Ok, it is the first time this has happened since I installed FC6. The system was running for maybe an hour and a half before this came up. Here is the message from /var/log/messages/:

Dec 9 19:03:54 localhost gconfd (milos-2802): Exiting
Dec 9 19:55:22 localhost kernel: Bad page state in process 'prelink'
Dec 9 19:55:22 localhost kernel: page:c1390d20 flags:0xc13138d8 mapping:00000000 mapcount:0 count:53 (Tainted: P )
Dec 9 19:55:22 localhost kernel: Trying to fix it up, but a reboot is needed
Dec 9 19:55:22 localhost kernel: Backtrace:
Dec 9 19:55:22 localhost kernel: [<c04051db>] dump_trace+0x69/0x1af
Dec 9 19:55:22 localhost kernel: [<c0405339>] show_trace_log_lvl+0x18/0x2c
Dec 9 19:55:22 localhost kernel: [<c04058ed>] show_trace+0xf/0x11
Dec 9 19:55:22 localhost kernel: [<c04059ea>] dump_stack+0x15/0x17
Dec 9 19:55:22 localhost kernel: [<c0457416>] bad_page+0x6b/0x97
Dec 9 19:55:22 localhost kernel: [<c0457b9a>] get_page_from_freelist+0x1f8/0x318
Dec 9 19:55:22 localhost kernel: [<c0457d27>] __alloc_pages+0x6d/0x2aa
Dec 9 19:55:22 localhost kernel: [<c045ea2c>] __handle_mm_fault+0x123/0x860
Dec 9 19:55:22 localhost kernel: [<c0615588>] do_page_fault+0x213/0x4db
Dec 9 19:55:22 localhost kernel: [<c0404b85>] error_code+0x39/0x40
Dec 9 19:55:22 localhost kernel: DWARF2 unwinder stuck at error_code+0x39/0x40
Dec 9 19:55:22 localhost kernel: Leftover inexact backtrace:
Dec 9 19:55:22 localhost kernel: [<c045335e>] file_read_actor+0x43/0xe0
Dec 9 19:55:22 localhost kernel: [<c0453c62>] do_generic_mapping_read+0x1bc/0x49b
Dec 9 19:55:22 localhost kernel: [<c045481b>] __generic_file_aio_read+0x18c/0x1d1
Dec 9 19:55:22 localhost kernel: [<c045331b>] file_read_actor+0x0/0xe0
Dec 9 19:55:23 localhost kernel: [<c04548a0>] generic_file_aio_read+0x40/0x47
Dec 9 19:55:23 localhost kernel: [<c046f246>] do_sync_read+0xc1/0xfb
Dec 9 19:55:23 localhost kernel: [<c0436ab4>] autoremove_wake_function+0x0/0x35
Dec 9 19:55:23 localhost kernel: [<c046f185>] do_sync_read+0x0/0xfb
Dec 9 19:55:23 localhost kernel: [<c046fbc8>] vfs_read+0xa6/0x157
Dec 9 19:55:23 localhost kernel: [<c047010c>] sys_pread64+0x48/0x5f
Dec 9 19:55:23 localhost kernel: [<c0404013>] syscall_call+0x7/0xb
Dec 9 19:55:23 localhost kernel: =======================
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: Bad page state in process 'prelink'
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: page:c146fb20 flags:0xc130a418 mapping:00000000 mapcount:0 count:11 (Tainted: P B)
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: Trying to fix it up, but a reboot is needed
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: Backtrace:
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: [<c04051db>] dump_trace+0x69/0x1af
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: [<c0405339>] show_trace_log_lvl+0x18/0x2c
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: [<c04058ed>] show_trace+0xf/0x11
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: [<c04059ea>] dump_stack+0x15/0x17
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: [<c0457416>] bad_page+0x6b/0x97
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: [<c0457b9a>] get_page_from_freelist+0x1f8/0x318
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: [<c0457d27>] __alloc_pages+0x6d/0x2aa
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: [<c045ea2c>] __handle_mm_fault+0x123/0x860
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: [<c0615588>] do_page_fault+0x213/0x4db
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: [<c0404b85>] error_code+0x39/0x40
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: DWARF2 unwinder stuck at error_code+0x39/0x40
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: Leftover inexact backtrace:
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: =======================
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: Bad page state in process 'prelink'
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: page:c146fbe0 flags:0x00000012 mapping:00000000 mapcount:0 count:2413 (Tainted: P B)
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: Trying to fix it up, but a reboot is needed
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: Backtrace:
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: [<c04051db>] dump_trace+0x69/0x1af
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: [<c0405339>] show_trace_log_lvl+0x18/0x2c
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: [<c04058ed>] show_trace+0xf/0x11
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: [<c04059ea>] dump_stack+0x15/0x17
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: [<c0457416>] bad_page+0x6b/0x97
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: [<c0457b9a>] get_page_from_freelist+0x1f8/0x318
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: [<c0457d27>] __alloc_pages+0x6d/0x2aa
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: [<c045ea2c>] __handle_mm_fault+0x123/0x860
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: [<c0615588>] do_page_fault+0x213/0x4db
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: [<c0404b85>] error_code+0x39/0x40
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: DWARF2 unwinder stuck at error_code+0x39/0x40
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: Leftover inexact backtrace:
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: [<c045335e>] file_read_actor+0x43/0xe0
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: [<c0453c62>] do_generic_mapping_read+0x1bc/0x49b
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: [<c045481b>] __generic_file_aio_read+0x18c/0x1d1
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: [<c045331b>] file_read_actor+0x0/0xe0
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: [<c04548a0>] generic_file_aio_read+0x40/0x47
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: [<c046f246>] do_sync_read+0xc1/0xfb
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: [<c0436ab4>] autoremove_wake_function+0x0/0x35
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: [<c046f185>] do_sync_read+0x0/0xfb
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: [<c046fbc8>] vfs_read+0xa6/0x157
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: [<c047010c>] sys_pread64+0x48/0x5f
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: [<c0404013>] syscall_call+0x7/0xb
Dec 9 19:55:27 localhost kernel: =======================
Dec 9 20:24:58 localhost syslogd 1.4.1: restart.


There was only BitTorrent running on the system at the time.Could this be a memory issue, or something else?

As you can see, there is a 50 min gap in messages log... I was always wondering, is this usual?

Yrrah posting;
I tried to install Linux on my PC, but got the message "kernel panic!" I tried a floppy, a Red Hat CD, and coneected an already installed Red Hat hard disc, but in all three cases I got this message. can anybody tell me what exactly a kernel is?

The error message: "Bad page state" was raised I think, because the page seems to reference address 0. If your swap file was in use, this could be a swap disk error, but I suspect that your diagnosis of a probable memory problem may be correct.

If you have your Fedora boot disk(s) available, you may be able to run memchk86 by booting from the CD or DVD. Note that a full memory check can take several hours to run.

Hello,
masterofNanako here,
The best thing for you to do first IMHO is for you to read the info contained in the wiki file found here:
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux"
This will give you a basic understanding of just 'what' Linux is, and the difference between it and say M$ products (so-called OS's) and Mac. Next I would find a good book on a linux system (of your choosing... but find something that provides a good newbie introduction.)
This is very important to do, if you want to begin as an informed user/installer.
good luck.
P.S. The Kernel is the most basic Operating System core that that allows you to build an operating system and interface with the hardware assembly. Next is the 'Shell', It will provide you with text input and a commandline structure for interface. However it is not the ONLY thing you install to use Linux and that is why it is a 'package system'. You use packages of apps and interface tools to 'create' a system interface that is user friendly.
This is a simplistic explaination, so just hit the wiki site and read and my the penguin be with you.