Subject: Re: port-i386/36206: Segmentation faults with SMP on i386 multiprocessor kernel
To: None <port-i386-maintainer@netbsd.org, gnats-admin@netbsd.org,>
From: Greg Oster <oster@cs.usask.ca>
List: netbsd-bugs
Date: 06/14/2007 13:35:04
The following reply was made to PR port-i386/36206; it has been noted by GNATS.

From: Greg Oster <oster@cs.usask.ca>
To: gnats-bugs@NetBSD.org
Cc: 
Subject: Re: port-i386/36206: Segmentation faults with SMP on i386 multiprocessor kernel 
Date: Thu, 14 Jun 2007 07:33:06 -0600

 shannonr@NetBSD.org writes:
 > >Number:         36206
 > >Category:       port-i386
 > >Synopsis:       Apparently random segmentation faults occur frequently with 
 > SMP kernel on dual Intel Core 2 system.
 > >Confidential:   no
 > >Severity:       critical
 > >Priority:       high
 > >Responsible:    port-i386-maintainer
 > >State:          open
 > >Class:          sw-bug
 > >Submitter-Id:   net
 > >Arrival-Date:   Tue Apr 24 16:15:00 +0000 2007
 > >Originator:     John R. Shannon
 > >Release:        NetBSD 4.99.18 (also occurs with 4.0 BETA)
 > >Organization:
 > 	johnrshannon.com
 > >Environment:
 > System: NetBSD michael.internal.johnrshannon.com 4.99.18 NetBSD 4.99.18 (KERN
 > EL.MICHAEL) #3: Tue Apr 24 08:20:29 MDT 2007 build@michael.internal.johnrshan
 > non.com:/usr/obj/import/CURRENT/src/sys/arch/i386/compile/KERNEL.MICHAEL i386
 > 	dual Intel Core 2 (Merom)
 > 	dmesg output appended to PR
 > Architecture: i386
 > Machine: i386
 > >Description:
 > 	Segmentation faults, in different processes, occur every minute or so.
 > 	The same kernel, without options MULTIPROCESSOR, works fine. Also, a 
 > 	64-bit kernel does not display this behavior.
 
 Intel released a microcode patch that apparently fixes some TLB 
 issues in certain Core 2 Duo CPUs.  (Look for 
 "intel microcode update intel core 2 duo" on google).  Maybe a BIOS 
 update (that contains the microcode update) would be sufficient to 
 solve this problem?  (My Core 2 Duo box (with the update) runs 
 flawlessly in MULTIPROCESSOR mode, albeit in 32-bit mode...)
 
 Just a thought..
 
 Later...
 
 Greg Oster