[arch-general] Boot SuperMicro H8QM8-2 w/4 Opteron 8360 - hangs on boot of install media

[P. A. López-Valencia]

El 29/02/2016 a las 6:44 p. m., David C. Rankin escribió:
> All,
>
>    This may be a stupid question. If so I apologize. Do I have to do anything
> different to boot the arch install media on a board with 4 Opteron 8360
> processors (16 core total), or should the kernel just handle however many cores
> there are?
>

There is no problem there. Arch's default kernel configuration supports 
up to and including 32 cores.

>    The reason I ask is it always hangs after it says Booting Kernel (immediately
> after decompress). When I memtest the memory, (I have two sets and I've gone
> stick by stick with a minimum memory config, and I still get errors at the exact
> same percentage of every test.) I have rotated each stick in/out with a
> replacement, and replaced the whole set, but same issue.

If you are sure the RAM sticks are working fine by, say, burning them in 
a different rig, then you may have a problem with the memory controller. 
or something more insidious in the firmware controller. In any case, it 
sounds to me you need to RMI the box. I've heard SuperMicro has above 
average tech support...

[snip]

>    What say the experts? Do I need to pass a kernel flag, or something similar
> for the 4 Opteron boot, or does it just smell like multiple failed sticks in
> each set?
>

I've never had problems with AMD-based servers. But the usual stuff in 
these parts is HP (now HPE), what used to be IBM (don't recall which 
Chinese outfit scavenged that part of the business), Dell and MSI-based 
white boxes.

-- 
Pedro A. López-Valencia
http://about.me/palopezv/
Recession is when a neighbor loses his job. Depression is when you lose 
yours. -Ronald Reagan