PANIC: init died

[Dr Colin J Holmes]

Hi all,

I just got a new (well, refurb) r5k O2 which I would
assume would have 6.5.4 or .5 on it. The hardware checks
out OK using the installed diagnostics, and the disk is
completely readable as reported by stand/fx. On booting to
either single or multiuser levels, IRIX panics and
coredumps with the following:

PANIC: init died (why=3, what =0xb)

I'm guessing that I'll have to do a fresh install, but I'd
like to know what this error means in the case there's something
more significant involved.

TIA, Colin.

[Randolph J. Herber]

OAQ (Often asked question)

I have explained this several times.

Short form answer: the kernel and /etc/init have a mutual suicide agreement
(if one dies, then the other does also). /etc/init took a unrecoverable
SIGSEGV (addressing exception) and died (0xb ==> 11 ==> SIGSEGV).

The first time I saw this, I dug the answer from the kernel source code.

Randolph J. Herber, her...@dcdrjh.fnal.gov, +1 630 840 2966, CD/CDFTF PK-149F,
Mail Stop 318, Fermilab, Kirk & Pine Rds., PO Box 500, Batavia, IL 60510-0500,
USA. (Speaking for myself and not for US, US DOE, FNAL nor URA.) (Product,
trade, or service marks herein belong to their respective owners.)