
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 Update 5 Release Notes

   Copyright © 2007 Red Hat, Inc. and others. This material may be distributed
   only subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Open Publication
   License, v1.0, available at http://www.opencontent.org/openpub/.
     _________________________________________________________________

Introduction

   The following topics are covered in this document:
     * Installation-Related Notes
     * General Information
     * Technology Previews
     * Kernel Notes
     * Changes to Drivers and Hardware Support

   Some updates on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 Update 5 may not appear in this
   version of the Release Notes. An updated version of the Red Hat Enterprise
   Linux 4 Update 5 Release Notes may also be available at the following URL:

   http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/enterprise/

Installation-Related Notes

   The following section includes information specific to installation of Red
   Hat Enterprise Linux and the Anaconda installation program.

Note

   In order to upgrade an existing Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 installation to
   Update 5, you must use Red Hat Network to update those packages that have
   changed.

   You may use Anaconda to perform a fresh installation of Red Hat Enterprise
   Linux 4 Update 5 or to perform an upgrade from the latest updated version of
   Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.
     * If you are copying the contents of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 Update
       5 CD-ROMs (in preparation for a network-based installation, for example)
       be sure you copy the CD-ROMs for the operating system only. Do not copy
       the Supplementary CD-ROM, or any of the layered product CD-ROMs, as this
       will overwrite files necessary for Anaconda's proper operation.
       These CD-ROMs must be installed after Red Hat Enterprise Linux has been
       installed.
     * Red  Hat Enterprise Linux 4 Update 5 for the 64-bit Intel Itanium2
       architecture includes runtime support for 32-bit applications through
       the use of Intel's IA-32 Execution Layer.
       The IA-32 Execution Layer is provided on the Extras disc for the Intel
       Itanium2  architecture. In addition, a set of 32-bit libraries and
       applications are provided on a separate 32-bit Compatibility Layer disc.
       The IA-32 Execution Layer and 32-bit compatibility packages together
       provide a runtime environment for 32-bit applications on the 64-bit
       native distribution.
       To install the IA-32 Execution Layer and required 32-bit compatibility
       packages, follow these steps:
         1. Install  Red  Hat  Enterprise  Linux 4 for the Intel Itanium2
            Architecture.
         2. Insert the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 Extras CD, which contains the
            ia32el package.
         3. After  the system has mounted the CD, change to the directory
            containing the Extras packages. For example:
            cd /media/cdrom/RedHat/RPMS/ 
         4. Install the ia32el and ksh packages:
            rpm -Uvh ia32el-<version>.ia64.rpm ksh-<version>.ia64.rpm 
            where <version> is the respective versions of the ia32el and ksh
            packages to be installed.
         5. Eject the Extras CD:
            eject /media/cdrom 
         6. To verify the installation of the 32-bit compatibility layer and
            libraries after installation, check that the /emul directory has
            been created and contains files.
         7. To verify that the 32-bit compatibility mode is in effect, type the
            following in a shell prompt:
            service ia32el status 
         8. At this point you can install compatibility libraries by inserting
            the 32-bit Compatibility Layer disc. You may choose to install all
            of the packages available on the disc or choose the particular
            packages required in order to provide runtime support for your
            32-bit applications.
     * If you installed Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 Update 5 through a serial
       console, the login prompt may not appear. To work around this, open
       /etc/yaboot.conf and locate the following line:
        append="console=tty0 console=ttyS4 rhgb quiet"
       Edit this line by switching the order of console=tty0 and console=ttyS4
       such that the line now reads as follows:
        append="console=ttyS4 console=tty0 rhgb quiet"

General Information

   ql2xfailover Support and Multipath
          Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 does not include support for ql2xfailover,
          as it has not been accepted upstream.

          To implement multipathing, use mdadm instead. For more information
          about  dm-multipath, consult its man page using the command man
          multipath.

   MCFG on AMD-based Systems
          During PCI probing, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 Update 5 attempts to
          use information obtained from MCFG (memory-mapped PCI configuration
          space). On AMD-systems, this type of access does not work on some
          buses, as the kernel cannot parse the MCFG table.

          To work around this, add the parameter pci=conf1 or pci=nommconf on
          the kernel boot line in /etc/grub.conf. For example:

title Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS (2.6.9-42.0.2.EL)
        root (hd0,0)
        kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.9-42.0.2.EL ro root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00 rhgb q
uiet pci=conf1
        initrd /initrd-2.6.9-42.0.2.EL.img

          Doing this instructs the kernel to use PCI Conf1 access instead of
          MCFG-based access.

   Rollbacks Using up2date
          The up2date options --undo and list-rollbacks are now deprecated.
          Currently, the recommended method for performing a rollback is to use
          the  Multi-state  Rollback feature provided by the Provisioning
          entitlement on Red Hat Network. For more information about this,
          refer to http://www.redhat.com/rhn/rhndetails/provisioning/.

          Alternatively, you can also downgrade an RPM manually. To do this,
          obtain the old RPM and run the following command:

          rpm -Uvh --oldpackage --nosignature --nodigest <filename of old RPM>

   Slow Disk Dump
          Slow disk dump may be improved using the block_order parameter. This
          parameter specifies the I/O block size to be used when writing the
          dump. Testing has shown that the default value 2 works well for most
          adapters and system configurations.

          Note  that  disk  dumps on Megaraid hardware (in certain system
          platforms and under certain configurations) may be prohibitively
          slow.  To  address  this, increase the value of the block_order
          parameter.

          Larger  block_order values consume more module memory. For more
          information   about   the   block_order   parameter,  refer  to
          /usr/share/doc/diskdumputils-<version>/README(replace<version>with
          the corresponding version of the diskdumputils package installed).

   iSeries Access for Linux
          The iSeries ODBC Driver for Linux has been replaced by a new product
          -- the iSeries Access for Linux. This new product can be downloaded
          at the following link:

          http://www.ibm.com/eserver/iseries/access/linux/

          iSeries Access for Linux is the latest offering in the iSeries Access
          product  line. It offers Linux-based access to iSeries servers.
          iSeries Access for Linux allows you to :

          + Access the DB2 UDB (Universal Database) for iSeries using its ODBC
            Driver
          + Establish a 5250 session to an iSeries server from a Linux client
          + Access the DB2 UDB via the EDRS (Extended Dynamic Remote SQL)
            driver
          + Support 32-bit (i386 and PowerPC) and 64-bit (x86-64 and PowerPC)
            platforms

   ibmasm
          The ibmasm package is used to facilitate communication with the IBM
          Advance System Management PCI Adapter, also known as RSA I. If you
          are using the RSA II, you need to manually uninstall the ibmasm
          package after downloading the corresponding package for RSA II.

Technology Previews

   Technology  Preview features are currently not supported under Red Hat
   Enterprise Linux 4 Update 5 subscription services, may not be functionally
   complete, and are generally not suitable for production use. However, these
   features are included as a customer convenience and to provide the feature
   with wider exposure.

   Customers may find these features useful in a non-production environment.
   Customers are also free to provide feedback and functionality suggestions
   for a technology preview feature before it becomes fully supported. Erratas
   will be provided for high-severity security issues.

   During  the  development  of  a technology preview feature, additional
   components  may  become available to the public for testing. It is the
   intention of Red Hat to fully support technology preview features in a
   future release.

   Systemtap
          Systemtap provides free software (GPL) infrastructure to simplify the
          gathering of information about the running Linux system. This assists
          diagnosis of a performance or functional problem. With the help of
          systemtap, developers no longer need to go through the tedious and
          disruptive instrument, recompile, install, and reboot sequence that
          may be otherwise required to collect data.

   Frysk GUI
          The  goal  of  the  frysk  project is to create an intelligent,
          distributed, always-on system monitoring and debugging tool that
          allows developers and system administrators to:

          + monitor running processes and threads (including creation and
            destruction events)
          + monitor the use of locking primitives
          + expose deadlocks
          + gather data
          + debug any given process by choosing it from a list or allowing
            frysk to open a source code (or other) window on a process that is
            crashing or misbehaving

          In Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 Update 5 the frysk graphical user
          interface is a technology preview, whereas the frysk command line
          interface is fully supported.

Kernel Notes

   This section lists updates related to the kernel.

   Generic Kernel Notes

          + CONFIG_SERIAL_8250_MANY_PORTS has been increased to 64.
          + sata_nv module now supports diskdump.
          + acpiphp  driver  now supports ACPI-based hotplugs for bridged
            adapters.
          + CIFS (Common Internet file system) has been upgraded to version
            1.45

   Platform-Specific Updates

          + SHUB2 is now supported

Changes to Drivers and Hardware Support

     * Sealevel 8-port serial cards are now supported
     * Added a new PWC (Philips Web Cam) driver that supports a wider range of
       webcam models
     * IBM Advanced Management Module 2 has been added to the USB storage
       whitelist for USB devices with multiple LUNs (Logical Unit Numbers)
     * EDAC  (Error Detection and Correction) is now supported on the AMD
       Opteron
     * Updated Alsa driver to version 1.0.9
     * Added Alsa support for Broadwater platforms
     * Updated LMSensors smsc47b397 driver
     * Updated ixgb driver to version 1.0.109-k2
     * Updated r8169 network driver to version 2.2LK
     * Pathscale IB adapter is now supported
     * Added qla4xxx driver to support Qlogic iSCSI hardware initiator. Also
       added qla3xxx driver to provide LAN connections on the same hardware.
     * Updated Infiniband support to OFED 1.1
     * Updated e1000 driver to version 7.2.7-k2 to support Intel Pro/1000 PT
       adapter, ICH8 LAN, and Intel Dual Port 1Gb Ethernet PCI-Express adapter
     * Updated BNX2 driver to version 1.4.43-rh
     * Updated Broadcom TG3 driver to version 3.64-rh to support Broadcom
       BCM5787M, the Broadcom 5715 PCIExpress adapter and the Broadcom 5704S
       chip
     * Updated ipr driver to support SAS/SATA
     * LSI Logic SAS ZCR is now supported
     * sata driver now supports ULi M5289 SATA controller
     * Updated cciss driver
     * Updated qla2xx driver to support SLIM expansion card on JS21
     * Updated MPTSAS driver to version 3.02.73rh
     * Updated the LSI MegaRAID driver
     * 8139cp  networking driver now supports netdump; this enables fully
       virtualized Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 guests to run netdump

   ( ia64 )
