Fast TSC Calibration Error, unable to register and inventory

[mattyb]

I’ve read in the forum history that this “TSC Calibration Error” message can be ignored. However, once attempting full host registration, I receive this additional, enormously descriptive message "unable to register host for the following reasons: ". No reason is given, it’s just blank. The machine will reach the point of “attempting to send inventory…” and the screen will scroll endlessly until that line scrolls off the top of the monitor. I’m attempting to image new Dell XPS 8900’s.

Specs: Running FOG 1.2 on Ubuntu 12.04LTS using the most current kernel: “Kernel - 3.19.3 TomElliottUSB”. This server has worked flawlessly for several hundred machines until this new batch of Dells. The BIOS is so current it’s not even listed on the Dell website. We also tried rolling back to an older version of BIOS, no difference.

I’ve run updates on the FOG server to ensure that all the requisite software is current (MAP). The only update I haven’t performed is on Ubuntu itself and I don’t intend to do that.

TSC Error
Regstration Error

[Tom Elliott]

The tsc error indeed can be ignored. You can even update to a more recent kernel that the one you see on your GUI which may help the issue you’re seeing. I’m suspecting the problem you’re seeing is the init is unable to recognize the nic, hence the endless scrolling with attempting to send inventory. We have many more kernels that are located at fogproject.org/kernels. I’d recommend trying these and seeing if your issue is fixed. I don’t know that it will be fixed but at least I can try to look at what the issue is.

[mattyb]

Thanks Tom. The link you reference returns a 403 error.

[Tom Elliott]

@mattyb I’m aware it references an error and am working to try to correct it so you can actually see a listing."

[mattyb]

Any luck on getting the kernel site going again? Still not allowing me in.

[Tom Elliott]

@mattyb Run this command to just download the latest kernels in place.

mkdir /var/www/html/fog/service/ipxe/backup
mv /var/www/html/fog/service/ipxe/bzImage* /var/www/html/fog/service/ipxe/backup
cd /var/www/html/fog/service/ipxe/
wget --no-check-certificate https://fogproject.org/kernels/bzImage -O bzImage
wget --no-check-certificate https://fogproject.org/kernels/bzImage32 -O bzImage32

[Wayne Workman]

@Tom-Elliott said:

@mattyb Run this command to just download the latest kernels in place.

mkdir /var/www/html/fog/service/ipxe/backup
mv /var/www/html/fog/service/ipxe/bzImage* /var/www/html/fog/service/ipxe/backup
cd /var/www/html/fog/service/ipxe/
wget --no-check-certificate https://fogproject.org/kernels/bzImage -O bzImage
wget --no-check-certificate https://fogproject.org/kernels/bzImage32 -O bzImage32

wiki

[mattyb]

@Wayne-Workman @tom-elIiott downloaded the new kernels from the console as directed. Of note, I do not have the ‘html’ directory referenced in the file path, so I adapted the instructions to fit my system. Where can I see confirmation that the newly downloaded kernel is now in service? Assuming by following the referenced instructions FOG automatically places the new kernel into production, I attempted to perform a fresh registration and inventory and received the same error.

[Wayne Workman]

@mattyb said:

Where can I see confirmation that the newly downloaded kernel is now in service?

Boot a host into download - debug mode, Then issue the command uname -r on the host.

To find that option on 1.2.0, you’ll need to browse through the advanced task types.

[mattyb]

@Wayne-Workman By host I assume you mean a destination machine, in my case one of these troublesome XPS desktops. I don’t see an option for that in the FOG PXE menu, so I googled and found the old wiki referencing the instructions for FOG .3. This indicates a Linux host and is for XP. Where can I find updated instructions for ‘debug mode’?

[Wayne Workman]

@mattyb You know how you normally tell a host to image via the web interface? Well, after you click “basic tasks”, there is a option that says “Advanced tasks”. Debug download is in that list. You can’t do it from the boot menu (yet).

[mattyb]

@Wayne-Workman Ah - I see where you are referencing now. I will dig out a machine that I know will register, get it registered, then run the debug. Thanks!

[mattyb]

@Wayne-Workman The result of that command is “4.3.2”

[Wayne Workman]

@mattyb said:

@Wayne-Workman The result of that command is “4.3.2”

That’s the kernel version your hosts are using in the network boot environment that FOG provides. So now you know.

[mattyb]

@Wayne-Workman I figured as much, but how do I tell if that’s the ‘current’ kernel without being able to log into the FOG portal listed in an earlier response from Tom? And if it is the current or a more current kernel than the one I listed at the start of this thread, it isn’t resolving the original issue either.

[Wayne Workman]

@mattyb

Check here: https://www.kernel.org/
I’d say you’re pretty caught up.

You could even try the kernel from there if you are daring. It’s 83 MB though, so longer loading times.

[Sebastian Roth]

To find out what version a particular kernel image is you don’t need to boot it up. Just use the file command:

file /var/www/fog/service/ipxe/bzImage
Linux kernel x86 boot executable bzImage, version 4.3.2 (root@debian64) #1 SMP Sun Dec 13 17:56:05 EST 2015, RO-rootFS, swap_dev 0x6, Normal VGA

And yes you are right. By putting the kernel/init files into the right place (as in Tom’s post) those will be active and clients will load those when booting up.

[mattyb]

@Wayne-Workman So should I start down the path of creating my own kernel to include drivers for these machines should I find that no pre-built kernel exists? Or am I missing something easier here?

[Wayne Workman]

@mattyb I suppose you can now.

Please keep the forum community in the loop while you do this. Any kernel options that you find to work, just let the @Developers know about them and they are very likely to add them to the fog kernel so that you don’t have to continue doing this.

[Sebastian Roth]

People seam to have issues with different linux systems on Dell XPS 8900. For example: http://askubuntu.com/questions/700617/problems-installing-ubuntu-14-04-3-on-dell-xps-8900

Maybe you are keen to follow this thread and try this new method of test booting our FOG kernel from a USB stick. This is not meant for deployment or production. It’s just a way to see if our kernel can run on your hardware: https://forums.fogproject.org/topic/6532/usb-boot-target-device-into-fog-debug-os