Major kernel bug smacks Linux distros
A serious bug in the 2.6.27 pre-release kernels that damages some onboard Intel network adaptors is wreaking havoc in the Linux world with most distribution makers including Mandriva, OpenSuse and Ubuntu issuing warnings.
The bug affects the e1000e module which supports some Intel onboard ethernet adapters. It can cause the EEPROM of the adapter to become corrupted, causing the network adapter to stop working.
Most of the major Linux distributors have either announced the problem to users or put in place processes to blacklist the module until a fix is found.
OpenSuse issued a warning telling users to avoid the OpenSuse 11.1 Beta 1 and Suse Linux Enterprise 11 Beta 1 on systems with Intel e1000e hardware.
Mandriva also issued an urgent update for its Mandriva 2009 pre-releases. Current pre-releases of Mandriva 2009 ship with the 2.6.27 kernel. Release candidate 2 of Mandriva 2009 which is expected soon will include a kernel that will avoid the problem.
Ubuntu also said that it had blacklisted the module until a fix was found.
Users can issue the following command to check if their system uses the e1000e module. A response would mean that the system was using the e1000e module.
/sbin/lsmod | grep e1000e
Intel also has a support page to help users find the details of their network adapters.
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6 Responses to “Major kernel bug smacks Linux distros”
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September 24th, 2008 @ 6:04 pm
Thanks for the heads-up will keep an eye out.
October 1st, 2008 @ 11:51 am
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