[Freeipmi-users] problems with bmc-watchdog

[Dave Love]

I'm trying to get bmc-watchdog working on Solaris (Sun ELOM, x4500) and
failing.  However, I'm seeing similar problems on GNU/Linux (RHEL 5,
also ELOM, but x4200).

First off on GNU/Linux bmc-watchdog won't work (`Get Cmd: BMC busy')
unless I specify the openmpi driver explicitly, which I don't have to
with other commands like bmc-info.

What I see on both OSes trying to start the daemon is log messages like

  [May 05 14:52:22]: starting bmc-watchdog daemon
  [May 05 14:52:22]: timer stopped by another process
  [May 05 14:52:22]: stopping bmc-watchdog daemon
  
In fact, the watchdog counter is started by the daemon and left running,
so the system reset after 900s when I initially didn't realize what was
happening.

In the GNU/Linux case, I just built and installed RPMS from the
0.8.6.beta0 source and did `service start bmc-watchdog' after setting
the device in freeipmi.conf, assuming the defaults are sensible, so
there's limited scope for my idiocy.  I tried initially with the example
parameters from the man page, though, and I have actually checked the
FAQ this time :-/.

Am I actually doing something fundamentally wrong?  If so, I think it
needs a health warning somewhere, as it causes resets of the system
after you start it going like that and don't realize.  (Not meaning to
whinge, of course.)