You could connect a second computer with a serial port cable and null modem adapter and have all console output go through the serial port to the second computer. This would allow any kernel panic messages to be printed to the second computer.
First, make sure you have support built into your kernel for the serial port (you probably do). Second, add a line like this to your kernel boot line (in grub): console=ttyS0,115200 Third, run `minicom` on the second computer to connect to the first through the serial port. I haven't done this in a long time though, and I left most of the details out. This looks like a great document on the details: http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Remote-Serial-Console-HOWTO/ -Jeremy Bongio On Nov 11, 2007 5:44 PM, Porkchop <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I'd run the machine without X, and with console blanking disabled. > I'm not sure how to get to a console in ubuntu ::ducks:: but console > blanking can be disabled with "setterm -blank 0". There are other > setterm options you may want to set too, in the same vain is -powersave > and -powerdown. > Then see if you can cause a panic and with any luck, the culprit will be > staring you in the face. > > Keep in mind, I'm a bit of a dinosour when it comes to this stuff. I fix > problems like people would in the mid-90s. There may be a magical dump > setting in ubuntu somewhere that somebody like sean would know about... > -porkchop > > > On 11/11/07 17:32 -0500, Ed Nisley wrote: > > So our Christmas cactus is actually pooting out flowers this > > year and I thought it'd be neat to do a time-lapse video > > showing a blossom opening up. Lashed up a Logitech Quickcam > > to the Dell E1405 laptop (Kubuntu 7.10 & Win XP MCE) and > > started looking for a Linux time-lapse program. > > > > I found Videodog, a command-line V4L-compatible utility to > > take single images, and Transcode, which can stitch JPGs > > into an MPEG-4 AVI. Works OK, although Videodog is what > > might be called a mature program and is rather thin on > > creature comforts. It would be -really- nice to find a > > program that did automatic exposure settings... > > > > The real problem is that videodog (or the underlying V4L or > > USB or something) rather frequently crashes the system > > hard: everything's dead except for the scroll-lock and > > num-lock LEDs, which are blinking slowly and steadily. > > Keyboard's dead, can't ssh in to restart the box, the only > > way out is hold the power button down to force it off. > > > > Drat! > > > > The screen is either blank (due to the backlight powering > > off before the crash as it's supposed to do) or simply > > frozen with a dead cursor (if the screensaver / power off > > hasn't kicked in yet). No debugging info to be seen. > > > > Mr Google sez the LEDs are the visible symptom of a kernel > > panic, but isn't helpful on What To Do Afterwards. > > > > Fairly obviously, I'm nowhere near good enough to debug this > > stuff on my own, but I'd like to pass some evidence to > > somebody who is, in the hope of getting a fix. > > > > How does one get evidence out of a hard crash and who's the > > right person / group to debug something like that? > > > > Alternatively, is there a better / less obsolete / more > > stable time-lapse video capture program that I simply > > haven't been able to find? > > > > Thanks... > > > > -- > > Ed > > _______________________________________________ > > Mid-Hudson Valley Linux Users Group http://mhvlug.org > > http://mhvlug.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mhvlug > > Upcoming Meetings (6pm - 8pm) MHVLS Auditorium > > Oct 3 - Security and Privacy > > Nov 7 - Django Python Application Framework > _______________________________________________ > Mid-Hudson Valley Linux Users Group http://mhvlug.org > http://mhvlug.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mhvlug > Upcoming Meetings (6pm - 8pm) MHVLS Auditorium > Oct 3 - Security and Privacy > Nov 7 - Django Python Application Framework > _______________________________________________ Mid-Hudson Valley Linux Users Group http://mhvlug.org http://mhvlug.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mhvlug Upcoming Meetings (6pm - 8pm) MHVLS Auditorium Oct 3 - Security and Privacy Nov 7 - Django Python Application Framework
