Bug#665932: [SPARC] kernel panic (Irrecoverable deferred error trap) executing lshw as root

[Jonathan Nieder <jrnieder@gmail.com>]

# version from Ivaylo's report
reassign 587538 lshw 02.13-2
forwarded 587538 http://ezix.org/project/ticket/519
# unusable on affected machines
severity 587538 important
quit

Hi Ghe et al,

Hermann Lauer wrote:

> [Subject: Bug#665932: strace from vanilla kernel 3.2.17]
>
> See strace from vanilla 3.2.17 below, hope that helps.

Yes, definitely.  For next time: please keep in mind that these appear
as emails in a crowded inbox, so the subject line can be a good place
to put valuable context.

> # strace lshw
> execve("/usr/bin/lshw", ["lshw"], [/* 16 vars */]) = 0
> brk(0)                                  = 0xa6000
> uname({sys="Linux", node="tantalus", ...}) = 0
[...]
> access("/sys/class/.", F_OK)            = 0
> geteuid32()                             = 0
> uname({sys="Linux", node="tantalus", ...}) = 0
> ioctl(2, TCSETAF or SNDCTL_TMR_SELECT, {B38400 opost isig icanon echo ...}) = 0
> )                       = 1
> )                  = 5
> open("/dev/mem", O_RDONLY)              = 3
> open("/proc/efi/systab", O_RDONLY)      = -1 ENOENT (No such file or directory)
> mmap(NULL, 32, PROT_READ, MAP_SHARED, 3, 0xe0000) = 0xf7fc8000
>
> Message from syslogd@tantalus at Wed Jun 27 11:49:41 2012 ...
> tantalus kernel: Press Stop-A (L1-A) to return to the boot prom
>
> Message from syslogd@tantalus at Wed Jun 27 11:49:41 2012 ...
> tantalus kernel: Kernel panic - not syncing: Irrecoverable deferred error trap.

If I am reading this correctly, lshw reads from an unfortunate area of
/dev/mem, which trips a trap.

So this seems likely to be an lshw bug, though the upstream maintainer
rejected the report.  Also seems analagous to <http://bugs.debian.org/525217>.
Any hints for tracking it down?

Hermann, Aron, Ivaylo: what versions of lshw have you experienced this with?

Hope that helps,
Jonathan