In message <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Bruce Perens writes: >I don't think thay anyone would argue that a failure in the kernel VM >system or a plain old software bug could cause the same error. In the >case of a failure in the VM system or an uninitialized memory bug you >might even see the failure happen in different places each time.
Other people seem to be willing to argue just that. I think that's as foolish as the opposite suggestion that it's never RAM. >How often is it one or the other? I have no data. I only wanted to >make the case that a hardware problem sometimes _is_ the cause. Like I said, I'm fully aware of the possibility of actual hardware problems. I cursed my old Atari for weeks before I finally got out the magnifying glass and found the cold solder joint that was causing me all of my problems. Two minutes later (1:55 for the soldering iron to heat up, :05 to fix the joint), my Atari was safe as houses---it'd even run GCC (back in the 1.X days, when you could run gcc in less than 2MB). I'll even admit that RAM problems my be in the majority. But to deny the possiblity that a SIG11 is a software problem (as many seem to do), and therefore never consider where the bug might be, is to consign ourselves to the same level as Microsoft, producer of many Bug Free (Free Bug?) software products. Mike. -- "Don't let me make you unhappy by failing to be contrary enough...."
