[syslinux] fail-safe boot - how can this be done?

Amit Kucheria akucheria at metricsystems.com
Thu Oct 7 16:42:07 PDT 2004


On Thu, 2004-10-07 at 16:19, Thorsten von Eicken wrote:
> Thanks for the suggestion! Dunno whether syslinux supports something like this, gotta check.
> 
> The only problem is that if the boot fails before the 'production' kernel can do the 'lilo -R fail-safe' I'm stuck. So, for example, if I update the kernel itself and it doesn't boot I'm dead.
> 
> Thorsten

Yes! The 'lilo' method cannot handle unbootable kernels. 

There are a few more techniques depending on what you think is or isnt
overkill :)

1. A hardware-based watchdog timer?
2. kexec?
http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/library/l-kexec.html
3. user-mode linux?

Sorry I cant think of 'syslinux' way for this.
Good luck. Helicopter rides, though fun, could be expensive. =)

ciao,
Amit

> At 02:13 PM 10/7/2004 -0700, you wrote:
> 
> >Don't know about syslinux support for this. But Lilo supports an option
> >(-R) to specify what image to boot on the next reboot.
> >
> >So you boot up with your 'production' kernel and run 'lilo -R
> >fail-safe'. Now if your machine reboots uncleanly it will come up with
> >the 'fail-safe' kernel.
> >
> >In the shutdown sequence you could add another line 'lilo -R
> >production'. So if the machine shuts down cleanly, it will come up with
> >the 'production' kernel.
> >
> >HTH.
> >
> >ciao,
> >A

-- 




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