Kernel Oops - BUG: unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at 0000002f; EIP is at sync_inodes_sb+0xb5/0x140

[Brian J. Murrell]

I have gotten a number of these since installing this 2.6.38-10-generic kernel and even though I have a serial console connected to this machine, for some reason these are not making it out of the console. Below is a transcription from a photograph (attached) of the console. Please excuse any typos.

BUG: unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at 0000002f
IP: [<c1148665>] sync_inodes_sb+0xb5/0x140
*pde - 0587d067 *pte = 00000000
Oops: 0000 [#1] SMP
last sysfs file: /sys/devices/virtual/block/dm-10/dm/name
Modules linked in: ivtv cx2341x lirc_dev nfs fscache nfsd lockd nfs_acl auth_rpcgss sunrpc exportfs autofs4 snd_usb_audio snd_hwdep snd_usbmidi_lib tuner_simple tuner_types snd_pcm wm8775 snd_seq_midi tda9887 tda8290 xc5000 snd_rawmidi tea5767 snd_seq_midi_event au8522 tuner snd_seq i915 snd_timer cx25840 au0828 snd_seq_device drm_kms_helper dvb_core drm videobuf_vmalloc videobuf_core tveeprom v4l2_common snd ppdev shpchp videodev i2c_algo_bit soundcore snd_page_alloc dcdbas parport_pc video parport pcspkr hwmon_vid b44 r8169 ssb sata_sil floppy [last unloaded: cx2341x ]

Pid 30176, comm: mount Not tainted 2.6.38-10-generic #46-Ubuntu Dell Computer
Coporation Dimension 2400
EIP: 0060:[<c1148665>] EFLAGS: 00010246 CPU: 0
EIP is at sync_inodes_sb+0xb5/0x140
EAX: 00800000 EBX: c002fd8c ECX: 00000000 EDX: c002fddc
ESI: ffffffff EDI: f0c0cc70 EBP: c58a1ef8 ESP: c58a1eb8
 DS: 007b ES: 007b FS: 00d8 GS: 00e0 SS: 0068
Process mount (pid: 30176, it=c58a0000 task-c0013f20 task.ti=c58a0000
Stack:
 f0c0cc00 c7c61f14 7fffffff f0c0cc00 00000001 00000000 c58a1ed0 c58a1ed0
 c58a1edc 00000000 00000202 c58a1ee4 c58a1ee4 f0c0cc00 00000001 c116b7d0
 c58a1f0c c114c7ff f0c0cc00 fffffff3 00000000 c58a1f18 c114c869 f0c0cc00
Call Trace:
 [<c116b7d0>] ? dquot_quota_sync+0x0/0x2d0
 [<c114c7ff>] __sync_filesystem+0x7f/0x90
 [<c114c869>] sync_filesystem+0x39/0x50
 [<c112a046>] do_remount_sb+0x56/0x110
 [<c11405f8>] do_remount+0xb8/0x100
 [<c1142aec>] do_mount+0x16c/0x1e0
 [<c1142ecb>] sys_mount+0x6b/0xa0
 [<c150a194>] syscall_call+0x7/0xb
Code: 70 c7 45 c4 00 00 00 00 83 eb 50 eb 04 90 8d 58 b0 8b 43 50 0f 18 00 90 8d 53 50 39 fa 74 4f f6 43 30 38 75 e9 8b b3 c4 00 00 00 <8b> 56 30 85 d2 74 dc 89 d8 e8 3d 5f ff ff b8 40 49 90 c1 e8 a3
EIP: [<c1148665>] sync_inodes_sb+0xb5/0x140 SS:ESP 0068:c58a1eb8
CR2: 000000000000002f

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
Package: linux-image-2.6.38-10-generic 2.6.38-10.46
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-10.46-generic 2.6.38.7
Uname: Linux 2.6.38-10-generic i686
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.23.
AplayDevices: **** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
Architecture: i386
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 1: HVR950Q [HVR-950Q], device 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
AudioDevicesInUse: Error: command ['fuser', '-v', '/dev/snd/by-path', '/dev/snd/by-id', '/dev/snd/controlC1', '/dev/snd/pcmC1D0c', '/dev/snd/seq', '/dev/snd/timer'] failed with exit code 1:
CRDA: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
Card1.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:1 'HVR950Q'/'Hauppauge HVR-950Q at usb-0000:00:1d.7-4, high speed'
   Mixer name : 'USB Mixer'
   Components : 'USB2040:7200'
   Controls : 1
   Simple ctrls : 1
Card1.Amixer.values:
 Simple mixer control 'Digital In',0
   Capabilities: cswitch cswitch-joined penum
   Capture channels: Mono
   Mono: Capture [on]
Date: Wed Aug 10 07:42:19 2011
IwConfig:
 lo no wireless extensions.

 eth0 no wireless extensions.

 eth2 no wireless extensions.
Lsusb:
 Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
 Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
 Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
 Bus 001 Device 002: ID 2040:7200 Hauppauge
 Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
MachineType: Dell Computer Corporation Dimension 2400
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_CA.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-2.6.38-10-generic root=/dev/mapper/rootvol_tmp-ubuntu_root ro console=ttyS0,115200 console=tty0 resume=/dev/mapper/rootvol-swap vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-2.6.38-10-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-2.6.38-10-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.52
RfKill:

SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 12/02/2003
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Computer Corporation
dmi.bios.version: A05
dmi.board.name: 0F5949
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Computer Corp.
dmi.board.version: A01
dmi.chassis.type: 15
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Computer Corporation
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellComputerCorporation:bvrA05:bd12/02/2003:svnDellComputerCorporation:pnDimension2400:pvr:rvnDellComputerCorp.:rn0F5949:rvrA01:cvnDellComputerCorporation:ct15:cvr:
dmi.product.name: Dimension 2400
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Computer Corporation

[Brian J. Murrell (brian-interlinx)]

So, will this be addressed at any point in time? Soon perhaps?

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Brian J. Murrell, thank you for reporting this bug and helping make Ubuntu better. If you could also please test the latest upstream kernel available that would be great. It will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue. Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please remove the 'needs-upstream-testing' tag. This can be done by clicking on the yellow pencil icon next to the tag located at the bottom of the bug description and deleting the 'needs-upstream-testing' text. Please let us know your results.

Thanks in advance.