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Re: [Wlug] Back issues of Linux Journal magazine available

by Mike Frysinger

On Monday 06 June 2005 08:10 pm, Andy Stewart wrote: > If nobody wants them by next Monday, I'll send them to recycling. who knows, maybe someone on ebay would want em ... throw em up for like a $1.00 :) -mike

June 7, 2005

Back issues of Linux Journal magazine available

by Andy Stewart

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 HI everybody, I am cleaning out a closet and have some back issues of Linux Journal magazine that I'd like to give to somebody who wants them. They are all in great shape, all have been read, and (for you collectors) most probably do not have the mail in subscription cards (I like to use those as bookmarks). Aug 1995 (issue 16) - Dec 1995 All issues from 1996 All issues from 1997, incl Buyer's Guide All issues from 1998, incl Buyer's Guide All issues from 1999, incl "Enterprise Solutions" supplement If nobody wants them by next Monday, I'll send them to recycling. I'd be happy to bring them to the next WLUG meeting if somebody specifically says they want them. Later, Andy - -- Andy Stewart, Founder Worcester Linux Users' Group Worcester, MA, USA http://www.wlug.org -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.2.5 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with Thunderbird - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFCpOXZHl0iXDssISsRApXfAJ9UODjZ7meFzPZ/YesyBbsKDPBlUgCeM8Pa Ovvq9jm+aPlUetgGUSG94pQ= =WsE0 -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

June 7, 2005

Re: [Wlug] HOWTO debug hard lockups

by Andy Stewart

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Chuck R. Anderson wrote: > On Sun, Jun 05, 2005 at 10:35:13PM -0400, Andy Stewart wrote: >>I've tried setting "nmi_watchdog=1" to see if I could get an "oops" when >>it hard locks - no dice. Do you know any other tricks I could try to >>see if it is the kernel which is locking up? I'm running SuSE's version >>of 2.6.8. > > Have you enabled the kernel Magic SysRq key and tried typing that when > it locks up? > > sysctl -w kernel.sysrq = 1 > > When it locks up: > > Alt-SysRq-? for help, then try dumping the PC, Tasks, etc. You may > even be able to do an Emergency RO Mount and Sync before doing a Boot. > _______________________________________________ > Wlug mailing list > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug > HI Chuck, That's a good idea which I've implemented per your suggestion. Now, I just have to wait for the next hang (hey, I could update the WLUG website with OpenOffice!). I'll keep you posted. Andy - -- Andy Stewart, Founder Worcester Linux Users' Group Worcester, MA, USA http://www.wlug.org -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.2.5 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with Thunderbird - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFCpMefHl0iXDssISsRAnEsAJ9bcbaboREGjDKodlg4QS/I3+UB1ACfZF6x yGYCi38pKMmFAUyrE89aEfA= =r3Kq -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

June 6, 2005

Re: [Wlug] HOWTO debug hard lockups

by Jeff Moyer

==> Regarding Re: [Wlug] HOWTO debug hard lockups; "Chuck R. Anderson" <cra(a)WPI.EDU> adds: cra> On Sun, Jun 05, 2005 at 10:35:13PM -0400, Andy Stewart wrote: >> I've tried setting "nmi_watchdog=1" to see if I could get an "oops" when >> it hard locks - no dice. Do you know any other tricks I could try to >> see if it is the kernel which is locking up? I'm running SuSE's version >> of 2.6.8. cra> Have you enabled the kernel Magic SysRq key and tried typing that when cra> it locks up? cra> sysctl -w kernel.sysrq = 1 cra> When it locks up: cra> Alt-SysRq-? for help, then try dumping the PC, Tasks, etc. You may cra> even be able to do an Emergency RO Mount and Sync before doing a Boot. This requires that you are not in X windows at the time of the lockup. See my other email in this thead. Also note that, due to no specific instances or facts to back up my statement, I don't like doing the 'Sync'. If the system is locked up, who is to say that you are going to write out valid data to the disk? I'd rather just reboot and let the journal recover things. -Jeff

June 6, 2005

Re: [Wlug] HOWTO debug hard lockups

by Jeff Moyer

==> Regarding [Wlug] HOWTO debug hard lockups; Andy Stewart <andystewart(a)comcast.net> adds: andystewart> HI gang, andystewart> My dual Opteron machine is not happy. I cannot get more than andystewart> 7 straight days of uptime without getting a hard lock, andystewart> requiring a reboot. (My definition of hard lock is: machine andystewart> responds neither to keyboard input, mouse input, nor network andystewart> pings). andystewart> I can stimulate hard locks by running OpenOffice 1.1.3 (I had andystewart> 3 tonight, and 3-4 on a previous occasion while running andystewart> OpenOffice). It makes no sense to me that an application run andystewart> as a normal user could lockup a machine. andystewart> I've tried setting "nmi_watchdog=1" to see if I could get an andystewart> "oops" when it hard locks - no dice. Do you know any other andystewart> tricks I could try to see if it is the kernel which is locking andystewart> up? I'm running SuSE's version of 2.6.8. Did you verify that NMIs are being delivered? After boot, cat /proc/interrupts and make sure the NMI line is non-zero. Also note that, at least with upstream and Red Hat kernels, the nmi_watchdog defaults to 1 for Opterons (i.e. you shouldn't need to manually set it). If the NMI watchdog works, it will print a message to the console. However, you will not see this if you are in X windows. Do you have a serial console hooked up, by any chance? I strongly suggest it if you have the means. Aside from this, if it is indeed a hard lockup, there is really nothing you can do (without purchasing other hardware to help debug the problem). Please give these suggestions a shot and let us know how it goes. Thanks! -Jeff

June 6, 2005

Re: [Wlug] HOWTO debug hard lockups

by Chuck R. Anderson

On Sun, Jun 05, 2005 at 10:35:13PM -0400, Andy Stewart wrote: > I've tried setting "nmi_watchdog=1" to see if I could get an "oops" when > it hard locks - no dice. Do you know any other tricks I could try to > see if it is the kernel which is locking up? I'm running SuSE's version > of 2.6.8. Have you enabled the kernel Magic SysRq key and tried typing that when it locks up? sysctl -w kernel.sysrq = 1 When it locks up: Alt-SysRq-? for help, then try dumping the PC, Tasks, etc. You may even be able to do an Emergency RO Mount and Sync before doing a Boot.

June 6, 2005

USB External DVD RW drive recommendations

by Andrew Robert

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Hi Everyone, I am looking at the possibility of getting an external USB DVD-RW drive but want to be sure on its compatibily to Linux, specifically Fedora Core 3. Does anyone have any recommendations as to what might be a good choice? - -- Thank you, Andrew Robert Systems Architect Information Technologies MFS Investment Management Phone: 617-954-5882 Pager: 781-945-1742 E-mail: arobert(a)mfs.com Linux User Number: #201204 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.2.6 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with Fedora - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFCpAzG3PP5iSKX574RArBkAJ0Rf1x7rVih4pCMNYcpMFDWGIM8TgCgmfQj KqW2WL0gUGDDqflyUstow54= =JTsT -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

June 6, 2005

HOWTO debug hard lockups

by Andy Stewart

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 HI gang, My dual Opteron machine is not happy. I cannot get more than 7 straight days of uptime without getting a hard lock, requiring a reboot. (My definition of hard lock is: machine responds neither to keyboard input, mouse input, nor network pings). I can stimulate hard locks by running OpenOffice 1.1.3 (I had 3 tonight, and 3-4 on a previous occasion while running OpenOffice). It makes no sense to me that an application run as a normal user could lockup a machine. I've tried setting "nmi_watchdog=1" to see if I could get an "oops" when it hard locks - no dice. Do you know any other tricks I could try to see if it is the kernel which is locking up? I'm running SuSE's version of 2.6.8. It may also be the hardware itself which is locking up. I have suspected that I might have "warm" hardware and have taken steps to better cool the machine. One CPU runs at a high of 63 degrees C, while the other one runs at 58 degrees C both while running Seti@Home (which heats the CPUs a significant 5-10 degrees C versus idle). The cooler CPU has a Zalman 7000 series copper heatsink/fan combo, while the warmer CPU has an undersized block of metal and a small fan (thanks to the MB manufacturer MSI). AMD quotes a max operating temperature of 70 degress C, so although quite hot, I think I'm still within spec, but I'm uncomfortably close. The temperature on the surface of the SCSI hard drive is 95 degrees F. The room temperature is a balmy 85 degrees (hey, its New England in the summer time!). The machine has passed memtest many times. If it is a heat problem, I'm royally screwed when the real summer weather arrives. I want to install a better heat sink on CPU 2 (hence my previous email about a heat sink retaining bracket). Physical tolerances on this MB are really tough to satisfy (MSI K8T Master2 FAR). The heat sink tooling on the MB is for socket 478 even though the MB uses AMD opteron 244s (yes, this is quite bizarre, er, non-standard). If anybody has any ideas which might help, I'm all ears (as it were). Thanks! Andy - -- Andy Stewart, Founder Worcester Linux Users' Group Worcester, MA, USA http://www.wlug.org -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.2.5 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with Thunderbird - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFCo7ZhHl0iXDssISsRAoGWAJ4ttqZS2SSgdlGwdnSp6LNbzUmLaQCfbktB KWUM+7EQAu3jIIKbmdnDkZk= =aI/l -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

June 6, 2005

Seeking Socket 478 heat sink retaining bracket w/screws

by Andy Stewart

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 HI everybody, If anybody has this little plastic dohickey for holding the heat sink to the motherboard, and would like to get rid of it, I'm can use one of these for a socket 478 CPU. I am willing to buy you pizza/beer or give you bribe money to obtain one. I'll even trade you the last 5 Ubuntu Linux CDs I own if that's what it takes. :-) Since my MB has the screw threads, I don't think the dohickey with the plastic holding things will work for me, but the version with screws will work. Thanks in advance, Andy P.S. "dohickey" really is a word according to dictionary.com (it is synonymous with "thingamajig"). - -- Andy Stewart, Founder Worcester Linux Users' Group Worcester, MA, USA http://www.wlug.org -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.2.5 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with Thunderbird - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFCo7K/Hl0iXDssISsRAvx9AJ4/oh2XObmcpc2pedFNHGlmrYI4OgCfdgeU 9A0jpx2SVC6f8stSfLFH2nc= =rk+i -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

June 6, 2005

WLUG Website updated

by Andy Stewart

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 HI everybody, I've just updated the WLUG website to include the slides from the May 2005 WLUG talk about "Linux on Appliances" given by Jason Schonberg. I also noticed that the entire slides page was broken (it should be fixed now). Also, I posted many details about the June 2005 WLUG talk, to be given by Tim Keller. Check it out! Later, Andy - -- Andy Stewart, Founder Worcester Linux Users' Group Worcester, MA, USA http://www.wlug.org -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.2.5 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with Thunderbird - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFCo7DRHl0iXDssISsRAl9WAJ9HwXUaR22lKILHHL8mWyRhfLQD2ACeI8og RzsOQzRd2Ynhb3GWwX9MhxA= =IoeU -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

June 6, 2005