I have a machine that I cannot compile a stable 2.4.20 kernel for, yet the one off of the 1.4_rc2 liveCD works fine. I'm guessing there is an option or a patch that is/isn't set/applyed. Apart from good old trial and error how the heck do I work out what is giving me the problem?
Every kernel I have compiled for this one machine has failed. My general test is to recompile the kernel multiple times (As recomended by DRobbins). One of my kernels once made it through three compiles. If I start from the liveCD and chroot into my gentoo install and compile, it goes for days. So (unless I have missed something) the problem appears to be the kernel. I did think it was hardware for some time but after a few days of CPUburn and Memtest86 I have basicly discounted that. If it were the hardware I couldn't continuously compile the kernel for over a day chrooted from the liveCD. So from what I can tell there is something *wrong* with the way I'm compiling this kernel or the options I'm setting. When the machine crashes it just stops. No errors, no nothing. It just stops. I have scoured the logs for any kernel panics or segfaults and have found nothing. I even remembered stop caching in Metalog. As an experiment I tryed using the config from the new and confusing (I find) genkernel. Same result. The machine is based on a SuperMicro P6DBU (Rev 1.1), BIOS r3.1 (latest). It has a Adaptec 29160 (SCSI wide 160 card, BIOS 2.57.2) that I have been compiling in the aic7xxx driver for and a tulip drivin network card. It has 1.5GB of RAM and 2xPIII 500 (kalamaths). I'm basicly in a rut now. I'm trying any wacky kernel configuration that I can think of with no real plan. I have in the past managed to build stable kernels for various machines but I just can't get a handle on this one. If anyone has any ideas, troubleshooting tips or dumb ideas... I would love to hear them. Nick -- [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list
