New to Linux, lock up problems

[Guest garbo73]

Hello all,

 

I have just switched from the Windows world and installed Mandrake 10.0 from the downloadable ISO's. Currently it is the only OS I have installed. I am also running Transgaming's latest software to play some of my Windows games (only one tried so far is Everquest). Originally I thought my lockups where caused by that software as it will always lock up during the download of Everquest's latest patches, actually while looking up possible downloads. However I get lock up's at other times in random, usually while look at a rather large folder or doing a process that takes a little work on the HD, even during boot up.

 

I am running an AMD Athlon XP 2500+ processor, 768 MB of PC 3200 RAM, Nvidia's GeForce 5600 Video and NForce sound. I have downloaded the latest video drivers and have them installed. Not really sure how to look up any additional information to post here, but any advice or ideas would be helpful, would really love to stick with Linux.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

-Will

[arctic]

welcome aboard, greta garbo. :D (i never thought i would be able to say that once in my life...)

 

i am no expert on nvidia-cards but i guess that the lock ups are a result of a rather "unclean" configuration of your card. i suggest, you use the "search" tool (top of page) and search a bit for nvidia topics or head directly to the hardware-section of this board. there are many nvidia postings in here.

 

in case that it is not your nvidia-card, it could be caused by your ram, e.g. if one of your ram-sticks is somehow damaged.

 

if you can: download also a linux live-cd for testing and recovery purposes. knoppix is a good choice for live-cds, used as system-check-tools. if the same error occurs on a live cd, then you probably have a major hardware-problem, otherwise it is "only" a software problem.

 

anyway... good luck :)

[mtaylor57]

I would agree that if it's not your Nvidia drivers, then I would look at your hardware. I had a PC that locked up on me all the time, and it turned out to be a bad mobo. I hope for your sake that it's the drivers. I would re-install the drivers and go from there.

 

[Guest garbo73]

Ok, I am running Knoppix v3.6. So far no problems locking up, have tried running some of the games and other programs with the CD, but nothing really pushes the system like running a Windows based game. Any ideas on a program or set of programs I can run to test it? Do they come with the CD? Thanks again.

[Guest garbo73]

Well, I went back into Mandrake, re-installed the video driver, now I can't get into KDE. How do I edit my X file without actually getting into X so that I can run it?

 

Thanks

[spiedra]

What error are you getting that is keeping you from going into X?

Are you getting a console w/a flashing curser? If so type startx

 

The file you are referrering to is /etc/X11/XF86Config-4. You can edit it with vi as root.

vi /etc/X11/XF86Config-4

After you edit it, hit:

<ESC>

:wq

Now the file is edited and saved.

Edited September 14, 2004 by spiedra

[Guest garbo73]

Re-ran the Nvidia file, now I can get back into KDE (apparently it didn't install right the last time for some reason), unfortunately system still locks up while patching Everquest.

[Guest garbo73]

Thought I would try another game that is supposed to run with Transgaming's software, tried Starcraft. Worked flawlessly without a hitch, tried Everquest again and locks up on checking files. Maybe it has something to do with configuration, any other EQ players want to share how they have their configuration setup might be helpful.

 

Thanks

[Guest Cbrduck]

Thought I would try another game that is supposed to run with Transgaming's software, tried Starcraft.  Worked flawlessly without a hitch, tried Everquest again and locks up on checking files.  Maybe it has something to do with configuration, any other EQ players want to share how they have their configuration setup might be helpful.

 

Thanks

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Well I'm only a newbie like yourself, but I was having lockups all over the place on my system til I used the 'noapic nolapic' option. Lockup's when copying files or viewing folders on a S-ATA drive wasn't solved until I got a 2.6 kernel.

[Guest garbo73]

Here is my lilo.conf file. Still locking up, downloaded latest Nvidia files as well, no luck:

 

# File generated by DrakX/drakboot

# WARNING: do not forget to run lilo after modifying this file

 

boot=/dev/hda

map=/boot/map

default="linux"

keytable=/boot/us.klt

prompt

nowarn

timeout=100

message=/boot/message

menu-scheme=wb:bw:wb:bw

image=/boot/vmlinuz

label="linux"

root=/dev/hda1

initrd=/boot/initrd.img

append="devfs=mount acpi=ht splash=silent"

vga=788

read-only

image=/boot/vmlinuz

label="linux-nonfb"

root=/dev/hda1

initrd=/boot/initrd.img

append="devfs=mount acpi=ht"

read-only

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.3-7mdk

label="263-7"

root=/dev/hda1

initrd=/boot/initrd-2.6.3-7mdk.img

append="devfs=mount acpi=ht splash=silent"

read-only

image=/boot/vmlinuz

label="failsafe"

root=/dev/hda1

initrd=/boot/initrd.img

append="failsafe acpi=off noapic nolapic devfs=nomount splash=silent"

read-only

other=/dev/fd0

label="floppy"

unsafe

 

Let me know what you think.