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I already rebooted but WHM still says I need to reboot

Justin Dover
  • Updated

Symptoms

WHM presents the following message that doesn't seem to be cleared upon reboot:

 

Cause

This issue occurs when the kernel has recently been updated, but the server's package manager still indicates it requires a reboot. The most common reasons are that the system time is out of sync, or the currently running kernel is not the latest installed. 

 

Resolution

In order to determine why this is occurring, the reason for the reboot must be reviewed.

  1. Access the server as the root user using SSH or the Terminal in WHM.

  2. Run the following to list the reason for the reboot:

    # whmapi1 system_needs_reboot

Recent Kernel Update

  1. Output of the system_needs_reboot API command indicates the "boot" kernel is newer than the "running" kernel:

    CONFIG_TEXT: # whmapi1 system_needs_reboot
    data:
    details:
    kernel:
    boot_version: 4.18.0-553.129.1.el8_10.x86_64
    running_version: 4.18.0-553.120.1.el8_10.x86_64
    ...
    needs_reboot: 1
    ...

    If there is a mismatch between the version numbers following a reboot, then the server did not boot into the most recent kernel as expected.

  2. Update the default kernel using the grubby tool using the information from the following:
    How to set the default kernel with grubby

    Note: Depending on the server's environment, it is possible that the server does not directly control which kernel is booted. If so, it is recommended to discuss this further with the System Administrator or Hosting Provider.

System Time Out of Sync

  1. Output of the system_needs_reboot API command indicates that system libraries updated:

    CONFIG_TEXT: # whmapi1 system_needs_reboot
    data:
    details:
    updates:
    dbus: 1
    dbus-daemon: 1
    glibc: 1
    linux-firmware: 1
    ...
    needs_reboot: 1
    ...

    If this notice persists beyond a reboot, it typically indicates that the server's clock is out of sync.

  2. You can observe when a listed package was updated using the following command:

    # grep $package /var/log/dnf.log

    Note: Replace $package with the name of the package to search for from the system_needs_reboot output.

  3. Ensure that the server's time is kept in sync. The following provides further information on this:
    How To Synchronize the Server Clock

    Note: Depending on the server's environment, it is possible that the server's clock is managed via alternate methods. If so, it is recommended to discuss this further with the System Administrator or Hosting Provider.

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