4.1 alpha 2.6.25.14 crash test

[BarryK]

This is a build, post-4.1-alpha5, with 2.6.25.14 kernel, some limited functionality (missing 3rd party drivers) so only for those who reported that earlier 4.1's crashed. Kindly give this one a spin and let me know if it crashes. My blog announcement:

http://puppylinux.com/blog/?viewDetailed=00276

[puppyluvr]

Hello Barry,
Testing in VBox on Dingo, till I can burn it, but I couldnt kill it yet.
Tested at 256mb, runs like 'scalded monkey", everything worked so far. Will test wireless, ect... tomorrow as is midnight here, But Surfed, Chatted, Painted, and rocked out to a CD...LOL

If this is supposed to be a "Crash test", so far I must be the "Crash Test Dummy"!! Is there anything I should try? Ive been on it all night, and it runs great. Tomorrow, when I run it natively, I will install a bunch of stuff, and see how it does...


P.S. Is that, by any chance, you on the Bike????

[nooby]

He has already told us it is not him at the bike.

[Lobster]

eh . . . posted this in the wrong place so here it is again


mouse locked - within 5 seconds
and keyboard within same time Confused

One strange result:
I rebooted from Puppy 4 (used 'puppy pfix=ram' of course)
and the keyboard actually froze at the 'select keyboard stage'

I turned the machine off and waited 20 seconds
and it was OK again and I got to the Puppy 'cyclist' screen
then the mouse and keyboard froze as reported

I would remind you that this lock up was experienced with
Ubuntu Hardy Heron
Is it now confirmed as a Linux kernel problem?

Sorry it is not better news

[BarryK]

Lobster,
I would like to know some more about the hardware in your PC-that-locks-up. Can you open a terminal and run this:

# scanpci > /tmp/scanpci.log
# gzip /tmp/scanpci.log

then post /tmp/scanpci.log.gz here.

perhaps there is something mentioned somewhere on the internet about the problem with your hardware and recent kernels.

[Lobster]

File enclosed
It could be that graphics card . . . sadly no built in or spare to compare . . .

[dogone]

Lobster,
How about a copy of your Hardinfo report as well, please.

[Sage]

Lob: at least four of those items have had reported issues, including with 'doze. Most of the KT133 ones had been cleared by KT266, but not all. Although I use the MX400 for most of my testing it does have documented issues - try a PCI card for diagnosis porpoises. The Rhine NIC won't work well with Puppy under all circumstances, but I've not been able to quantify this yet - stick to RTL. As I always recommend, swap your HW (incl. board) one item at a time until you chase down the rogue element. Let me know if you need an old video card.

[Lobster]

Hardinfo report
enclosed . . .
. . . inside leg measurement to follow . . .
Thanks guys

[capoverde]

Tested 4.1 alpha 2.6.25.14 today, on the same machine that froze after about five minutes with 4.1Alpha5-IDE-kernel. I expected the mouse to freeze every second, but it did'nt: after half an hour I was still happily browsing, and decided to post my result to the forum - which was impossible at that moment, probably for server overload.
Now it's back to normal, I post this with the "crash test" alpha. Will test it on other machines as soon as possible.

[puppyluvr]

Barry,
Will the standard devx_400 work with this???( Im guessing not)

[Lobster]

Lob: at least four of those items have had reported issues

Thank Sage,
Running version 4 quite happily on that hardware with issues, and all other versions of Puppy up to 4.1 Alpha.

It may be reasonable for me to change hardware during testing. Is it even feasible for a release version? I do not suspect the mice or keyboard but that graphic card - yes - it is running X8 on a x4 motherboard/Bios. You can certainly send me another one to try. . . many thanks . . .

This sort of issue is one of the reasons I have suggested, 'Puppy recommended, standard hardware' (for when people upgrade) This might avoid such situations for Puppy hardcore users. However we do not have that standard yet . . .
. . . that is for another thread
You might suggest such a configuration . . .

[Sage]

Uh! Can't be much doubt that it's a video issue here. You can't be sure of running an old MX400 at x8 and get away with it every time! Try setting the BIOS back to 2x?! Doesn't that board have a 3V AGP slot (can't find the manual file right now)? Your graphics card may be dual voltage compliant, but.... And, I wouldn't be trying to run at such a high resolution - start with 800x600 in VESA! It's unfair to test alphas at top-end settings as a first trial - gradually work up until something breaks! Hopefully, Barry is still setting default video at 640x480 so that everyone can make their first inspections on old 14" monitors?!
Got a nice old Rage Pro 2x here which is reliable for testing, does a kind-of 3D and was built before ATI got screwed up and taken over - any use?
Quicker to resend me your address by PM.

[veronicathecow]

Hi Barry. Stops at loading kernel Frugal with a intel d201gly2 MB and sata drives with frugal install. Many thanks
Tony

[andre1]

@Lobster:
There have been reports of problems with some of Nvidia's gpu's (both discrete and integrated). I had the same issue on Ubuntu 8.04, but it's gone after updating the firmware on my Dell D630.
So try upgrading firmware on your mainboard + graphic card, or/and try to set your bios settings to more conservative settings as proposed earlier.

[Lobster]

Uh! Can't be much doubt that it's a video issue here.

m m m . . . I think you are right . . .
This would explain why so few were reporting this . . .
I seem to remember it did work better on VESA
You are right it is wrong to expect to run an Alpha as if it is a Beta . . .
I must admit I try to use an Alpha unless it is unusable . . .
I will try some of the other suggestions after I download the
latest Lobster orientated test version

[Sage]

You might suggest such a configuration . . .

For initial testing, I always use:
- an old SktA board, ~1.5-2GHz cpu,
- >=128Mb memory
- an O-L-D 2xAGP video card (slightest hint of issues, swap this for an even older PCI card)
- RTL8139 NIC
- >36xCDROM drive and
- only a crt monitor (for first look).
- PS/2 k/b, ditto mouse.
- strictly 40w IDE (NOT SATA, not 80w) cables, one master HD, one master CDROM.
Stuff should be cheap Chinese clones, eg liberated from junk - please, absolutely nothing branded/proprietary! Nor anything you've ever read anywhere might have a problem, regardless of own previous experiences!

DON'TS:
- use Intel anything
- use USB anything
- use hi-end video card
- use too much memory or swap
- use lcd monitor
- WiFi anything
- put anything in a box (if it's already in one, take it out!)

Once things satisfactorily get underway, items can be swapped out for personal preferences one at a time.... until something breaks!

[capoverde]

Thanks Sage, you give excellent lines about how to avoid trouble (not only with Puppy Alphas)! My systems mainly follow your suggestions, except:

- an LCD monitor, which hasn't given trouble till now, just some video cards require XOrg to drive it properly;
- one Celeron-based machine, which generally ran even Alphas without special problems, excepting Alpha5;
- some 80-wire IDE cables on two machines;
- a USB keyboard and optical mouse, which work perfectly -- older Puppies had problems with the USB keyboard at first boot, no longer now. I can even have one keyboard + mouse on USB and another on PS/2 working simultaneously, ideal when showing Puppy to someone!

Your advice about choosing cheap, even ex-junk Chinese hardware is particularly appreciated, as often some high-end-big-brand addict gets shocked when I dare spell it (much to my amusement). Never had a problem from that kind of stuff, unless defective of course.

[Sage]

Thanks, cp. There's a couple of guys over on BK's blog pontificating about the march of multi-core processors. I guess it's not a crime, but they have little or no appreciation of the real world out here. I am still pensioning off plenty of 486/PI&II's, many of whose owners are blissfully unaware of anything else, much less that they need much more.

[nooby]

I am so new t oal lthis that I am not sure if Barry and all the others
doing the edge things have any usage of me testing. I could be too
odd with my gear.

Mu box are very special it seems. I mean if even Knoppix and Kanotics
and many other famous distros fail to get my ethernet card out of the
box then it have to be unusual

What I wonder about is this shut down failure.

Some Slackware and Slax instpired distros does it better than
what Puppy does it. I don't know if that is because they force
ACPI??? or have a slightly different way of doing it.

Could be me failing to set up bios properly.

So for me to test the alpha has so many variables that could be
distractions for the progess of the work to get a stable 4.1
but I would be very disappointed if it failed to shut down properly.

I mean several other rather small distros do that already so why
should we not expect that well behaved manner from "our" Puppy?

so how could I help out at least with the shut down failure?

Should I try to be systematic and start to list which do it properly
and which don't and under which circumstance so Barry et al can
see a pattern emerge. To see what could be changed for Puppy to
do clean shut downs.