# [SOLVED] Kernel Panic - Not Syncing on CentOS



## saribeiro (Apr 22, 2012)

Okay guys, I'm working in nuclear physics right now and I have to record data on a computer that is running CentOS. It is a Dell computer (I'll get the specs later, don't have access to it right now). But it had a kernel panic. I then tried booting off of a USB device and when I say boot off of a live CD it still says kernel panic. Here is the error log,
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**export: 63: PATH=/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin: bad variable name
Kernel panic - not syncing: Attempted to kill init! 
Pid: 1, comm: init Not tainted 2.6.32-358.e16.i686 #1
Call Trace: 
[<c084771f>] ? panic+0x6e/0x122 
[<c045cff1>] ? do_exit+0x741/0x750 
[<c045d03c>] ? do_group_exit+0x3c/0xa0 
[<c045d0b1>] ? sys_exit_group+0x11/0x20 
[<c084a2f4>] ? syscall_call+0x7/0x6*

I have no clue what is happening, I suspect it may be a hardware issue but I'm not sure. Please help me out, because the data collection program is very difficult to reinstall.


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## SteveThePirate (Jan 12, 2012)

*Re: Kernel Panic - Not Syncing on CentOS*

Hi,

Is this the full stack trace from your error logs? Usually found in /var/log/messages? As far as i can remember we're looking for a line like "EIP is at......" this will tell us if it's a driver or hardware issue. But yes i agree it does sound like a hardware issue, quite possible RAM if it can't boot from USB.

Steve


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## saribeiro (Apr 22, 2012)

*Re: Kernel Panic - Not Syncing on CentOS*

I believe this is the full stack, everything before it is just information of the date and model of the operating system and stuff like that. So I think this is the full stack. I might buy a RAM board and try replacing it.

I agree with you that it might be the RAM that is screwing up, because the OS is loaded into RAM from boot (if I'm not mistaken). RAM may be just one of many issues, but for now, I'm going to put my money on the RAM. Just wondering, are those traces pointing to memory locations on the hard disk to call for errors?


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## saribeiro (Apr 22, 2012)

*Re: Kernel Panic - Not Syncing on CentOS*

Okay, so I got the specs of the computer, it is a _Dell Optiplex GX280_. It has an _Intel Pentium 4_ chip. It was orginally designed for Microsoft Windows XP, but it was fitted with CentOS. I also noticed an interesting property. When we used CentOS Live CD, it wouldn't boot from it. It complained that the CD drive as a boot device was not available. However, when we used a DVD (burned with CentOS) as a LiveCD it read from it and hung.


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## saribeiro (Apr 22, 2012)

*Re: Kernel Panic - Not Syncing on CentOS*

Okay, so I just replaced the RAM with another RAM board that I salvaged from another Dell and everything is a-okay! Thanks though for your input, it helped me a lot in making the right decision!


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## SteveThePirate (Jan 12, 2012)

Great Stuff and your very welcome. Thanks for marking the thread solved.

All the best


Steve


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