no more syslog messages!? (and other problems)

[Jeff Burke]

Ernie,
	I will start with some basic things to check. I will put my comments
in-line below. Please run the command as user root.

Ernie Buford wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I'm new on this list (and new to RHEL4 on Dell Precision) and hope there's
> someone on this low-traffic list that can help....
> 
> Sometime in the last several days I lost my syslog messages.  The file
> /var/log/messages is empty despite syslog/klogd running.
/usr/sbin/logrotate -f /etc/logrotate.conf
/sbin/service syslog restart
cat /var/log/messages
You should see something like this:
Nov  8 12:00:00 dell syslogd 1.4.1: restart.
Nov  8 12:00:00 dell syslog: syslogd startup succeeded
Nov  8 12:00:00 dell kernel: klogd 1.4.1, log source = /proc/kmsg started.
Nov  8 12:00:00 dell syslog: klogd startup succeeded

> This system also failed to do the time change over the weekend (and I've got a laundry
> list of other minor problems/annoyances that I'll save for later).
This may be a configuration setting or package problem. You never
mentioned what version of RHEL4 you are running. U1, U2, U3, U4, U5.
cat /etc/redhat-release

Make sure that your timezone setting is set correctly.
/usr/sbin/system-config-date
Also make sure you have the latest tzdata package installed:
http://kbase.redhat.com/faq/FAQ_85_9951.shtm
> 
> This is a 64-bit Precision 490 with RHEL4 WS as shipped from Dell.
> I've updated the kernel recently (around the time this latest problem
> cropped up?) and did so again today.  Here's the only suspicious-
> looking dmesg excerpt I see:
> 
> ACPI: HPET (v001 DELL    B8K     0x0000000d ASL  0x00000061) @ 
> 0x00000000000fd1e1
> ACPI: TCPA (v001 DELL    B8K     0x0000000d ASL  0x00000061) @ 
> 0x00000000000fd43d
>  >>> ERROR: Invalid checksum
> ACPI: SLIC (v001 DELL    B8K     0x0000000d ASL  0x00000061) @ 
> 0x00000000000fd219
> ACPI: DSDT (v001   DELL    dt_ex 0x00001000 INTL 0x20050624) @ 
> 0x0000000000000000
> No NUMA configuration found
> Faking a node at 0000000000000000-0000000140000000
> Bootmem setup node 0 0000000000000000-0000000140000000
> 
> .... but I believe this message might predate the syslog problem? ....
Do you get the "ERROR: Invalid checksum" every time you boot? What is
the kernel version you are running?
/bin/uname -a
> here's one other excerpt where I decline to do anything in kudzu (why does
> kudzu always try to config new hardware when I don't have any new 
> hardware!?)....
This maybe a one time thing after you run up2date. When a new kernel is
install it may have an update that allow the kernel to correctly
identify a device that is in the system. So rather then use a generic
driver it uses the specific driver. If you actually follow the prompts
and either "Remove the config" or "Add the config" does the problem go
away the next reboot?
> 
> ACPI: PCI Root Bridge [PCI0] (00:00)
> PCI: Probing PCI hardware (bus 00)
> PCI: Ignoring BAR0-3 of IDE controller 0000:00:1f.1
> 
> Does anyone have insights into this problem.... 
What is the actual problem?
> if I have any luck here maybe I'll
> post more about other issues I'm experiencing.  Feel free to tell me I'm 
> whacked
> to be trying to run RHEL4 on a workstation to begin with (I just thought 
> it would
> be a better experience than it has been so far).  I'm getting closer to 
> falling back
> on Windows anyway (sigh), which I'm used to, and sticking with Linux on my
> servers only.
If you feel that your issues are RHEL specific and don't get the
information you wish. Please try the nahant-list for you questions.
http://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/nahant-list
> 
> Best,
> Ernie
> 
Thanks,
Jeff
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