Repeated FireWire Kernel Panics

[jpeckham]

I have recently purchased a Lacie Mini Hard Drive+Hub 250GB to use with my Mac Mini PPC G4 1.42Ghz. Since using this device, the computer suffers a repeated Kernel Panic which seems to be in the FireWire driver stack.

The problem is that after the OS has been up and running for a fairly long time (usually anything up to a day), a Kernel Panic occurs. I restart the system and several hours later, another Kernel Panic, and so on.

The Kernel Panic log contains the following report and is the same for every repeated crash:

Mon Dec 18 09:21:15 2006
panic(cpu 0 caller 0x000E3DDC): vnode_writedone: numoutput < 0
Latest stack backtrace for cpu 0:
Backtrace:
0x00095138 0x00095650 0x00026898 0x000E3DDC 0x000D8A24 0x004F3230 0x004E5FF4 0x008F6C80
0x008F9A38 0x008F9B38 0x0058FFFC 0x0059022C 0x0073627C 0x007366B8 0x00721C6C 0x007216EC
0x00547A44 0x00529040 0x00528940 0x00812AD4 0x00802450 0x002D0B94 0x002CFA5C 0x000A9314
Kernel loadable modules in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIReducedBlockCommandsDevice(1.4.9)@0x8f5000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIArchitectureModelFamily(1.4.9)@0x588000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOStorageFamily(1.5)@0x4e0000
com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireSerialBusProtocolTransport(1.4.4)@0x734000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireSBP2(1.7.5)@0x71e000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIArchitectureModelFamily(1.4.9)@0x588000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireFamily(2.2.5)@0x51f000
com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireSBP2(1.7.5)@0x71e000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireFamily(2.2.5)@0x51f000
com.apple.iokit.IOStorageFamily(1.5)@0x4e0000
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIArchitectureModelFamily(1.4.9)@0x588000
com.apple.driver.AppleFWOHCI(2.5.3)@0x7fc000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(1.7)@0x45f000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireFamily(2.2.5)@0x51f000
com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireFamily(2.2.5)@0x51f000
Proceeding back via exception chain:
Exception state (sv=0x2098BA00)
PC=0x00000000; MSR=0x0000D030; DAR=0x00000000; DSISR=0x00000000; LR=0x00000000; R1=0x00000000; XCP=0x00000000 (Unknown)

Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 8.8.0: Fri Sep 8 17:18:57 PDT 2006; root:xnu-792.12.6.obj~1/RELEASE_PPC



My system configuration is as follows:

Mac Mini Power PC G4 1.42Ghz
512MB DDR SDRAM
Mac OS X Server 10.4

As stated, the internal hard drive is disconnected.

Apart from the display, keyboard and mouse, this is the ONLY external device connected to the Mac Mini (via FireWire) - I have recently disconnected the internal hard drive as part of the diagnostic process due to bad sectors/disk failure, which I thought may have been causing the kernel panics. As there is no internal drive at present, the Lacie drive is being used as the boot drive. Apart from the Kernel Panics, the hard drive seems to be working perfectly in all other respects - the OS boots from the drive and operates with no problems until the next Kernel Panic.

I have gone through various diagnostics so far over a 2 week period. The hardware and software changes to the running OS have all been followed by a period of waiting, returning to the computer after several hours/next day to see the effect. In all cases the Kernel Panics still occur as described above.

* Disconnected internal hard drive (Kernel Panics keep occuring with and without this drive connected)
Disabled ALL power management settings in System Preferences (sleep, wake, display, disk etc)
* Disconnected the mouse from the computer (Bluetooth)
* Disconnected the keyboard from the computer (direct USB)
* Disconnected USB Hub connectivity from the Lacie drive
* Performed an NVRAM and PRAM reset (Command+Option+P & R at startup)
* Deep cleaned system caches with Cocktail utility
* Repaired disk permissions on the Lacie drive with Disk Utility
* Repaired the Lacie drive with Disk utility
* Zero-erased both free space and file system on the Lacie drive with Disk Utility
* Performed an Erase and Install of MAC OS X Server 10.4
* Performed a full Software Update to bring the OS to the latest level

Note that as per the diagnostic steps above, the Kernel Panics still occur on a *freshly installed* system, no other 3rd-party software is installed.

I would very much appreciate any help or advice you can offer. At the very least, if I can get some confirmation that the hardware may be faulty, I can give that information to the supplier so that I can get either a replacement or refund, as I only purchased the drive 1 month ago.

Many thanks
John Peckham

[Texas Mac Man]

Might possibly be heat related.

Look at these links.

Troubleshooting

The X Lab (Troubleshooting & Maintenance of OS X)
http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/faqs.html

Apple's Mac OS X Troubleshooting 101
http://www.apple.com/support/mac101/help/

OS X Routine Maintenance & Generic Troubleshooting
http://www.macattorney.com/ts.html

Prevent Mac Disasters
http://www.macworld.com/2005/01/feat...ters/index.php

Kernel Panics

What's a "kernel panic"? (Mac OS X)
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106227

Mac OS X Kernel Panic FAQ
http://www.macmaps.com/kernelpanic.html

Mac OS X Kernel Panic FAQ
http://www.index-site.com/kernelpanic.html

Resolving Kernel Panics
http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/kernelpanics.html

Cheers, Tom

[DeltaMac]

If you did not get panics before the FireWire drive, and now you do on a (semi)regular basis - you already suspect the FireWire drive - why not get a replacement drive, or reconnect the internal drive, or go to a different brand of external drive. You did state -

Since using this device, the computer suffers a repeated Kernel Panic which seems to be in the FireWire driver stack.

If you really need to run OS X server on a system that (AFAIK) is not a qualified system for OS X Server, then you may be running into an area (FireWire) that's not tested for use with Server on your particular Mac mini, and the Server software is giving you a problem as a result. You should try a different brand of FireWire drive for a better 'fit'.
This is a pretty poor example of a server if it crashes every day. I hope this is not your primary server system.