Dustpuppy

Well, I've now got conclusive proof that it's software rather than hardware that's giving the problem. Fedora Core 6 runs fine on it, I guess I'll stick to this for the time being on this 'puter. Oh well, hopefully 2008 might be better :sad:

It's still freezing with the new ram, so it's not a memory problem.

Looking in /var/log/messages, I'm not getting the CPU messages very often, and not before each freeze. I've also checked the outlet is OK and got rid of suspend. The only thing that is consistently there before each freeze is a set of Shorewall blocking messages, and then

Dec 23 12:24:13 localhost gconfd (claresimon-5820): starting (version 2.14.0), pid 5820 user 'dustpuppy'

Dec 23 12:24:13 localhost gconfd (dustpuppy-5820): Resolved address "xml:readonly:/etc/gconf/gconf.xml.mandatory" to a read-only configuration source at position 0

Dec 23 12:24:13 localhost gconfd (dustpuppy-5820): Resolved address "xml:readonly:/etc/gconf/gconf.xml.local-mandatory" to a read-only configuration source at position 1

Dec 23 12:24:13 localhost gconfd (dustpuppy-5820): Resolved address "xml:readwrite:/home/claresimon/.gconf" to a writable configuration source at position 2

Dec 23 12:24:13 localhost gconfd (dustpuppy-5820): Resolved address "xml:readonly:/etc/gconf/gconf.xml.local-defaults" to a read-only configuration source at position 3

Dec 23 12:24:13 localhost gconfd (dustpuppy-5820): Resolved address "xml:readonly:/etc/gconf/gconf.xml.defaults" to a read-only configuration source at position 4

I'm running KDE. Any ideas what's going on, and could this be causing the freezes?

Thanks for the help, people. I've swapped in some different ram, so I'm just waiting to see if I get the freezes again.

While I was in the box I checked the graphics card was in properly, and hoovered out lots of dust (there was some family evolving in there...).

I'm still getting the same low framerate, and the 'KTux' screensaver sort of stutters across the screen. xorg.conf is all it should be - any ideas?

I've just had a look in /var/log/messages. I seem to have a lot of

Dec 22 01:11:54 localhost kernel: CPU0: Running in modulated clock mode

Dec 22 01:12:00 localhost kernel: CPU0: Temperature above threshold

Could this be causing things to go wrong, and what should I do about it? NB both fans in the case are working.

I still have not managed to get 2007 working properly yet, and am nearing the end of my patience with it. Please help me with one last push to try and make it work...

My system is desktop 1 below. Every so often, I'm getting system freezes of about 30 seconds duration, during which nothing works including ctrl-alt-backspace and ctrl-alt-f5. When it un-freezes, whatever I did during the freeze (eg pressed a key on the keyboard) gets done. The only way to stop this happening to is reboots (logging out and then in of KDE doesn't work, nor does re-starting X). Sometimes it can take a couple of reboots to stop the freezes. I can't see any pattern to the freezes.

I had this problem much more often when I was using the Nvidia proprietry drivers. Since switching to the plf rpm of the 9-series driver they've become less frequent, but still extremely irritating, especially when it happens in the middle of a skype call.

Another problem, which may or may not be related, is that I am getting extremely poor graphics performance: 200fps on glxgears, and a visible stuttering on screensavers. Sometimes the system seems to grind almost to a halt, with things like scrolling in firefox being very jumpy and slow. Only a restart works on this. Glxinfo says that I have directly rendering turned on.

I have turned off all the services I don't need, including clamd and freshclam. I'm running on the latest kernel. Please help!

I had this happen once, and I just used keyboard shortcuts to get to the mouse configuration, then it worked. Do: alt-f2 > mcc then use arrow keys and tab to get to hardware > mouse and press enter. Use arrow keys to go through the setup, and then it should work OK.

Solved by a re-install.

I've re-installed and used the latest Nvidia drivers, and all is working serenely now. Hurrah.

I'm going to go for a re-install and hope that solves my myriad problems...

I've reset all the simlinks, and am running at "standard" security level - nothing.

I've dropped down to the 8774, and although I don't get the flickering, I'm still not getting direct rendering :huh:

Er, no. I tried to at one point and nearly trashed the system (full story over in software), so I've left it well alone since.

The thing is, I was running the .8 driver before, and it was fine.

ETA: this is desktop 1, so its a geforce 4 mx440 card.

Love the logo on the new .9629... don't love 500fps and no direct rendering. Please help me get them back!

glxinfo gives

direct rendering: No

server glx version string: 1.2

client glx version string: 1.4

xorg.conf is

Section "ServerLayout"

Identifier "layout1"

Screen "screen1" 0 0

InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"

InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"

EndSection

 

Section "Files"

 

# font server independent of the X server to render fonts.

# minimal fonts to allow X to run without xfs

FontPath "unix/:-1"

FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/misc:unscaled"

EndSection

 

Section "Module"

Load "dbe" # Double-Buffering Extension

Load "v4l" # Video for Linux

Load "extmod"

Load "type1"

Load "freetype"

Load "glx" # 3D layer

EndSection

 

Section "ServerFlags"

 

#DontZap # disable <Crtl><Alt><BS> (server abort)

# allows the server to start up even if the mouse does not work

#DontZoom # disable <Crtl><Alt><KP_+>/<KP_-> (resolution switching)

Option "allowmouseopenfail"

EndSection

 

Section "InputDevice"

Identifier "Keyboard1"

Driver "kbd"

Option "XkbModel" "pc105"

Option "XkbLayout" "gb"

Option "XkbOptions" "compose:rwin"

EndSection

 

Section "InputDevice"

Identifier "Mouse1"

Driver "mouse"

Option "Protocol" "ExplorerPS/2"

Option "Device" "/dev/mouse"

EndSection

 

Section "Monitor"

Identifier "monitor1"

VendorName "Generic"

ModelName "1024x768 @ 70 Hz"

HorizSync 31.5 - 57.0

VertRefresh 50.0 - 70.0

ModeLine "768x576" 50.0 768 832 846 1000 576 590 595 630

ModeLine "768x576" 63.1 768 800 960 1024 576 578 590 616

EndSection

 

Section "Device"

Identifier "device1"

Driver "nvidia"

VendorName "nVidia Corp."

BoardName "NVIDIA GeForce4 (generic)"

EndSection

 

Section "Screen"

Identifier "screen1"

Device "device1"

Monitor "monitor1"

DefaultDepth 24

Option "DPMS"

SubSection "Display"

Depth 8

Modes "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "640x480" "480x360" "320x240"

EndSubSection

SubSection "Display"

Depth 15

Modes "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "640x480" "480x360" "320x240"

EndSubSection

SubSection "Display"

Depth 16

Modes "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "640x480" "480x360" "320x240"

EndSubSection

SubSection "Display"

Depth 24

Modes "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "640x480" "480x360" "320x240"

EndSubSection

EndSection

 

Section "Extensions"

Option "Composite"

EndSection

I started using Linux at home when I just got fed up of windows crashing/losing work/needing re-boots/generally completely pissing me off. I literally couldn't stand it any more.

Hurray! Getting rid of the hidden files sorted out the fonts problem, but I'm still not having any luck with getting the shutdown options under kdm. I'm running gdm instead, and hoping that's not going to create a problem with KDE...

I'm also leaving 3d effects well alone now!

I couldn't find anything in the control center to help :unsure:

Weird thing is, in Gnome the firefox fonts are fine, but I get the problem in Kaffeine (which I don't get in KDE).

I still don't get how what I did caused this to happen :huh:

What else to do with a fully functional system, but break it... I know I was daft to try 3d effect with a geforce 4 mmx card. But I didn't think it would trash my system! I went to the "3d" config. in mcc, was told my system could cope, and that compiz was being installed. Which it did. Then after restart I found that not only did I not have any 3d effects, but I had no window borders (in either kde or gnome), no shutdown options on logout, an erratically functioning keyboard, and all my fonts were completely different. So I went back to the mcc to disable 3d effects, only to find that now I was being told that my system couldn't do them, and the options were faded out. I tried restarting kdm, but nothing happened.

I figured that the problem was compiz being my dm, so I did "urmpe compiz". I also uninstalled and re-installed kdm. This got me back some window borders (but not if I choose the theme "mandriva"), but no logout options and my fonts were still weird. I've managed to sort out most of the fonts, except for firefox: the fonts up the top (file..edit..view etc) and bottom (Done... Adblock etc) and the address bar font are all ENORMOUS and I can't find any settings in KDE or Firefox itself that will change them. This happens using gdm as well, the only change there is that I get logout options.

I know it's my own fault, but

(please)

Thanks Ian... For some bizarre reason it's now stopped doing it... so far :) I've rebooted for the first time since turning off all the services I didn't need, and disabling IPv6 in sysconfig. Maybe that did it :unsure:

So, I have 2007 installed on a really old system (desktop 2) and a medium-new-ish system (desktop 1). The old one runs fine, but the new one... every minute when running firefox (and at longer intervals when not running it) I get the system hanging for between 10 and 20 seconds. Nothing works - mouse, keyboard, anything. It happens in KDE, it happens in Gnome, and it even happened in the middle of installing the Nvidia drivers without a gui. It happens if I have the Nvidia drivers installed, and it happens if I run the card under the opensource drivers. I've got all the updates installed, and am running the 2.6.17-5 kernel. I've turned off all the services I don't need, and still it happens.

It's driving me bananas, please help!

Same here - just click "OK" to everything that comes up, and it works.

There are known issues with the Nvidia drivers and this release - I think at one point in the beta cycle you couldn't even get X, so at least it's an improvement :unsure: The one thing that I would suggest, though, is not to try the 3D effects quite yet. I managed to utterly nuke my system trying that, to the extent that all I could do was re-install.

I expect these things are being worked on...

New hard drive (finally), and no more noises.

(There were other signs of harddrive failure - odd lockups and difficulty installing the OS).

Thanks for the help!

I'll have a go turning off swap and taking the ram out, but given that the hd is 6-and-a-half years old it's probably that.

Gah. More money gone.

ETA: yes, it's like it's clicking every couple of seconds.

It's doing it under icewm as well :sad:

Desktop 2 has recently had a ram upgrade which means I can now run Gnome. However, about every two seconds the harddrive is accessed very briefly (enough to make a brief noise). Even when it's sitting there with nothing open it still does it :unsure:

I wanna make it stop!

Oh yes, Flash 8. Flash has been execrated by the entire Linux community, and has still refused to release Flash 8 for Linux.

Twats.

If you just want to go into Gnome once, choose "logout" from the star menu, then "end current session", then at the login screen choose "gnome" under the "session" tab.

If you want to change it permanently, go into the mcc, "boot", then "enable autologin". That gives you a choice of login sessions.

Having seen the screenshots... it looks dated. Is it really beyond Mandy to come up with some decent NEW artwork, and maybe even change the default KDE look?

Should I start another thread to bellyache about this? B)