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>

kdump-tools v1.1.3                                 April 2007                                    kdump-config(8)