Package: linux-image-6.1.0-53-amd64 Version: 6.1.187-1 Severity: important Tags: moreinfo
Dear Debian Kernel Team,
I am reporting a reproducible early-boot kernel failure with the Debian
Bookworm kernel image 6.1.0-53-amd64 (package version 6.1.187-1) on an HPE
ProLiant DL385 Gen10 Plus.
The failure occurs approximately 7–9 seconds after boot starts. The machine
becomes unusable during early boot. The iLO virtual console stops
updating/responding, and its virtual keyboard no longer works. The system does
not reach normal userspace.
The previous installed kernel, 6.1.0-42-amd64 (package version 6.1.159-1),
boots and runs normally on the same machine. It was selected as the GRUB
default as a precaution. I have not yet retested 6.1.0-53 with additional
debugging parameters because this is a production server and I do not currently
have a maintenance window.
The persistent pstore logs contain multiple general protection faults in the
6.1.0-53 boot attempts. The first recorded fault is:
general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address
0x90f173d9b306f676: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP NOPTI
CPU: 0 PID: 18 Comm: kworker/0:1 Not tainted 6.1.0-53-amd64 #1 Debian
6.1.187-1
Hardware name: HPE ProLiant DL385 Gen10 Plus/ProLiant DL385 Gen10 Plus,
BIOS A42 05/11/2020
Workqueue: events drm_fb_helper_damage_work [drm_kms_helper]
RIP: __kmem_cache_alloc_node+0x12e/0x2a0
Its call trace includes:
mgag200_crtc_atomic_duplicate_state
drm_atomic_get_crtc_state
drm_atomic_get_plane_state
drm_atomic_helper_dirtyfb
drm_fb_helper_damage_work
A subsequent fault in another pstore record has the same failure location in
the allocator, with a different invalid address:
general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address
0x20d4bc48444b12e8: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP NOPTI
CPU: 0 PID: 7 Comm: kworker/0:0 Not tainted 6.1.0-53-amd64 #1 Debian
6.1.187-1
Workqueue: events drm_fb_helper_damage_work [drm_kms_helper]
RIP: __kmem_cache_alloc_node+0x12e/0x2a0
The same invalid address then appears in several further faults in that boot
attempt. Other failing call paths include:
lpfc_sli4_enable_intr
lpfc_pci_probe_one
pci_alloc_irq_vectors_affinity
and:
xhci_debugfs_create_slot
xhci_alloc_dev
usb_alloc_dev
hub_event
There is also an oops while a systemd-spawned process is executing a program.
The repeated faults are all reported in __kmem_cache_alloc_node and appear to
involve a corrupted allocator freelist, but I cannot identify the original
writer from the available logs. The first visible fault is in the mgag200
framebuffer workqueue; lpfc and other workqueues fault shortly afterwards. I am
therefore not claiming that any one of these drivers is conclusively the root
cause.
The pstore data came from at least two failed boots of 6.1.0-53. One record
reports four faults between approximately 7.24 and 7.56 seconds after boot;
another reports three faults between approximately 8.58 and 8.77 seconds. The
failing addresses differ between boots.
Relevant system information:
System: HPE ProLiant DL385 Gen10 Plus
BIOS: A42, dated 2020-05-11
iLO: iLO 5, firmware 2.18 (2020-06-22)
CPU: Vendor ID: AuthenticAMD
Model name: AMD EPYC 7452 32-Core Processor
CPU family: 23
Currently working kernel: 6.1.0-42-amd64
Failing kernel: 6.1.0-53-amd64
Failing kernel package: 6.1.187-1
Previous kernel package: 6.1.159-1
amd64-microcode package: 3.20250311.1~deb12u1
Microcode patch level logged at boot: 0x0830107c
GPU: NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000
Fibre Channel driver: lpfc 14.2.0.7
lpfc srcversion on 6.1.0-42: 5F65565DAB46D9D96AD7353
lpfc srcversion on 6.1.0-53: 767EF98BC07E5CCEBC4BE40
The 6.1.0-53 kernel image is the Debian package linux-image-6.1.0-53-amd64,
version 6.1.187-1, from source package linux-signed-amd64 (6.1.187+1). The
installed image passes `dpkg -V` with no output. The package was available from
bookworm-security according to apt-cache policy.
The same early-boot failure also occurred after the system upgrade on
2026-10-09. The upgrade installed the 6.1.0-53 kernel and updated many other
packages, including systemd/udev, DKMS, and NVIDIA driver packages. The
6.1.0-53 pstore logs show that the nvidia modules were not loaded at the time
of the faults. NVIDIA DKMS modules are currently installed for 6.1.0-42 but not
for 6.1.0-53. The failing boot was tested before I had a chance to confirm the
DKMS build status for that kernel.
I have not yet confirmed whether this is a kernel regression, a driver
interaction, or a hardware/firmware issue. The older kernel works on the same
hardware. I have not found MCE/ECC errors in the journal output examined so
far, but I have not yet reviewed/exported the iLO Integrated Management Log and
Active Health System Log.
Could you advise:
1. Whether this matches a known issue in Debian kernel 6.1.187-1 or in the
mgag200/lpfc/SLUB code paths.
2. What additional diagnostics would be useful before I schedule a controlled
retest.
3. Whether there is a recommended kernel version or workaround to test on this
HPE platform.
I can provide the complete pstore logs and additional diagnostic output. The
pstore files are attached to this report.
Regards,
Sandi Hunyadi
[email protected]
dmesg.txt.6.1.0-53.anon.txt.gz
Description: dmesg.txt.6.1.0-53.anon.txt.gz
dmesg-erst-0.6.1.0-53.anon.txt.gz
Description: dmesg-erst-0.6.1.0-53.anon.txt.gz
