SEE ALSO

       /usr/share/doc/kdump-tools/README
       /usr/share/doc/kdump-tools/README.Debian
       kdump-tools(5), kexec(8), crash(8), gdb(1), makedumpfile(8)

AUTHOR

       Terry Loftin <terry.loftin@hp.com>