System lockup problem when adding more memory - FC5

[Kam Leo]

On 4/6/07, Cokey <fdepercin at sc.rr.com> wrote:
> Tony Nelson wrote:
> > At 5:12 PM -0400 4/5/07, Cokey wrote:
> >
> >> Tony Nelson wrote:
> >>
> >>> At 3:14 PM -0500 4/3/07, Styma, Robert E (Robert) wrote:
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>>> Mikkel L. Ellertson wrote:
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>> Cokey wrote:
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>> I have an older dual processor server that has been
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>> happily running FC5
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>>> since it was released.  It currently has 4G of memory and has the
> >>>>>>> capacity for 8G using 1G sticks.   Recently I was given 2
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>> 1G sticks and
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>>> tried to upgrade the system.  The system recognizes the memory and
> >>>>>>> boots, but then locks up with:
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> exec of initj(/sbin/init) failed: Exec format error.
> >>>>>>> Removing the memory clears the problem.  I have also tried some 512
> >>>>>>> sticks and they also cause the same problem.  Essentially
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>> anything over
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>>> 4G regardless of the how that's arrived at will cause the lockup.
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> Looking for any hints/ideas.
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> Tnx
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> Cokey
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>> You may want to check how your system handles more then 4G of
> >>>>>> memory. I seam to recall a thread a while ago about a system leaving
> >>>>>> a hole in memory and the BIOS producing an incorrect memory map when
> >>>>>> the extra memory was added. (I think it was with more then 2G in
> >>>>>> that thread.) You should also check to see if there is BIOS update
> >>>>>> for your machine.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Mikkel
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>> Good idea but unfortunately there's no BIOS updates for this system
> >>>>> beyond what's installed.  Wish there were...   And there's
> >>>>> nothing I can change in the BIOS either.  Manual doesn't say anything
> >>>>> about a memory hole...  but then it might not.
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>> You say this is an older system.  If it is 32 bit, 4 gig is the
> >>>> maximum amount of memory you can address in 32 bits.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>> PAE.
> >>>
> >>>
> >> Ok, so?  PAE is enabled in the kernel and this box has dual Pentium III
> >> which are PAE enabled.  Am I missing something?
> >>
> >
> > Not you, him, in saying that 4 GB was the max physical memory for a 32 bit
> > kernel.
> >
> Ok, now in case anyone's interested, I stuffed 7 G in the box (6 X 1G
> and 2 X 512) and Windows 2000 server (install) booted just fine.
>
> Also received a different message when I tried to boot Linux...
> Kernel panic - not syncing: attempt to kill init
>
> I'm really confused now.
>
> Cokey

Unless you have Advanced Server the box will only see 4GB. Google
search produced this:
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/platform/server/PAE/PAEmem.mspx