[cobalt-users] Kernel 2.0.34C52_SK-2 logged messages

["Andrew Kinney" <andykinney@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello Cobalt Users,

In testing the security update All-Kernel_mips-1.0.pkg on one of 
our non-production RaQ 2 machines, we noticed some output that 
we'd not seen before on any RaQ 2 systems (production or 
otherwise) that didn't have that update.

The RaQ 2 in question has **ALL** OS and Security updates 
installed.  They were installed in version order - the OS updates 
first, then all security updates.  Other than those Cobalt supplied 
package updates and some additional RAM (properly installed 
Micron RAM), the system is 100% stock.

The messages show in the output of 'dmesg' and in 
/var/log/messages at a nearly regular period of about 5 minutes - 
just prior to the system monitor software checking the ftp server 
when it does so at 15 minute intervals.  It's been doing this steadily 
since we installed the kernel update package.

The system has no significant load on it (0.02) and has been 
running unloaded for several hours.  We haven't attempted to load it 
down to see how it performs, but we haven't noticed anything else 
unusual about how the system operates.

Here are the messages:

Jan 19 19:45:02 mfg1 kernel: Swansea University Computer Society IPX 0.34 for NET3.035
Jan 19 19:45:02 mfg1 kernel: IPX Portions Copyright (c) 1995 Caldera, Inc.
Jan 19 19:45:02 mfg1 kernel: Appletalk 0.17 for Linux NET3.035
Jan 19 19:45:03 mfg1 proftpd[1939]: FTP session closed.
Jan 19 19:52:57 mfg1 kernel: Swansea University Computer Society IPX 0.34 for NET3.035
Jan 19 19:52:57 mfg1 kernel: IPX Portions Copyright (c) 1995 Caldera, Inc.
Jan 19 19:52:57 mfg1 kernel: Appletalk 0.17 for Linux NET3.035
Jan 19 19:59:37 mfg1 kernel: Swansea University Computer Society IPX 0.34 for NET3.035
Jan 19 19:59:37 mfg1 kernel: IPX Portions Copyright (c) 1995 Caldera, Inc.
Jan 19 19:59:37 mfg1 kernel: Appletalk 0.17 for Linux NET3.035

Though I didn't compile this kernel (Cobalt did), it seems apparent 
that the kernel drivers for Appletalk and IPX are re-initialized every 5 
minutes.  I can understand the need for Appletalk and IPX on a 
Qube or Cache-RaQ/Qube.  However, since this is a universal 
kernel for all Cobalt-MIPSel machines, it makes sense to have 
them there.

What doesn't make sense is for those kernel drivers to be re-
initialized every 5 minutes.

Now, since this did make it through Cobalt's SQA department, I'm 
guessing that this isn't a problem.  It does make me nervous about 
putting this into a production machine, though.

Does anyone out there, Cobalt affiliated or not, have any 
information they could share with this list regarding this issue?  
Has anyone else out there seen it?  If so, did you find a fix or is it 
even a problem?  If you think this is an isolated incident due to 
some fault in our equipment, feel free to voice that opinion as well.

Thank you for your time and attention.


Sincerely,
Andrew Kinney
President, Advantagecom Networks, Inc.
http://www.advantagecom.net
509-522-3696, extension 101