"kernel NULL pointer dereference" every now and then at boot

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HenryArmitage

"kernel NULL pointer dereference" every now and then at boot

Post by HenryArmitage »

I've been using Mint for approx. 3 months now; every now and then (have seen it approx. 5-10 times now, but didn't count), my PC won't start up normally into Mint, but will stop with a "kernel NULL pointer dereference".
No idea what's going on there - what can I do to find out more about why this happens? I'd be glad to provide any more info if needed!
Maybe it's something to do with fglrx? It's output is the last before the NULL pointer dereference...or anything else specific to look for in kern.log?

My system:
Asus Z77 Pro3
Intel Core i-7 3770K
XFX Radeon HD 7870 Dual Fan
60GB SSD (OCZ Vertex2)
1TB HD (Samsung)

Thanks for any help!

See (hopefully the relevant) part of the kern.log file:

Code: Select all

Aug 17 10:00:28 thor kernel: [    3.688593] mtrr: type mismatch for d0000000,10000000 old: write-back new: write-combining
Aug 17 10:00:28 thor kernel: [    3.688595] [drm] MTRR allocation failed.  Graphics performance may suffer.
Aug 17 10:00:28 thor kernel: [    3.688800] i915 0000:00:02.0: irq 49 for MSI/MSI-X
Aug 17 10:00:28 thor kernel: [    3.688802] [drm] Supports vblank timestamp caching Rev 1 (10.10.2010).
Aug 17 10:00:28 thor kernel: [    3.688803] [drm] Driver supports precise vblank timestamp query.
Aug 17 10:00:28 thor kernel: [    3.765210] r8169 0000:05:00.0: eth0: link down
Aug 17 10:00:28 thor kernel: [    3.765217] r8169 0000:05:00.0: eth0: link down
Aug 17 10:00:28 thor kernel: [    3.766160] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): eth0: link is not ready
Aug 17 10:00:28 thor kernel: [    3.766402] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): eth0: link is not ready
Aug 17 10:00:28 thor kernel: [    3.874055] [drm:pch_irq_handler] *ERROR* PCH poison interrupt
Aug 17 10:00:28 thor kernel: [    4.055761] Console: switching to colour frame buffer device 160x64
Aug 17 10:00:28 thor kernel: [    4.055776] fb0: inteldrmfb frame buffer device
Aug 17 10:00:28 thor kernel: [    4.055777] drm: registered panic notifier
Aug 17 10:00:28 thor kernel: [    4.055805] [drm] Initialized i915 1.6.0 20080730 for 0000:00:02.0 on minor 0
Aug 17 10:00:29 thor kernel: [    4.168126] Too many HDMI devices
Aug 17 10:00:29 thor kernel: [    4.168128] Too many HDMI devices
Aug 17 10:00:29 thor kernel: [    4.168128] Too many HDMI devices
Aug 17 10:00:29 thor kernel: [    4.168129] Too many HDMI devices
Aug 17 10:00:29 thor kernel: [    4.168129] Too many HDMI devices
Aug 17 10:00:29 thor kernel: [    4.168130] Too many HDMI devices
Aug 17 10:00:29 thor kernel: [    4.168131] Too many HDMI devices
Aug 17 10:00:29 thor kernel: [    4.168131] Too many HDMI devices
Aug 17 10:00:29 thor kernel: [    4.168218] hda-codec: out of range cmd 0:0:2f90:707:0
Aug 17 10:00:29 thor kernel: [    4.168219] hda-codec: out of range cmd 0:0:2f90:708:85
Aug 17 10:00:29 thor kernel: [    4.168465] hda-codec: out of range cmd 0:0:2f90:f00:c
Aug 17 10:00:29 thor kernel: [    4.168466] hda-codec: out of range cmd 0:0:2f90:709:0
Aug 17 10:00:29 thor kernel: [    4.168467] hda-codec: out of range cmd 0:0:2f90:f09:0
Aug 17 10:00:29 thor kernel: [    4.168537] hda-codec: out of range cmd 0:0:e0:f0d:0
Aug 17 10:00:29 thor kernel: [    4.168539] HDMI status: Codec=0 Pin=2 Presence_Detect=0 ELD_Valid=0
Aug 17 10:00:29 thor kernel: [    4.168553] HDMI status: Codec=0 Pin=5 Presence_Detect=0 ELD_Valid=0
Aug 17 10:00:29 thor kernel: [    4.168568] HDMI status: Codec=0 Pin=7 Presence_Detect=0 ELD_Valid=0
Aug 17 10:00:29 thor kernel: [    4.168583] HDMI status: Codec=0 Pin=9 Presence_Detect=0 ELD_Valid=0
Aug 17 10:00:29 thor kernel: [    4.168600] HDMI status: Codec=0 Pin=12176 Presence_Detect=1 ELD_Valid=1
Aug 17 10:00:29 thor kernel: [    4.168601] hda-codec: out of range cmd 0:0:2f90:f2e:8
Aug 17 10:00:29 thor kernel: [    4.168603] hda_codec: cannot build controls for #0 (error -16)
Aug 17 10:00:29 thor kernel: [    4.168604] hda_codec: cannot revert codec
Aug 17 10:00:29 thor kernel: [    4.168962] snd_hda_intel 0000:01:00.1: PCI INT B disabled
Aug 17 10:00:29 thor kernel: [    4.168969] snd_hda_intel: probe of 0000:01:00.1 failed with error -16
Aug 17 10:00:29 thor kernel: [    5.041955] fglrx_pci 0000:01:00.0: irq 48 for MSI/MSI-X
Aug 17 10:00:29 thor kernel: [    5.042791] [fglrx] Firegl kernel thread PID: 1338
Aug 17 10:00:29 thor kernel: [    5.042975] [fglrx] Firegl kernel thread PID: 1339
Aug 17 10:00:29 thor kernel: [    5.043157] [fglrx] Firegl kernel thread PID: 1340
Aug 17 10:00:29 thor kernel: [    5.043277] [fglrx] IRQ 48 Enabled
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.168410] [fglrx] Gart USWC size:1280 M.
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.168412] [fglrx] Gart cacheable size:508 M.
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.168414] [fglrx] Reserved FB block: Shared offset:0, size:1000000 
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.168415] [fglrx] Reserved FB block: Unshared offset:f8fd000, size:403000 
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.168417] [fglrx] Reserved FB block: Unshared offset:7ffef000, size:11000 
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.197501] BUG: unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at           (null)
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.197530] IP: [<ffffffff813136f4>] strcmp+0x14/0x30
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.197548] PGD 412a46067 PUD 414bc4067 PMD 0 
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.197564] Oops: 0000 [#1] SMP 
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.197576] CPU 0 
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.197582] Modules linked in: parport_pc ppdev snd_hda_codec_hdmi snd_hda_codec_realtek bnep rfcomm bluetooth binfmt_misc i915 drm_kms_helper drm i2c_algo_bit snd_hda_intel fglrx(P) snd_hda_codec snd_hwdep snd_pcm snd_seq_midi snd_rawmidi snd_seq_midi_event snd_seq snd_seq_device snd_timer snd mei(C) soundcore snd_page_alloc video mac_hid lp parport usbhid hid r8169
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.197697] 
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.197702] Pid: 1385, comm: usb_bluetooth Tainted: P         C O 3.2.0-25-generic #40-Ubuntu To Be Filled By O.E.M. To Be Filled By O.E.M./Z77 Pro3
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.197736] RIP: 0010:[<ffffffff813136f4>]  [<ffffffff813136f4>] strcmp+0x14/0x30
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.197756] RSP: 0018:ffff88040033bbb8  EFLAGS: 00010246
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.197769] RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: 0000000000000000 RCX: 0000000000000000
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.197786] RDX: 0000000000000062 RSI: 0000000000000000 RDI: ffff88040f63a9f8
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.197803] RBP: ffff88040033bbb8 R08: ffff88042f216e80 R09: 0000000000000000
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.197820] R10: 0000000000000042 R11: 0000000000000000 R12: ffff880410e50150
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.197837] R13: 0000000000000000 R14: ffff88040f63a9f8 R15: ffff88040033bd40
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.197854] FS:  00007f5f26895700(0000) GS:ffff88042f200000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.197873] CS:  0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.197887] CR2: 0000000000000000 CR3: 0000000412f3e000 CR4: 00000000001406f0
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.197904] DR0: 0000000000000000 DR1: 0000000000000000 DR2: 0000000000000000
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.197921] DR3: 0000000000000000 DR6: 00000000ffff0ff0 DR7: 0000000000000400
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.197938] Process usb_bluetooth (pid: 1385, threadinfo ffff88040033a000, task ffff880412e98000)
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.197959] Stack:
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.197965]  ffff88040033bbe8 ffffffff811ed7b9 ffff88040f63a9c0 ffff880411e50000
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.197986]  ffff880410e50000 fffffffffffffffe ffff88040033bc18 ffffffff811ed8cf
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.198008]  ffff88040f63a9c0 ffff880411e50000 ffff88040033bdc8 0000000000000001
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.198029] Call Trace:
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.198038]  [<ffffffff811ed7b9>] sysfs_find_dirent+0x59/0x110
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.198053]  [<ffffffff811ed8cf>] sysfs_lookup+0x5f/0x110
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.198068]  [<ffffffff81182b05>] d_alloc_and_lookup+0x45/0x90
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.198084]  [<ffffffff81190245>] ? d_lookup+0x35/0x60
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.198098]  [<ffffffff81184c92>] do_lookup+0x202/0x310
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.198111]  [<ffffffff811869cc>] path_lookupat+0x11c/0x750
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.198127]  [<ffffffff8113b9a2>] ? do_wp_page+0x382/0x740
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.198142]  [<ffffffff81318f97>] ? __strncpy_from_user+0x27/0x60
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.198158]  [<ffffffff81187031>] do_path_lookup+0x31/0xc0
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.198172]  [<ffffffff81187b39>] user_path_at_empty+0x59/0xa0
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.198188]  [<ffffffff8165c12d>] ? mutex_lock+0x1d/0x50
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.198202]  [<ffffffff8165d62e>] ? _raw_spin_lock+0xe/0x20
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.198217]  [<ffffffff8117c9a8>] ? cp_new_stat+0xf8/0x110
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.198231]  [<ffffffff81187b91>] user_path_at+0x11/0x20
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.198245]  [<ffffffff8117cbca>] vfs_fstatat+0x3a/0x70
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.198258]  [<ffffffff8117cc3b>] vfs_stat+0x1b/0x20
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.198271]  [<ffffffff8117cd7a>] sys_newstat+0x1a/0x40
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.198286]  [<ffffffff81665c42>] system_call_fastpath+0x16/0x1b
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.198300] Code: 83 c1 01 40 84 ff 75 ef 5d c3 66 66 66 66 2e 0f 1f 84 00 00 00 00 00 55 31 c0 48 89 e5 66 2e 0f 1f 84 00 00 00 00 00 0f b6 14 07 <3a> 14 06 75 0f 48 83 c0 01 84 d2 75 ef 31 c0 5d c3 0f 1f 00 19 
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.198421] RIP  [<ffffffff813136f4>] strcmp+0x14/0x30
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.198435]  RSP <ffff88040033bbb8>
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.198444] CR2: 0000000000000000
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.202100] ---[ end trace 624c3d50e704ce08 ]---
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.990235] r8169 0000:05:00.0: eth0: link up
Aug 17 10:00:30 thor kernel: [    5.991662] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): eth0: link becomes ready
Aug 17 10:00:41 thor kernel: [   16.834989] eth0: no IPv6 routers present
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
HenryArmitage

Re: "kernel NULL pointer dereference" every now and then at

Post by HenryArmitage »

bump...
nobody an idea where I should start looking? I've got really no idea here, please help me out!

Edit: Just happened again. When I'm sitting in front of the machine, it's not such a big issue (although I still would like to find out the root cause); after a reboot it starts up just fine.
It is a big nuisance, when I start my machine remotely - if it get's stuck at boot then, I obviously have no access to it at all, until I'm there phyisically again :(!
HenryArmitage

Re: "kernel NULL pointer dereference" every now and then at

Post by HenryArmitage »

And just happened again!
So really nobody has an idea what I can do? That's not good :(.
Matt267
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Posts: 184
Joined: Sat May 07, 2011 7:53 am
Location: USA

Re: "kernel NULL pointer dereference" every now and then at

Post by Matt267 »

What version of mint are you running?

I once got the same error when booting the computer with a KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) switch attached. Once I updated the kernel (during a normal update) it was fine. I was running SolusOS at the time.

I wonder if you mouse and keyboard might be the issue. If you have an older mouse and older keyboard laying around, it might be worth trying them. If you might also want to update your kernel.

Good luck,

Matt
HenryArmitage

Re: "kernel NULL pointer dereference" every now and then at

Post by HenryArmitage »

What version of mint are you running?
Linux Mint 13 Maya with all the updates the automatic update tool could find.

The initial problem happened once more in the meantime.
I once got the same error when booting the computer with a KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) switch attached. Once I updated the kernel (during a normal update) it was fine. I was running SolusOS at the time.

I wonder if you mouse and keyboard might be the issue. If you have an older mouse and older keyboard laying around, it might be worth trying them. If you might also want to update your kernel.
I don't have a KVM switch attached, I don't have any older mouse or keybaord lying around (but the ones I have are really basic ones, USB-connected, not wireless or anything). Why do you think it's keyboard/mouse related, is there anything in the kernel log pointing to that?

It doesn't happen all the time, only some random times (approx. 1 in 20 startups I would say).

I think the kernel was updated a few times in the meantime (or do you mean a major update? are there any existing repos I could use for that?)

Oh and I think it just happened again because I started the machine remotely, but it still isn't reachable after 15 minutes or so...
Matt267
Level 3
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Posts: 184
Joined: Sat May 07, 2011 7:53 am
Location: USA

Re: "kernel NULL pointer dereference" every now and then at

Post by Matt267 »

If you're using the update manager, kernel updates don't happen with level 1, 2, and 3 updates. But if you're running Mint 13, you have a newer kernel. An issue with the keyboard and mouse was just a hunch. I wonder though, if it's a hardware issue with your RAM, or motherboard, etc. Hopefully someone with better troubleshooting skills then I can help.

Matt
HenryArmitage

Re: "kernel NULL pointer dereference" every now and then at

Post by HenryArmitage »

If you're using the update manager, kernel updates don't happen with level 1, 2, and 3 updates.
I'm sorry to report that I don't know what that means. Do I have to (Or can I) do something special to enable kernel updates?
I wonder though, if it's a hardware issue with your RAM, or motherboard, etc.
I doubt that it's a hardware issue, because I haven't had a single problem (blue screen or the like) on the parallel installed Windows 7. My guess would go more in the direction of a driver issue - maybe? But I could try running a memtest anyway, just to be sure...

Anybody got any hints where else I can look, what else I can try? Thanks in advance for your help!
Matt267
Level 3
Level 3
Posts: 184
Joined: Sat May 07, 2011 7:53 am
Location: USA

Re: "kernel NULL pointer dereference" every now and then at

Post by Matt267 »

see page 43 of the Mint 13 user manual (http://www.linuxmint.com/documentation/ ... h_13.0.pdf) section "Update your System and Applications." If you are going to update the kernel, I would recommend backing up your system first just in case something goes wrong.

I wish I could be more of a help,

Matt
DaveJ61

Re: "kernel NULL pointer dereference" every now and then at

Post by DaveJ61 »

You are not alone as I keep having this problem as well. For me it occurs most of the time at boot and also shutdown. Last night when I went to shutdown it came up with this message and for the first time, it locked the whole machine. I assumed it may timeout but after 10 minutes I had to resort to a hard shutdown by removing power. I am also running Mint 13 (Maya) x64 and it is fully uptodate.
There are no hardware faults on my machine and it also runs Windows 7 x64 (dual boot) with no problems.
The full error messaage I ot last night was:-

[18.367055][dfm: pch_irq_handler] *ERROR* PCH poison interrupt

I also found that this is a linux kernel problem and was supposed to have been resolved with version 3.2.0-30.48. Unforunately, I am working in WIndows 7 at the moment and I can't check what my version is. From what I understand it has siomething to do with VGA or HDMI displays and S3 resume.
The link I found is https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour ... ug/1031630 which may be Ubuntu but it does refer to the linux kernel as the fault.
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