Strange multiforum problems

[willisoften]

This could be an installation or hardware problem or maybe even a programming shell problem which is why I've stuck it in off topic.

 

Problem machine keeps freezing up solid.

Things I've done recently:

Installed 9.2 (OK I'm behind 9.1 wasn't broke so why fix it - then I fixed it anyway)

installed a DVD burner - not yet running under mandrake.

Installed a UPS seems to work perfectly how could it be connected to freezing?

Lots of bash scripting mostly using vi

Worked for a solid 16 hours (revision <G>)

 

Machine freezes does not respond to mouse or keyboard.

 

Occasionally getting a message on boot something like crc failed

cyclic redundancy check?

 

Any of the above possibly connected? Always seems to happen when I'm working in the terminal but then I've been doing little else recently.

 

I can reinstall if I have too I haven't much stored on home except a few downloads and I never format it anyway.

 

So if anyone has an idea where I should start let me know.

Edited March 28, 2004 by willisoften

[aRTee]

memtest86..?

[Ixthusdan]

Yes, ram problem. And I'm moving this to hardware! B)

[willisoften]

The BIOS checks the memory at every boot and it looks ok /

The KDE tool

Configuration / KDE / Information / Memory looks good too.

So I'm at a loss. Physical memory is 1024MB there's swap partition 392MB created automatically with this installation of 9.2 - maybe this should be bigger? Though it seems to me that physical memory is plenty big enough without worrying about the swap partition.

[Ixthusdan]

The bios memory check is only cursory, and will find errors if they are in the first chip on the card. You need to run memtest86. Truly checking ram requires running a program on it multiple times in order to verify the consistancy of performance. Ram errors can occur at odd times, and not always, which is why the problem is so irritating.

 

The tools do not check ram in the way a test does. They ask the card "how are you" and the card responds "okee dokee". Memtest86 does not ask the card, it puts it thru a physical over and over and over. Good ram passes, bad ram fails.

[Technonoid]

And, you might want to check that they are seated well. I usually remove and reinstall them. If dusty, I remove vaccum and reinstall.

 

While your inside, ( If you go inside.) check all connections.

 

Tech

[willisoften]

Downloaded memtest86 made the floppy and booted it. No errors reported. it took a couple of hours to run all the tests not too bad I thought it might take longer.

 

So anymore suggestions? It doesn't really look like the memory - I did add another memory module just before this 9.2 install but Windows and 9.1 ran without problems. (If I could satisfy myself it was the memory I could get a replacement or refund.)

 

Could it be that with so much bash scripting done on this machine that bash history is causing a problem? Is there a limit to the size of a text file or is that just M$ Notepad ?

 

The modules seem to be solidly seated and not dusty - I blast with compressed air in a can. I'd never vacumn them!

[paul]

And, you might want to check that they are seated well. I usually remove and reinstall them. If dusty, I remove vaccum and reinstall.

 

While your inside, ( If you go inside.) check all connections.

 

Tech

are you aware that a vacuum create positively charged electrons in the air?

 

= static zap !!

go buy some canned air, $1.50 NZD, and its negatively charged

[paul]

Downloaded memtest86 made the floppy and booted it.  No errors reported.  it took a couple of hours to run all the tests not too bad I thought it might take longer. 

 

So anymore suggestions?  It doesn't really look like the memory - I did add another memory module just before this 9.2 install but Windows and 9.1 ran without problems.  (If I could satisfy myself it was the memory I could get a replacement or refund.)

 

Could it be that with so much bash scripting done on this machine that bash history is causing a problem? Is there a limit to the size of a text file or is that just M$ Notepad ?

 

The modules seem to be solidly seated and not dusty - I blast with compressed air in a can.  I'd never vacumn them!

easy to find out

mv ~/.bash_history ~/.bash_history.old

[Technonoid]

And, you might want to check that they are seated well. I usually remove and reinstall them. If dusty, I remove vaccum and reinstall.

 

While your inside, ( If you go inside.) check all connections.

 

Tech

are you aware that a vacuum create positively charged electrons in the air?

 

= static zap !!

go buy some canned air, $1.50 NZD, and its negatively charged

Hehe, yeah... I use compressed air my self. Guess that was bad advice.. My thoughts must have went on a temporary vacation at the time.

 

Anyway.... Can you be more specific on the crc error you get?

[Ixthusdan]

For what it's worth, I run loop tests over night, and look at the report in the morning. B) I don't know if your problem is ram or not, but testing memory takes time; you can't simulate the running conditions very well, so loops with time are a good substitute.

[willisoften]

Anyway.... Can you be more specific on the crc error you get?

 

Unfortunately no. That's all it says and it happens intermitently. Not on every boot.

 

I have moved bash history as suggested and so far so good. Maybe I'll look into clearing the history on shutdown or creating a new history file on boot. Should be possible. At the weekend I'll run memtest all night and see what happens.