One common cause of Unix crashes and flaky behavior, we have found, is using
non-EDO or non-FPM memory in a motherboard that requires EDO or FPM memory.
It will pass all memory tests, and run for a time, but with heavy or
intensive use, it will occasionally crash. It is easy to get conventional
memory mixed up with EDO memory, or have a less than honest dealer sell one
for the other. The wrong memory will pass all the tests you throw at it,
but running Unix (the best memory test of all!) will over time lead to a
crash. Check the motherboard specs and see what type of memory it requires!
/sg
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Sent: Wednesday, February 24, 1999 8:33 AM
> To: Peter Teuben
> Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: Re: [rtl] Interrupt latency linux/rtl/Win95
>
>
> I agree... Memory can be a BIG problem. I'll pass on my woes!
>
> A486DX4-100 RTlinux story
>
> 1) bought redhat4.2 installed, no problems ran for weeks.
> 1.5) upgraded ram from 16M to 32Meg (Danger Will Robinson!!)
>
> 2) Downloaded rt-linux patch 0.5a and tried to build the Kernel
> 3) Kernel builds failed in random places... I could limp through
> a build but not get through one cleanly.
> 4) rtlinux0.5a ran ok but would hang every few days.
>
> 5) GOT Sick of it and bought redhat 5.2 installed it...
> raN GREAT NO CRASHES FOR A WEEK.
>
> 6) downloaded rt-linux0.9J FULL SOURCE and tried a kernel
> compile.... Still failed intermittantly to compile... SIG11
> failures by the compiler.
>
> 7) changed ram to 16M. Kernel Compiles ran ok!!!
> 8) Disabled L2 cache with 32Meg back in Kernel compiles ok!!
> (but very slow).. ( Ah yes DR. Smith!!)
> 9) Chaned Motherboard ram settings from "Auto" to longest wait
> states...etc, re-enabled cache 32MB Kernel compiles AOK.
>
> 10) RTLIUNX runs GREAT now with ANY amount of memory!!!
>
> Moral of the story: The compiling of the Kernel stresses the
> CPU-cache-Memory system. Failures of this can cause RT-linux
> to be unstable. Make sure you can compile the kernel
> 10 times in a row with NO failures. This will insure a
> stable memory system. Beware!! cheap drams may also cause
> this problem and you can only get rid of it by replcing
> the drams.
>
>
> dave
>
>
>
>
> >
> >> That's the good news. The bad news is that the system has a
> >> definite tendency to crash after a few hours of operation. It
> is much too
>
> >> early to blame this on any particular thing. I suspect something to do
> >> with memory swapping. The system has 64MB of RAM and 127 MB of
> swap space.
>
> >> The "top" utility shows only 3 MB of RAM free and only 4 K of the swap
> >> space used. Yesterday I was able to trigger a crash just by
> playing around
>
> >> in the control panel (or was it a coincidence?).
> >
> >I doubt it. My system is very stable. The fact that your physical memory
> >fills up is a general unix/linux feature. linux will use memory for disk
> >buffers and what not. My system is only 32M with 64M swap i believe, and
> >I've never had an unexplained hanging apart from taking this box up to
> >14,000 ft where the air is dry and we zapped the box by accidentally
> >touching it and not being grounded. But here in the lab it's running
> >for weeks and weeks until we need to reboot for a hardware modification.
> >
> >You could try and recompile the kernel 20 times, maybe that will show you
> >if your memory is bad. Or perhaps a flaky motherboard.
> >
> >peter
> >
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> >
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