Kernel panic after updating to 2.6.22.1-27.fc7 kernel

[Antti J. Huhtala]

Hi all,

many users have reported "no problems" after updating to the latest
2.6.22.1-37.fc7 kernel. Some users have reported issues like missing
WiFi or sound. The latter seem minor problems (not to those users,
however) in comparison with my experience: kernel panic at boot.

When rebooting after installing the new kernel, I only got as far as to
the point where it is said: "2 logical volume(s) in volume group
"VolGroup00" now active". After that kernel panics and either reboots or
freezes with screen full of: "<1>Unable to handle kernel paging request
at 0000000381281ac0 RIP:". 

Googling a bit revealed that similar problems have been around at least
since FC2 but I couldn't find any other reference to this latest kernel.
Neither did I find any real fix - other than reverting back to previous
kernel and/or installing a new kernel from rawhide.

For me this is a first; every kernel since FC4 has worked more or less
satisfactorily - and 2.6.21-1.3228.fc7 still does. Therefore I'm not
going to bother you with details of my system (other than it is an AMD
Athlon64 using x86_64 packages).

FWIW, here's the list of my yesterday's updates (from yum.log):

Jul 22 05:15:52 Updated: cairo.x86_64 1.4.10-1.fc7
Jul 22 05:16:42 Updated: cups-libs.x86_64 1.2.12-1.fc7
Jul 22 05:17:33 Updated: cups-libs.i386 1.2.12-1.fc7
Jul 22 05:18:28 Updated: libpaper.x86_64 1.1.21-1.fc7.1
Jul 22 05:18:29 Updated: gnome-python2-extras.x86_64 2.14.3-4.fc7
Jul 22 05:19:22 Updated: cairo.i386 1.4.10-1.fc7
Jul 22 05:20:45 Installed: kernel.x86_64 2.6.22.1-27.fc7
Jul 22 05:21:44 Updated: libpaper.i386 1.1.21-1.fc7.1
Jul 22 05:21:46 Updated: gnome-python2-libegg.x86_64 2.14.3-4.fc7
Jul 22 05:22:14 Updated: cups.x86_64 1.2.12-1.fc7
Jul 22 05:22:43 Updated: thunderbird.x86_64 2.0.0.5-1.fc7
Jul 22 05:22:49 Updated: cairo-devel.x86_64 1.4.10-1.fc7
Jul 22 05:22:58 Updated: mdadm.x86_64 2.6.2-4.fc7
Jul 22 05:23:07 Updated: kernel-headers.x86_64 2.6.22.1-27.fc7
Jul 22 05:23:42 Installed: kernel-devel.x86_64 2.6.22.1-27.fc7
Jul 22 05:23:52 Updated: tzdata.noarch 2007f-1.fc7
Jul 22 05:23:56 Updated: autofs.x86_64 5.0.1-20
Jul 22 05:24:13 Installed: kmod-ntfs.x86_64 2.1.28-3.2.6.22.1_27.fc7
Jul 22 05:24:14 Updated: ntfs-kmod-common.noarch 2.1.28-3.lvn7

Nevertheless, I'd appreciate any pointers in resolving the problem. When
installing the next kernel, I don't wish to be left with new kernel that
possibly won't work, and a kernel that definitely doesn't work.

TIA, Antti