Panic Lab Mac OS

  • OS: Windows 7 / Vista / XP; Processor: 3.0 GHz P4, Dual Core 2.0 (or higher) or AMD64X2 (or higher) Memory: 2 GB RAM; Graphics: Video card must be 128 MB or more and with support for Pixel Shader 2.0b (ATI Radeon X800 or higher / NVIDIA GeForce 7600 or higher / Intel HD Graphics 2000 or higher). DirectX: Version 9.0c; Storage: 8 GB available space.
  • Jul 27, 2020 An issue with the App Sandbox is causing problems for some virtual machine software users, with the issue inducing a kernel panic in macOS Catalina 10.15.6 when used for a long period of time.

Aug 07, 2020 Soon enough, you’ll be right inside of macOS, where you’ll be able to start using your mac virtual machine on Windows. Having a virtualbox mac OS is the easiest method of using mac as and when you need it. In addition, using virtualbox is far less complicated than the dual boot hackintosh method we have looked at previously.

A kernel panic message from a Linux system
Kernel panic in Ubuntu 13.04 (Linux 3.8) in Oracle VM VirtualBox

A kernel panic (sometimes abbreviated as KP[1]) is a safety measure taken by an operating system's kernel upon detecting an internal fatal error in which either it is unable to safely recover or continuing to run the system would have a higher risk of major data loss. The term is largely specific to Unix and Unix-like systems. For Microsoft Windows operating systems the equivalent term is 'Stop error', resulting in a bug check[2] screen that presents the bug check code on a blue background in early versions of Windows (colloquially known as a 'Blue Screen of Death' or BSoD), or on a green background on the Xbox One platform as well as in Windows 10 preview builds.[3]

The kernel routines that handle panics, known as panic() in AT&T-derived and BSD Unix source code, are generally designed to output an error message to the console, dump an image of kernel memory to disk for post-mortem debugging, and then either wait for the system to be manually rebooted, or initiate an automatic reboot.[4] The information provided is of a highly technical nature and aims to assist a system administrator or software developer in diagnosing the problem. Kernel panics can also be caused by errors originating outside kernel space. For example, many Unix operating systems panic if the init process, which runs in user space, terminates.[5][6]

History[edit]

The Unix kernel maintains internal consistency and runtime correctness with assertions as the fault detection mechanism. The basic assumption is that the hardware and the software should perform correctly and a failure of an assertion results in a panic, i.e. a voluntary halt to all system activity.[7] The kernel panic was introduced in an early version of Unix and demonstrated a major difference between the design philosophies of Unix and its predecessor Multics. Multics developer Tom van Vleck recalls a discussion of this change with Unix developer Dennis Ritchie:

I remarked to Dennis that easily half the code I was writing in Multics was error recovery code. He said, 'We left all that stuff out. If there's an error, we have this routine called panic, and when it is called, the machine crashes, and you holler down the hall, 'Hey, reboot it.'[8]

The original panic() function was essentially unchanged from Fifth Edition UNIX to the VAX-based UNIX 32V and output only an error message with no other information, then dropped the system into an endless idle loop.

Source code of panic() function in V6 UNIX:[9]

As the Unix codebase was enhanced, the panic() function was also enhanced to dump various forms of debugging information to the console.

Causes[edit]

A panic may occur as a result of a hardware failure or a software bug in the operating system. In many cases, the operating system is capable of continued operation after an error has occurred. However, the system is in an unstable state and rather than risking security breaches and data corruption, the operating system stops to prevent further damage and facilitate diagnosis of the error and, in usual cases, restart.[10]

After recompiling a kernel binary image from source code, a kernel panic while booting the resulting kernel is a common problem if the kernel was not correctly configured, compiled or installed.[11] Add-on hardware or malfunctioning RAM could also be sources of fatal kernel errors during start up, due to incompatibility with the OS or a missing device driver.[12] A kernel may also go into panic() if it is unable to locate a root file system.[13] During the final stages of kernel userspace initialization, a panic is typically triggered if the spawning of init fails. A panic might also be triggered if the init process terminates, as the system would then be unusable.[14]

The following is an implementation of the Linux kernel final initialization in kernel_init():[15]

Operating system specifics[edit]

Linux[edit]

Kernel panic as seen on an iKVM console

Kernel panics appear in Linux like in other Unix-like systems, but they can also generate another kind of error condition, known as a kernel oops.[16] In this case, the kernel normally continues to run after killing the offending process. As an oops could cause some subsystems or resources to become unavailable, they can later lead to a full kernel panic.

Panic

On Linux, a kernel panic causes keyboard LEDs to blink as a visual indication of a critical condition.[17]

macOS[edit]

When a kernel panic occurs in Mac OS X 10.2 through 10.7, the computer displays a multilingual message informing the user that they need to reboot the system.[18] Prior to 10.2, a more traditional Unix-style panic message was displayed; in 10.8 and later, the computer automatically reboots and displays a message after the restart. The format of the message varies from version to version:[19]

  • 10.0–10.1: The system displays text on the screen, giving details about the error, and becomes unresponsive.
  • 10.2: Rolls down a black transparent curtain then displays a message on a white background informing the user that they should restart the computer. The message is shown in English, French, German and Japanese.
  • 10.3–10.5: The kernel panic is almost the same as version 10.2 but the background of the error screen is black.
  • 10.6–10.7-10.8: The text has been revised and now includes a Spanish translation.
  • 10.9 and later: The computer becomes unresponsive before it immediately reboots. When the computer starts back up, it shows a warning message for a few seconds about the computer restarting because of a kernel panic, and then the computer restarts back up. The message now includes a Chinese translation.

Sometimes when there are five or more kernel panics within three minutes of the first one, the Mac will display a prohibitory sign for 30 seconds, and then shut down (this is known as a 'recurring kernel panic').

In all versions above 10.2, the text is superimposed on a standby symbol and is not full screen. Debugging information is saved in NVRAM and written to a log file on reboot. In 10.7 there is a feature to automatically restart after a kernel panic. In some cases, on 10.2 and later, white text detailing the error may appear in addition to the standby symbol.

  • Mac OS X 10.0–10.1 kernel panic

  • Mac OS X 10.2 kernel panic

  • Mac OS X 10.3–10.5 kernel panic

  • Mac OS X 10.6 and 10.7 kernel panic

  • Message shown after the computer restarts because of a kernel panic in OS X 10.8 and later versions

See also[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kernel panic.

Mac Os Mojave

References[edit]

  1. ^'KP - Kernel Panic (Linux) AcronymFinder'. www.acronymfinder.com. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  2. ^'Bug Checks (Blue Screens)'. Hardware Dev Center - Microsoft.
  3. ^Hoffman, Chris. 'Did You Know Windows 10 Has a Green Screen of Death?'. How-To Geek. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  4. ^'FreeBSD 11.0 - man page for panic (freebsd section 9) - Unix & Linux Commands'. www.unix.com.
  5. ^'boot failure-init died - Unix Linux Forums - HP-UX'. www.unix.com.
  6. ^Randolph J. Herber (September 1, 1999). 'Re: PANIC: init died'. Newsgroup: comp.sys.sgi.admin.
  7. ^Daniel P. Siewiorek; Robert S. Swarz (1998). Reliable computer systems: design and evaluation. A K Peters, Ltd. p. 622. ISBN978-1-56881-092-8. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  8. ^'Unix and Multics'. www.multicians.org.
  9. ^Source code /usr/sys/ken/prf.c from V6 UNIX
  10. ^Steven M. Hancock (November 22, 2002). Tru64 UNIX troubleshooting: diagnosing and correcting system problemsHP Technologies SeriesITPro collection. Digital Press. pp. 119–126. ISBN978-1-55558-274-6. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
  11. ^Michael Jang (2006). Linux annoyances for geeks. O'Reilly Media, Inc. pp. 267–274. ISBN978-0-596-00801-7. Retrieved April 29, 2011.
  12. ^David Pogue (December 17, 2009). Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual, Snow Leopard Edition. O'Reilly Media, Inc. p. 589. ISBN978-0-596-80425-1. Retrieved May 4, 2011.
  13. ^Greg Kroah-Hartman (2007). Linux kernel in a nutshell. O'Reilly Media, Inc. p. 59. ISBN978-0-596-10079-7. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
  14. ^Wolfgang Mauerer (September 26, 2008). Professional Linux Kernel Architecture. John Wiley and Sons. pp. 1238–1239. ISBN978-0-470-34343-2. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
  15. ^linux/init/main.c, LXR Cross Referencer
  16. ^'Linux Device Drivers, Chapter 4'(PDF).
  17. ^James Kirkland; David Carmichael; Christopher L. Tinker; Gregory L. Tinker (May 2006). Linux Troubleshooting for System Administrators and Power Users. Prentice Hall. p. 62. ISBN9780132797399. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  18. ^'OS X: About kernel panics - Apple Support'. support.apple.com.
  19. ^'A New Screen of Death for Mac OS X'. OSXBook.com.
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kernel_panic&oldid=1008578286'
System cleanup in one click
Make your Mac fast and secure with CleanMyMac X.

When your Mac keeps restarting or unexpectedly tells you that you have to restart because of a problem, that's a kernel panic.

There are few things more terrifying when using a Mac than the dreaded kernel panic. A kernel panic occurs when your Mac runs into a problem that is so serious it is unable to continue running. When it happens, your Mac displays a dark grey screen with the words 'You need to restart your computer. Hold down the Power button for several seconds or press the Restart button.'

How to stop a kernel panic?

The only way to fix a kernel panic error is to do exactly that and restart your Mac. Fortunately, kernel panics are very rare these days and when they do occur, restarting your Mac may be all you need to do to never see one again.

If you suffer repeated kernel panics, however, you'll need to investigate the cause and solve the problem — it could be a conflict between poorly written apps or services, or a problem with hardware. The software is the most likely culprit. But thanks to apps from Setapp, fixing problems with software and avoiding kernel panics is very easy.

Tools to fix Kernel Panic

A collection of tools that keeps your Mac from going grey. Get your hands on it and stay on the safe side.

Here's how to vastly reduce your chances of needing to fix a kernel panic in the future.

Hardware

  1. Shut down your Mac and disconnect all hardware except your keyboard and mouse. If you use a third-party keyboard and mouse, swap them for the Apple versions, where possible. Restart your Mac. If your Mac runs ok and there are no more kernel panics, it's likely a device connected to your Mac was to blame.
  2. Shut down your Mac again and re-connect one device. Restart your Mac. Repeat this process until you get another kernel panic. When that happens, you'll know the last device you connected was the culprit. You can now either use your Mac without the device or check to see if it has updated drivers and install those, then try again with the device connected.

Software

  1. First, rule out a deep-rooted problem with macOS. Restart your Mac in safe mode by holding down the shift key when you restart. This disables login items, kernel extensions, and all fonts not used by the system. It also does a check of your startup drive's directory structure. If you can reboot in safe mode and use your Mac without a kernel panic occurs, the likely cause of the problem is files installed by an application or a login item.
  2. If you experience a kernel panic in safe mode and you've ruled out a problem with hardware connected to your Mac, the problem could be your Mac's basic hardware or system. Try doing a clean install of macOS, and starting from there.
  3. Assuming running in safe mode worked, you can reboot normally and use the techniques below to reduce the likelihood of experiencing a kernel panic in the future.

What's causing Kernel Panic? Identify potential problems

It can be a million reasons why your Mac keeps restarting. The best way to identify what's wrong is use system monitoring app like iStat Menus. It makes it easy to track the performance of your Mac and see whether any applications are hogging resources, like CPU cycles or RAM.

  1. Launch iStat Menus, and set up monitoring.
  2. Use the Dashboard to choose which components you want to display in the menu bar. At the very least, choose CPU.
  3. Click on CPU in the menu bar to see which processes are consuming the most cycles — it's an indication that an app or system component is having problems. If an app consistently uses a significant percentage of CPU cycles, uninstall it using CleanMyMac (see below) and reinstall it.
  4. It's also a good idea to use the sensors tab to keep an eye on your Mac's fans. An overheating Mac is likely to run into problems.

Uninstall applications with CleanMyMac

CleanMyMac allows you to easily uninstall problematic login items and applications.

To uninstall an application:

  1. Launch CleanMyMac (if you haven't already installed it, launch Setapp, search for it and click Install).
  2. Click on Uninstaller in the Application section in the left-hand window. Navigate to the application you want to uninstall and click the checkbox next to it.
  3. Click Uninstall

To uninstall a login item:

  1. Click on Optimization in the Speed section, then Login Items.
  2. Navigate to the login item you want to uninstall and click the checkbox next to it.
  3. Click Perform.

You can do the same for System Preferences panes, browser extensions, audio plugins, and other system files. Before you attempt to remove something, however, make sure you know what it does and how its removal will affect your ability to use the application it is associated with.

Clean up your hard drive / SSD with Mac cleaning tools

Mac Os Catalina

While you're troubleshooting and solving problems with your Mac, it's a good idea to clean up its hard drive or SSD and remove duplicate files. There are a couple of apps available in Setapp that make this a breeze.

Disk Drill allows you to quickly identify files that are taking up lots of space on your drive and remove them. It's quick and easy to do and can free up several gigabytes.

Gemini identifies duplicate files on your Mac and allows you to remove copies very easily. It's a simple way to free up space on your Mac.

Cleaning up your hard drive or SSD is important because to have room for virtual memory, you need to keep at least 10% of your disk's capacity free.

Find out how to use Disk Drill and Gemini to free up storage space on your Mac and reduce the chances of it having a kernel panic.

Try all these apps for free

Get a huge set of top apps for keeping your Mac in shape. Best utilities in one pack.

As you can see, kernel panics aren't nearly as worrisome as they first appear. Following the process above, you can quickly fix the problem. Or, better still, you can take steps now to avoid one altogether.

Setapp uses cookies to personalize your experience on our website. By continuing to use this site, you agree to our cookie policy.

Panic Lab Mac Os Catalina