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Reboot Linux Faster Using kexec
An anonymous reader writes "Even if your work doesn't require you to reboot your Linux machine several times a day, waiting for a system to reboot can be a real drag. Enter kexec. Essentially, kexec is a fast reboot feature that lets you reboot to a new Linux kernel -- without having to go through a bootloader. Faster reboot is a benefit even when uptime isn't mission-critical -- and a lifesaver for kernel and system software developers who need to reboot their machines several times a day. Kexec is currently available on the x86 32-bit platform only."
As mentioned before, remote systems are where this utility would really shine. If there was a simple way to tell a kernel to reboot on error instead of locking up the system, then it'd be the perfect system for testing various kernels on a remote system. No need to call your colocation host and ask for a manual reboot! Again, there are projects being developed to reduce the imit time for Linux. On such systems, the relative speed of this approach wil be significant. And, yes, 150 seconds can be a lot of time to wait for a reboot.