Oracle Enterprise Linux Release Notes

Release 4.8

Introduction

This document covers the following topics regarding Oracle Enterprise Linux 4 Update 8.

• Changes from upstream release
• New packages added
• Kernel and driver updates
• Technology preview features
  
• Unbreakable Linux Support
• Known issues

For the latest updates please refer to the online version of release notes available at:

http://oss.oracle.com/el4/docs/

NOTE: Upgrading Oracle Enterprise Linux from a beta release is not supported. Further, in-place upgrades between major versions of Oracle Enterprise Linux are not supported. Oracle does not recommend upgrading from earlier major versions of Oracle Enterprise Linux, although anaconda provides an option do to this upgrade. A fresh installation is strongly recommended, rather than a system upgrade between major versions.

Changes from Upstream Release

The following RPMs are modified from the upstream. All changes are related to trademarks, and look and feel, unless otherwise noted below under the specific RPM.

• anaconda-help
• anaconda : Path of the Distribution changed from RedHat to Enterprise on the install CDs
  
• anacron
• atk
• at-spi
• basesystem
• booty
• bug-buddy
• compat-boost-1331
• comps
• coreutils
• crash
• cryptsetup
• cyrus-imapd
• evolution28
• firefox
• firstboot
• frysk
• gcc   
• gdk-pixbuf
• gd
• gimp-print
• glade2
• gnome-desktop
• gnome-libs
• gnome-session
• gnupg
• grub
• gstreamer
• gstreamer-plugins
• HelixPlayer
• hicolor-icon-theme
• httpd
• indexhtml
• initscripts
• irda-utils
• kdebase
• kdegames
• kdelibs
• kdesdk
• kdeutils
• kdevelop
• kde-i18n
• kernel : Bug fixes added by Oracle are mentioned under Kernel and Driver Updates.
  
• kudzu
• libdbi
• libexif
• libidn
• librsvg2
• libxml2
• libxslt
• memtest86+
• miniChinput
• mkbootdisk
• mkinitrd
• mpitests
• nss   
• openmotif21
• ORBit
• pidgin
• pilot-link
• redhat-artwork
• redhat-lsb
• redhat-menus
• redhat-rpm-config
• rhgb
• rhnlib
• rhn-applet
• rhpl
• ruby
• sblim
• seamonkey
• sos
• squirrelmail
• stunnel
• subversion
• swig
• system-config-nfs
• system-config-samba
• system-config-users
• system-config-kickstart
• system-config-services
• system-config-httpd
• system-config-netboot
• system-config-packages
• system-config-printer
• systemtap
• system-config-network
• system-logviewer
• tftp
• thunderbird
• tog-pegasus
• tux
• unixODBC
• up2date : Changes to support the Unbreakable Linux Network.
• wireshark
• xemacs-sumo
• xmms
• xorg-x11
• xscreensaver
• xterm
• zsh

New Packages Added

Oracle Enterprise Linux includes the following additional packages:

• createrepos : Added for use with yum.

• enterprise-release : Replaces redhat-release RPM in the upstream product.

• ocfs2

• ocfs2-tools

• oracleasm

• oracleasm-support

• oracle-logos : Replaces rpm redhat-logs from upstream product.

• sqlite

• sqlite-devel

• python-elementtree

• python-sqlite

• python-urlgrabber

• yum

Kernel and Driver Updates

This section includes significant changes in the kernel in this release.

Bug Fixes added by Oracle

• fix skb alignment that was causing sendto() to fail with EFAULT [orabug 6845794]

• fix  enomem due to larger mtu size page alloc [orabug 5486128]

• backout patch sysrq-b that queues upto keventd thread [orabug 6125546]

• netrx/netpoll race avoidance  [orabug 6143381]

• Fix elf_core_dump [orabug 6995928]

• use lfence instead of cpuid instruction to implement memory barriers[orabug 7452412]

• add netpoll support to xen netfront

• execshield: fix endless GPF fault loop [orabug 7175395]

• port el5u2 patch that allows 64-bit PVHVM guest to boot with 32-bit dom0 [orabug 7452107]

• update shrink_zone patch to allow 100% swap utilization  [orabug 7566319,6086839]

• backport report_lost_ticks patch from EL5.2 [orabug 6110605]

• fix for hung JVM thread after #GPF [orabug 7916406]

• port EL5U3 patch to adjust totalhigh_pages in the balloon driver [orabug 8300888]

• check to see if hypervisor supports memory reservation change [orabug7556514]

• use hypercall to fixmap pte updates  [orabug 8433329]

• Extend physical mask to 40bit for machine above 64G [orabug 8312526]

• fix oops in show_partition using RCU  [orabug 8423936]

Oracle Enterprise Linux 4 Update 8 ships with two sets of kernel packages. One [kernel-2.6.9-89.0.0.0.1.EL] with bug fixes added by Oracle and the other [kernel-2.6.9-89.EL] is unmodified RHEL kernel. The default installation installs the kernel [kernel-2.6.9-89.0.0.0.1.EL] with fixes added by Oracle. The unmodified kernel (without bug fixes added by Oracle) [kernel-2.6.9-89.EL] needs to be manually installed. The following steps are required to install this kernel.

1. Mount Oracle Enterprise Linux 4 Update 8 CD 1 or DVD.

2. Copy the RPMs from <mount_point>/extra-kernel to your system.

3. Install the required kernel using the rpm command. For example:

rpm -ihv kernel-2.6.18-89.x86_64.rpm

Fixes/Additions from Upstream Distribution Provider

•  Added  new value to  tunable parameter "/proc/sys/kernel/wake_balance" . Setting its value to 2 allows to run the thread on any available CPU rather than scheduling it on the optimal CPU.

•  Added new tunable parameter "max_writeback_pages"  to /proc/sys/vm/  to allow the max number of modified pages kupdate writes to disk per iteration per run. Default value 1024 (4MB).
  

•  Added new tunable parameter "swap_token_timeout" to /proc/sys/vm/  to provide a valid hold time of swap out protection token. To disable the swap taken mechanism set this parameter to value 0.
  

•  Added diskdump utility  support to sata_svw driver

•  This update limits 32 bit kernel to boot on systems with more than 64GB of  RAM to 64GB max.

•  Improved reliability of Autofs

•  Added support for 'rdattr_error' in NFSv4 readdir request

•  Updated Common Internat File System (CIFS) to latest upstream version
  

•  Added Intel ibex peak PCH support

•  Added initialization vendor info in boot_cpu_data.
  

• netxen 3031 initial and msi-x support and fw bugfixes enhancement

• realtek support for 8111cp and 8111bp with Intel Tylersburg chipset

• forcedeth driver to  version 0.61

• e1000e driver to  version 0.3.3.3-k6

• igb to  version 1.2.45-k2

• tg3 to version 3.96

• ixgbe to version 1.3.18-k4

• bnx2 to  version 1.7.9

• bnx2x to  version 1.45.23

• Fixed various SCSI layer issues

• Fixed dm-raid  bug with reduce io delay in dm-raid1

• Updated fcp driver with backport of fcp point to point connection support

• lpfc to version 8.0.16.46

• megaraid_sas to version 4.01-rh1

• mptfusion driver to version 3.12.29.00rh

• qla2xxx firmware to 4.06.01 for 4GB/s and 8GB/s adapters

• qla2xxx driver to version 8.02.09.00.04.08-d

• Fixed sata_nv in libsata to disable adma by default

• Alsa hda driver update from upstream 2008-07-22

• krb5 utilities are now PAM enabled

• full support for systemtap

• updated ipmitool to v1.8.11

• rpm now correctly fails on archives larger than 2GB

• updated device-mapper to 1.02.28

• updated device-mapper-multipath dm_hp_sw handler for HP Storage Arrays

• updated device-mapper-multipath mpath_prio_ontap for improved error handling on NetApp

• Added IPv6 support  in iscsi-initiator-utils
  

• Added router solicitation support

• Enforced sg requires tx csum in ethtool

• Updated OFED  to v1.4

• Added new AMD HDMI audio support to ATI HDMI

• Added support for affected_cpus for cpufreq

• Removed i8042 polling timer

Technology Preview Features

• OpenOffice 2.0

Unbreakable Linux Support

Oracle Enterprise Linux offers an option to keep your operating system up-to-date with the latest operating system patches using up2date. To use this option you need to have Unbreakable Linux Support. For more information, please visit http://linux.oracle.com.

Note: Prior to using up2date, import the RPM-GPG-KEY for Oracle Enterprise Linux:

rpm --import /etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY

Known Issues

• Updating all packages from Oracle Enterprise Linux 4.7 to Oracle Enterprise Linux 4.8 on multilib architectures may fail for openmpi-libs package due to dependency issues. To work around this issue, first update the compat-dapl package before updating the remaining packages:

• Bugs in previous versions of openmpi and lam package may cause up2date to fail when upgrading all packages. The following errorwill be reported  when attempting to upgrade openmpi or lam: