Re: Redhat support experience

[Alois Treindl <alois astro ch>]

Alois Treindl wrote:
> since I upgraded recently to kernel 2.4.21-15.0.2.ELsmp,
> the system logs frequently this error message:
>
> modprobe: modprobe: Can't locate module char-major-10-224
> last message repeated 2 times
>
> This happens on all machines for which I have done the kernel update.

I registered the problem with Redhat Support, at the same time as I had 
submitted it to the mailing list. It turned into an interesting experience.

This monday morning Redhat support told me:
-- begin quote --
The character device with major 10 and minor 224 is not registered in
devices.txt (/usr/src/linux-2.4/Documentation/devices.txt) that comes 
with kernel-source, so i cannot tell wich devices it is.

Chances are that this is a device used by some application trying to 
read to a character device with major 10 and minor 224 without having 
the module available (as this device does not exists as far as 
devices.txt is concerned, it s normal that we do not ship such a driver).

In order to get rid of this error message, you can add the following 
line in /etc/modules.conf: alias char-major-10-224 off
-- end quote --

I have answered them:
-- begin quote --
Yes, the line in /etc/modules.conf gets rid of the messages

The entry has to do with the (new) audit service, a component
built in by Redhat and not by me.

I have disabled audit as a service, because I don't run unknown
services on the system, but the rpms are installed:
laus-libs-0.1-56RHEL3
laus-0.1-54RHEL3

The file /usr/share/doc/MAKEDEV-3.3.12/devices.txt
tells us what char-major-10-224 is
224 = /dev/tpm          TCPA TPM driver

I would feel safer with my system if Redhat Support actually knew what 
services and devices they build in ;-)
This is particularily true for the infamous TCPA stuff (Microsoft's 
'trusted computing' spy module)
-- end quote ---