Re: AMD Phenom II X4 temperature issues (was Re: hardware monitor)
On 08/04/13 17:22, Gary Aitken wrote: > Ok, so now I see that my cpu temperature shoots up pretty dang fast when a > build is going on. > > I'm running an AMD Phenom II X4 with the AMD-supplied fan in an > ASUS M4A89TD PRO / USB3 motherboard. > > The system "works fine" unless I start a cpu-intensive build. > If I leave it unattended, after some time the system shuts down abruptly. > I'm guessing it's because of excessive cpu temperatures. > > When doing port builds, or any cpu-intensive job, the temperature of the > CPU goes from 45 to 50 in about 30 seconds. > > I pretty much have to manually suspend and resume the build process > to keep it down. If I do that, I avoid the abrupt shutdown. > > Needless to say, this makes unattended operation a non-starter... > > Does anyone else have a similar setup they can provide me some related > experience on? > > Thanks, > > Gary Thanks, all, for the replies and insights. Just a followup: The factory heatsink was basically incapable of keeping the temp down under a heavy-processing port build, and BIOS was shutting down when the temp eventually climbed too high. xmbmon was my friend for tracking this; using s and q on the output stream of the build effectively suspended it when it got around 60C so I could wait until the processor cooled down enough to continue. Doing a sync every second or so also postponed the eventual overheating for a while, but eventually it would creep up to the shutdown point. Replacing the heatsink with a gonzo big one seems to have solved the problem. As an aside, this is probably what also made me think some time ago that my SSD was flaky. Things just ran faster so the cpu overheated sooner. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: AMD Phenom II X4 temperature issues (was Re: hardware monitor)
On Mon, 5 Aug 2013 10:33:55 +0400 Eugene wrote: > Hello Gary, > > Also make sure there is no packed dirt on the heatsink -- I don't > know about AMDs, but older Intel heatsinks often tend to accumulate a > paper-like layer of dirt on the 'top' of heatsink grid, blocking the > airflow. I once had several thermal shutdowns on my home PC before I > found that. This does not seem to happen with newer heatsinks so they > must have changed the design somehow =) I had a AMD Phenom II X4 and it had exactly that problem. Every few months I had to remove the fan to get a brush into the fins. An idle temperature of 45 C sounds about right for one that's been neglected. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: AMD Phenom II X4 temperature issues (was Re: hardware monitor)
Gary Aitken wrote: > Air ducting shouldn't be a problem; I've got the side of the case off... This just might be part of the problem. Air plumbing is not as forgiving as it was in the old days. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: AMD Phenom II X4 temperature issues (was Re: hardware monitor)
On 05/08/2013 06:05, Gary Aitken wrote: On 08/04/13 21:39, Frank Leonhardt wrote: This suggests it's not the ACPI in FreeBSD shutting you down, but something on the motherboard. That was my guess as well. As it's probably not FreeBSD you're now asking on the wrong list, and other than cooling advice you're not going to get much (unless there are any closet over-clockers hereabouts). Personally I favour filling the whole case with a pumped fluorocarbon like FC-77 and using a heat exchanger to take the heat away in water to use in a fountain in my hallway ;-) The one sensible suggestion no one has made is to check if a BIOS upgrade doesn't fix it. As to getting FreeBSD to manage it instead of the BIOS: Unfortunately not all chipsets and motherboards are supported. If you want to add support yourself see: /usr/src/sys/dev/acpica If you want to get some idea of what you're up against see: /usr/src/sys/dev/acpica/acpi_quirks I've thought about it a few times but real work always got in the way. Regards, Frank. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: AMD Phenom II X4 temperature issues (was Re: hardware monitor)
Hello Gary, Also make sure there is no packed dirt on the heatsink -- I don't know about AMDs, but older Intel heatsinks often tend to accumulate a paper-like layer of dirt on the 'top' of heatsink grid, blocking the airflow. I once had several thermal shutdowns on my home PC before I found that. This does not seem to happen with newer heatsinks so they must have changed the design somehow =) Best wishes Eugene -Original Message- From: Peter Giessel Sent: Monday, August 05, 2013 8:23 AM To: Gary Aitken Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: AMD Phenom II X4 temperature issues (was Re: hardware monitor) You can also try shutting down (obviously), then removing the heat sink, put some thermal paste on the processor and reinstall the heat sink. Sometimes there isn't much (any) thermal paste there and the processor can't get the heat into the heat sink. On 2013, Aug 4, at 15:22, Gary Aitken wrote: Ok, so now I see that my cpu temperature shoots up pretty dang fast when a build is going on. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org" ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: AMD Phenom II X4 temperature issues (was Re: hardware monitor)
You can also try shutting down (obviously), then removing the heat sink, put some thermal paste on the processor and reinstall the heat sink. Sometimes there isn't much (any) thermal paste there and the processor can't get the heat into the heat sink. On 2013, Aug 4, at 15:22, Gary Aitken wrote: > Ok, so now I see that my cpu temperature shoots up pretty dang fast when a > build is going on. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: AMD Phenom II X4 temperature issues (was Re: hardware monitor)
On 08/04/13 21:39, Frank Leonhardt wrote: > On 05/08/2013 03:01, Gary Aitken wrote: >>> 50C isn't crazy. >> Actually, the 50C figure is just where it shoots to for starters. >> Mfg specs say 62C max, so I stall the process when it gets around >> 59 and still climbing steeply. > > The manufactures specs I found when I looked that range of CPUs up > was 71C > > http://www.amd.com/us/products/desktop/processors/phenom-ii/Pages/phenom-ii-model-number-comparison.aspx > > But there could be two figures - one for maximum desirable working > and one for maximum "or else". Maybe; although the number I quoted wasn't from AMD, and the two I just found at amd both said 71. >>> Did you get anywhere with the ACPI suggestion Try >>> hw.acpi.thermal.tz0.active=1 to make the fan come on and stay on >>> (tz0 or as appropriate). >> The fan is on and stays on all the time at the moment... > > It it full speed all the time? I really don't know what full speed on the fan is / feels like / sounds like. It's pretty quiet and there's a noisy old system nearby... xmbmon doesn't show fan speeds, nor does amdtemp provide access to them. Is there some other kernel module for fan speeds? >>> Here's the fun part. Is your system doing a thermal overload >>> shutdown? >> There is no indication in messages; the last thing before it shut >> down the last time was some su's and root logins. > > This suggests it's not the ACPI in FreeBSD shutting you down, but > something on the motherboard. That was my guess as well. >>> it might help if you posted the results of "sysctl >>> hw.acpi.thermal", but in the mean time look at: >>> >>> hw.acpi.thermal.tz0._HOT hw.acpi.thermal.tz0._CRT >>> >> I don't see any of those; here's what shows up in sysctl -a : >> >> hw.acpi.supported_sleep_state: S1 S3 S4 S5 >> hw.acpi.power_button_state: S5 hw.acpi.sleep_button_state: S1 >> hw.acpi.lid_switch_state: NONE hw.acpi.standby_state: S1 >> hw.acpi.suspend_state: S3 hw.acpi.sleep_delay: 1 hw.acpi.s4bios: 0 >> hw.acpi.verbose: 0 hw.acpi.disable_on_reboot: 0 >> hw.acpi.handle_reboot: 0 hw.acpi.reset_video: 0 >> hw.acpi.cpu.cx_lowest: C1 > > Yep - definitely suggests that the thermal control isn't being done > by FreeBSD! ok, but how do I get it in there if I want it? > Go no further on this route, but check the > motherboard/BIOS. I had one machine shut itself down due to a faulty > thermistor (raise the threshold/ignore) but it normally happens when > the parameters are wrong or the fan has failed. As your fan hasn't > failed and the reported temperature is believable my best guesses are > that the BIOS is either picking the wrong shutdown temperature for > the CPU or your air ducting isn't good enough and it really is > getting too hot. Is there a chance that the BIOS pre-dates the CPU > and just doesn't know its working parameters, and is therefore > playing safe? I'll check the BIOS next time I reboot. Air ducting shouldn't be a problem; I've got the side of the case off... > Incidentally, ACPI is an Intel specification but applies AMD64 CPUs > too. The thermal module only works on some chip-sets. FWIW I've found > it works on more AMD platforms than it does Intel ones. > > Regards, Frank. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: AMD Phenom II X4 temperature issues (was Re: hardware monitor)
On 05/08/2013 03:01, Gary Aitken wrote: > 50C isn't crazy. Actually, the 50C figure is just where it shoots to for starters. Mfg specs say 62C max, so I stall the process when it gets around 59 and still climbing steeply. The manufactures specs I found when I looked that range of CPUs up was 71C http://www.amd.com/us/products/desktop/processors/phenom-ii/Pages/phenom-ii-model-number-comparison.aspx But there could be two figures - one for maximum desirable working and one for maximum "or else". Did you get anywhere with the ACPI suggestion Try hw.acpi.thermal.tz0.active=1 to make the fan come on and stay on (tz0 or as appropriate). The fan is on and stays on all the time at the moment... It it full speed all the time? Here's the fun part. Is your system doing a thermal overload shutdown? There is no indication in messages; the last thing before it shut down the last time was some su's and root logins. This suggests it's not the ACPI in FreeBSD shutting you down, but something on the motherboard. it might help if you posted the results of "sysctl hw.acpi.thermal", but in the mean time look at: hw.acpi.thermal.tz0._HOT hw.acpi.thermal.tz0._CRT I don't see any of those; here's what shows up in sysctl -a : hw.acpi.supported_sleep_state: S1 S3 S4 S5 hw.acpi.power_button_state: S5 hw.acpi.sleep_button_state: S1 hw.acpi.lid_switch_state: NONE hw.acpi.standby_state: S1 hw.acpi.suspend_state: S3 hw.acpi.sleep_delay: 1 hw.acpi.s4bios: 0 hw.acpi.verbose: 0 hw.acpi.disable_on_reboot: 0 hw.acpi.handle_reboot: 0 hw.acpi.reset_video: 0 hw.acpi.cpu.cx_lowest: C1 Yep - definitely suggests that the thermal control isn't being done by FreeBSD! Go no further on this route, but check the motherboard/BIOS. I had one machine shut itself down due to a faulty thermistor (raise the threshold/ignore) but it normally happens when the parameters are wrong or the fan has failed. As your fan hasn't failed and the reported temperature is believable my best guesses are that the BIOS is either picking the wrong shutdown temperature for the CPU or your air ducting isn't good enough and it really is getting too hot. Is there a chance that the BIOS pre-dates the CPU and just doesn't know its working parameters, and is therefore playing safe? Incidentally, ACPI is an Intel specification but applies AMD64 CPUs too. The thermal module only works on some chip-sets. FWIW I've found it works on more AMD platforms than it does Intel ones. Regards, Frank. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: AMD Phenom II X4 temperature issues (was Re: hardware monitor)
On 08/04/13 18:30, Frank Leonhardt wrote: > On 05/08/2013 00:29, Gary Aitken wrote: >> On 08/04/13 17:22, Gary Aitken wrote: >>> Ok, so now I see that my cpu temperature shoots up pretty dang >>> fast when a build is going on. >>> >>> I'm running an AMD Phenom II X4 with the AMD-supplied fan in an >>> ASUS M4A89TD PRO / USB3 motherboard. >>> >>> The system "works fine" unless I start a cpu-intensive build. If >>> I leave it unattended, after some time the system shuts down >>> abruptly. I'm guessing it's because of excessive cpu >>> temperatures. >>> >>> When doing port builds, or any cpu-intensive job, the temperature >>> of the CPU goes from 45 to 50 in about 30 seconds. I pretty much >>> have to manually suspend and resume the build process to keep it >>> down. If I do that, I avoid the abrupt shutdown. >>> >>> Needless to say, this makes unattended operation a >>> non-starter... >>> >>> Does anyone else have a similar setup they can provide me some >>> related experience on? >> BTW, the mobo temp stays down around 32. >> > > Did you get that from the ACPI? I think so; via amdtemp and xmbmon > Obvious answers are a bigger fan, but a lot of home-build machines > don't match the airflow through the case properly - if the CPU fan is > blowing pre-warmed air on to the CPU it's not as good as blowing > outside air. > > 50C isn't crazy. Some would say that was barely warm, in fact. Cooler > is always better, but you possibly don't need to worry about this. > Some CPUs use what they call passive temperature management, and > power management, which means they increase or reduce the clock rate > depending on the workload and whether it's getting too hot. Faster > switching means more heat. So getting hotter when doing a lot of work > makes sense and could be expected. (Winchesters really heat up like > you wouldn't believe when you move the heads a lot). Actually, the 50C figure is just where it shoots to for starters. Mfg specs say 62C max, so I stall the process when it gets around 59 and still climbing steeply. > Did you get anywhere with the ACPI suggestion (you emailed me > privately, whether you meant to or not, but didn't mention the > outcome). There's a lot there in the ACPI you might want to look in > to, including fan control. If I understand it correctly, "passive > cooling" will be engaged by acpi_thermal if the cpufreq drivers are > in use, which may not be what you want. Try > hw.acpi.thermal.tz0.active=1 to make the fan come on and stay on (tz0 > or as appropriate). The fan is on and stays on all the time at the moment... > Here's the fun part. Is your system doing a thermal overload > shutdown? it will say so on the console, or in the message log. You > didn't say, you just said it "shut down". If it's deciding to shut > down through over-temperature it does not necesarily mean it's > overheating; it could be that it has incorrectly set the shutdown > temperatue for your CPU to be far too low - possibly because it > doesn't recognise it and is being over-cautious. There is no indication in messages; the last thing before it shut down the last time was some su's and root logins. > it might help if you posted the results of "sysctl hw.acpi.thermal", > but in the mean time look at: > > hw.acpi.thermal.tz0._HOT hw.acpi.thermal.tz0._CRT > > (replace tz0 with whatever tz you're worried about). I don't see any of those; here's what shows up in sysctl -a : hw.acpi.supported_sleep_state: S1 S3 S4 S5 hw.acpi.power_button_state: S5 hw.acpi.sleep_button_state: S1 hw.acpi.lid_switch_state: NONE hw.acpi.standby_state: S1 hw.acpi.suspend_state: S3 hw.acpi.sleep_delay: 1 hw.acpi.s4bios: 0 hw.acpi.verbose: 0 hw.acpi.disable_on_reboot: 0 hw.acpi.handle_reboot: 0 hw.acpi.reset_video: 0 hw.acpi.cpu.cx_lowest: C1 > The first is the temperature when the system is supposed to stop what > it's doing and suspend to disk (if it can). When it reaches the value > on _CRT it'll write a message to the log file and shut down > immediately to prevent damage. You can set these to whatever you > want, but you have to set hw.acpi.thermal.user_override to 1 first > before it will let you. Final trick - make sure you specify the > temperatures like > > sysctl hw.acpi.thermal.tz0._CRT=80C # sysctl hw.acpi.thermal.user_override sysctl: unknown oid 'hw.acpi.thermal.user_override' obviously, something missing... I tried loading coretemp, but no additional hw.acpi variables; and the man page says it is for intel, not amd. > Don't specify it as 80.0C (as it will display) and don't forget the C > or it will assume degrees Kelvin! > > Regards, Frank. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: AMD Phenom II X4 temperature issues (was Re: hardware monitor)
On 05/08/2013 00:29, Gary Aitken wrote: On 08/04/13 17:22, Gary Aitken wrote: Ok, so now I see that my cpu temperature shoots up pretty dang fast when a build is going on. I'm running an AMD Phenom II X4 with the AMD-supplied fan in an ASUS M4A89TD PRO / USB3 motherboard. The system "works fine" unless I start a cpu-intensive build. If I leave it unattended, after some time the system shuts down abruptly. I'm guessing it's because of excessive cpu temperatures. When doing port builds, or any cpu-intensive job, the temperature of the CPU goes from 45 to 50 in about 30 seconds. I pretty much have to manually suspend and resume the build process to keep it down. If I do that, I avoid the abrupt shutdown. Needless to say, this makes unattended operation a non-starter... Does anyone else have a similar setup they can provide me some related experience on? BTW, the mobo temp stays down around 32. Did you get that from the ACPI? Obvious answers are a bigger fan, but a lot of home-build machines don't match the airflow through the case properly - if the CPU fan is blowing pre-warmed air on to the CPU it's not as good as blowing outside air. 50C isn't crazy. Some would say that was barely warm, in fact. Cooler is always better, but you possibly don't need to worry about this. Some CPUs use what they call passive temperature management, and power management, which means they increase or reduce the clock rate depending on the workload and whether it's getting too hot. Faster switching means more heat. So getting hotter when doing a lot of work makes sense and could be expected. (Winchesters really heat up like you wouldn't believe when you move the heads a lot). Did you get anywhere with the ACPI suggestion (you emailed me privately, whether you meant to or not, but didn't mention the outcome). There's a lot there in the ACPI you might want to look in to, including fan control. If I understand it correctly, "passive cooling" will be engaged by acpi_thermal if the cpufreq drivers are in use, which may not be what you want. Try hw.acpi.thermal.tz0.active=1 to make the fan come on and stay on (tz0 or as appropriate). Here's the fun part. Is your system doing a thermal overload shutdown? it will say so on the console, or in the message log. You didn't say, you just said it "shut down". If it's deciding to shut down through over-temperature it does not necesarily mean it's overheating; it could be that it has incorrectly set the shutdown temperatue for your CPU to be far too low - possibly because it doesn't recognise it and is being over-cautious. it might help if you posted the results of "sysctl hw.acpi.thermal", but in the mean time look at: hw.acpi.thermal.tz0._HOT hw.acpi.thermal.tz0._CRT (replace tz0 with whatever tz you're worried about). The first is the temperature when the system is supposed to stop what it's doing and suspend to disk (if it can). When it reaches the value on _CRT it'll write a message to the log file and shut down immediately to prevent damage. You can set these to whatever you want, but you have to set hw.acpi.thermal.user_override to 1 first before it will let you. Final trick - make sure you specify the temperatures like sysctl hw.acpi.thermal.tz0._CRT=80C Don't specify it as 80.0C (as it will display) and don't forget the C or it will assume degrees Kelvin! Regards, Frank. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: AMD Phenom II X4 temperature issues (was Re: hardware monitor)
On 8/4/2013 6:29 PM, Gary Aitken wrote: On 08/04/13 17:22, Gary Aitken wrote: Ok, so now I see that my cpu temperature shoots up pretty dang fast when a build is going on. I'm running an AMD Phenom II X4 with the AMD-supplied fan in an ASUS M4A89TD PRO / USB3 motherboard. The system "works fine" unless I start a cpu-intensive build. If I leave it unattended, after some time the system shuts down abruptly. I'm guessing it's because of excessive cpu temperatures. When doing port builds, or any cpu-intensive job, the temperature of the CPU goes from 45 to 50 in about 30 seconds. I pretty much have to manually suspend and resume the build process to keep it down. If I do that, I avoid the abrupt shutdown. Needless to say, this makes unattended operation a non-starter... Does anyone else have a similar setup they can provide me some related experience on? BTW, the mobo temp stays down around 32. You need a better heatsink and fan for your CPU. If you're idle temp is 45, that's too high. By using powerd, so it's 800MHz, and being idle I'm at around 26C, presumably. It peaks at 45C on parallel builds. In the meantime, you can set the maximum cpu speed, which I recommend powerd for. Here's a tip when shopping, get a big beefy heatsink with a standard fan size, and replace the fan with something beefier. Either that or water cooling. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: AMD Phenom II X4 temperature issues (was Re: hardware monitor)
On 08/04/13 17:22, Gary Aitken wrote: > Ok, so now I see that my cpu temperature shoots up pretty dang fast when a > build is going on. > > I'm running an AMD Phenom II X4 with the AMD-supplied fan in an > ASUS M4A89TD PRO / USB3 motherboard. > > The system "works fine" unless I start a cpu-intensive build. > If I leave it unattended, after some time the system shuts down abruptly. > I'm guessing it's because of excessive cpu temperatures. > > When doing port builds, or any cpu-intensive job, the temperature of the > CPU goes from 45 to 50 in about 30 seconds. > > I pretty much have to manually suspend and resume the build process > to keep it down. If I do that, I avoid the abrupt shutdown. > > Needless to say, this makes unattended operation a non-starter... > > Does anyone else have a similar setup they can provide me some related > experience on? BTW, the mobo temp stays down around 32. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
AMD Phenom II X4 temperature issues (was Re: hardware monitor)
Ok, so now I see that my cpu temperature shoots up pretty dang fast when a build is going on. I'm running an AMD Phenom II X4 with the AMD-supplied fan in an ASUS M4A89TD PRO / USB3 motherboard. The system "works fine" unless I start a cpu-intensive build. If I leave it unattended, after some time the system shuts down abruptly. I'm guessing it's because of excessive cpu temperatures. When doing port builds, or any cpu-intensive job, the temperature of the CPU goes from 45 to 50 in about 30 seconds. I pretty much have to manually suspend and resume the build process to keep it down. If I do that, I avoid the abrupt shutdown. Needless to say, this makes unattended operation a non-starter... Does anyone else have a similar setup they can provide me some related experience on? Thanks, Gary On 08/04/13 15:15, Polytropon wrote: > On Sun, 04 Aug 2013 14:48:56 -0600, Gary Aitken wrote: >> Can anyone suggest a hardware monitor app in the ports tree? >> I've got an amd64 which may have a temperature issue, >> but I can't see it to tell... > > If it's primarily about temperature... amdtemp (kernel > module), healthd (system service), mbmon and xmbmon (in > the ports collection). > > ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: hardware monitor
On 04/08/2013 21:48, Gary Aitken wrote: Can anyone suggest a hardware monitor app in the ports tree? I've got an amd64 which may have a temperature issue, but I can't see it to tell... Try "sysctl hw.acpi.thermal" For more information see "man acpi" and man "acpi_thermal". If you're lucky it gives you information on the ACPI thermal control system, if you have one. If you want an alarm based on this, a shell script is easy enough. If that doesn't do it for you, try some of the others. I've known these to work (sometimes) /usr/ports/sysutils/lmmon /usr/ports/sysutils/consolehm /usr/ports/sysutils/mbmon And there are some fun modules you can add to loader.conf (stuff I've done in the past, but could be on an early version of FreeBSD) coretemp_load="YES" smbus_load="YES" smb_load="YES" intpm_load="YES" ichsmb_load="YES" Then give "sysctl dev.cpu | grep temperature" a try. If you're worried about your Winchesters getting over-cooked you can use smartctl, available in /usr/ports/sysutils/smartmontools. Something like "smartctl -a /dev/ad?? | grep -i temp" should do the trick. It lets you mess with the drive SMART (self-diagnositc) system and it can tell you all sorts of stuff about you drive performance to make you really paranoid. Regards, Frank. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: hardware monitor
On Sun, 04 Aug 2013 14:48:56 -0600, Gary Aitken wrote: > Can anyone suggest a hardware monitor app in the ports tree? > I've got an amd64 which may have a temperature issue, > but I can't see it to tell... If it's primarily about temperature... amdtemp (kernel module), healthd (system service), mbmon and xmbmon (in the ports collection). -- Polytropon Magdeburg, Germany Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0 Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ... ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
hardware monitor
Can anyone suggest a hardware monitor app in the ports tree? I've got an amd64 which may have a temperature issue, but I can't see it to tell... Thanks, Gary ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Supported Hardware list update request.
Hello, I would like to know the process to have a new version of hardware product listed in this page: http://bsssd.sourceforge.net/hardware.html#hardware Our TPM is fully compliant with the current driver provided as a module with latest FreeBSD 9.1. Best Regards, Jean-Luc BLANC TPM Application engineer Applications team Secure Microcontrollers Division (SMD) Microcontrollers, Memories & Secure microcontrollers (MMS) Group [cid:image001.jpg@01CDFF18.B99414C0]<http://www.st.com/internet/com/common/flv.jsp?url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/st-videos/newbrand_film_st_HD.flv&width=800&height=450&title=TITLE> STMicroelectronics 190 Av Celestin Coq - ZI 13106 ROUSSET cedex FRANCE * +33 4 42 68 84 72 6 +33 4 42 68 87 29 * jean-luc.bl...@st.com<mailto:jean-luc.bl...@st.com> ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Software raid VS hardware raid
On Wed, 30 Jan 2013, Artem Kuchin wrote: Also, not being able to boot if first disk has some error in boot section or just strangly dead is not an option too. However, i was just thinking, if i use gmirror then bios does not know anything about it. I may set both harddisk as boot disk, but if first disk is brain damaged then bios may just stuck trying to boot from it and will not pass boot attempt to the second disk. I don't know, it depends on bios of course. But this seems to be a disadvantage to a software raid. That's true. The similar situation with hardware RAID is when the controller fails. The metadata is probably specific to that manufacturer and maybe to that model of controller. It's a good idea to get spares, because as Murphy is my witness, in an emergency that controller will not be available in the same town, district, country, or continent. More likely it will have been long discontinued, with no data migration path. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Software raid VS hardware raid
30.01.2013 19:28, Paul Kraus: On Jan 30, 2013, at 10:22 AM, Warren Block wrote: If you want to use the same drive for booting, it's possible. Create all three partitions on both drives manually. Then mirror the freebsd-ufs partition only. The contents of the freebsd-boot partition don't change often, and swap does not have to be mirrored. Note that if you do NOT mirror SWAP, then in the event of a disk failure you will most likely crash when the system tries to swap in some data from the failed drive. If you mirror swap then you do not risk a crash due to missing swap data. yes, that's what i wanted to say. Also, not being able to boot if first disk has some error in boot section or just strangly dead is not an option too. However, i was just thinking, if i use gmirror then bios does not know anything about it. I may set both harddisk as boot disk, but if first disk is brain damaged then bios may just stuck trying to boot from it and will not pass boot attempt to the second disk. I don't know, it depends on bios of course. But this seems to be a disadvantage to a software raid. Artem ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Software raid VS hardware raid
On Jan 30, 2013, at 10:22 AM, Warren Block wrote: > If you want to use the same drive for booting, it's possible. Create all > three partitions on both drives manually. Then mirror the freebsd-ufs > partition only. The contents of the freebsd-boot partition don't change > often, and swap does not have to be mirrored. Note that if you do NOT mirror SWAP, then in the event of a disk failure you will most likely crash when the system tries to swap in some data from the failed drive. If you mirror swap then you do not risk a crash due to missing swap data. -- Paul Kraus Deputy Technical Director, LoneStarCon 3 Sound Coordinator, Schenectady Light Opera Company ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Software raid VS hardware raid
On Wed, 30 Jan 2013, Artem Kuchin wrote: 30.01.2013 18:06, Warren Block: GPT partitions should work, just limit it to one mirrored partition per drive. Please, clarify what you mean here. If only one GPT partition on a drive is mirrored with another GPT partition on another drive, head contention never comes up. There is only one mirror. It does nearly eliminate the usefulness of GPT partitioning. Um... and how can i do that if i have a simple mirror with two drives and want to mirror everything on them? As i understand i will have at least bootable, swap and ufs parttions on those drives, that is 3 partitions at least. If you want to use the same drive for booting, it's possible. Create all three partitions on both drives manually. Then mirror the freebsd-ufs partition only. The contents of the freebsd-boot partition don't change often, and swap does not have to be mirrored. Not that it's easy or convenient, but it's an option. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Software raid VS hardware raid
There seems to be one more advantage to gmirror If i understood correctly gmirror label -v -b split -s 2048 data da0 da1 da2 will create a tripple mirror raid 1, that is triple redundancy, which is hardly available on any hardware raid. Am i correct here? Also, does anyone know how to choose split threshold (-s 2048) correctly ? Artem ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Software raid VS hardware raid
On Jan 30, 2013, at 8:10 AM, Andrea Venturoli wrote: > You can spend the extra money you spare on the controller buying good disks; > as someone else pointed out don't get "desktop-class" ones, but "24x7" ones. Server Class drives buy you some improvement, but my recent experience with Seagate Barracuda ES.2 drives is not that good. I have had 50% of them fail within the 5-year warranty period. My disks run 24x7 and I use ZFS under FreeBSD 9 so I have not lost any data. I have: 2 x Seagate ES.2 250 GB (one has failed) 4 x Seagate ES.2 1 TB (two have failed) 2 x Hitachi UltraStar 1 TB (pre-WD acquisition), no failures, but they are less than 2 years old. They are also noticeably faster than the Seagate ES.2 I just ordered 2 x WD RE4 500 GB, we'll see how those do I go out of my way to purchase disks with a 5-year warranty, they are still out there but you have to look for them. -- Paul Kraus Deputy Technical Director, LoneStarCon 3 Sound Coordinator, Schenectady Light Opera Company ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Software raid VS hardware raid
30.01.2013 18:06, Warren Block: On Wed, 30 Jan 2013, Artem Kuchin wrote: 30.01.2013 1:01, Warren Block: On Tue, 29 Jan 2013, Artem Kuchin wrote: 29.01.2013 18:57, Warren Block: On Tue, 29 Jan 2013, Artem Kuchin wrote: The Handbook chapter on gmirror talks about the problems with GPT and GEOM metadata. In short: right now, they conflict. It's possible to mirror GPT partitions, but be aware that if you mirror more than one partition on a drive, a rebuild after replacing a drive could thrash the heads as mirrors are rebuilt simultaneously. http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/geom-mirror.html So, gmirror+GPT=conflict on last sector GPT+gmirror = hardrive head kill nice... So, for no more than 2TB disks the best way to go is GMIRROR of the drive +PARTITION on top of it? GPT partitions should work, just limit it to one mirrored partition per drive. Please, clarify what you mean here. If only one GPT partition on a drive is mirrored with another GPT partition on another drive, head contention never comes up. There is only one mirror. It does nearly eliminate the usefulness of GPT partitioning. Um... and how can i do that if i have a simple mirror with two drives and want to mirror everything on them? As i understand i will have at least bootable, swap and ufs parttions on those drives, that is 3 partitions at least. Artem ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Software raid VS hardware raid
On Wed, 30 Jan 2013, Artem Kuchin wrote: 30.01.2013 1:01, Warren Block: On Tue, 29 Jan 2013, Artem Kuchin wrote: 29.01.2013 18:57, Warren Block: On Tue, 29 Jan 2013, Artem Kuchin wrote: The Handbook chapter on gmirror talks about the problems with GPT and GEOM metadata. In short: right now, they conflict. It's possible to mirror GPT partitions, but be aware that if you mirror more than one partition on a drive, a rebuild after replacing a drive could thrash the heads as mirrors are rebuilt simultaneously. http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/geom-mirror.html So, gmirror+GPT=conflict on last sector GPT+gmirror = hardrive head kill nice... So, for no more than 2TB disks the best way to go is GMIRROR of the drive +PARTITION on top of it? GPT partitions should work, just limit it to one mirrored partition per drive. Please, clarify what you mean here. If only one GPT partition on a drive is mirrored with another GPT partition on another drive, head contention never comes up. There is only one mirror. It does nearly eliminate the usefulness of GPT partitioning. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Software raid VS hardware raid
On 01/28/13 21:43, Artem Kuchin wrote: I am planning to use mirror configuration of two SATA 7200rpm 2TB disks. I personally vote for gmirror in this case; I've used it a lot and found it very good wrt to both performance and robustness. You can spend the extra money you spare on the controller buying good disks; as someone else pointed out don't get "desktop-class" ones, but "24x7" ones. Just my 2c. bye av. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Software raid VS hardware raid
30.01.2013 1:01, Warren Block: On Tue, 29 Jan 2013, Artem Kuchin wrote: 29.01.2013 18:57, Warren Block: On Tue, 29 Jan 2013, Artem Kuchin wrote: The Handbook chapter on gmirror talks about the problems with GPT and GEOM metadata. In short: right now, they conflict. It's possible to mirror GPT partitions, but be aware that if you mirror more than one partition on a drive, a rebuild after replacing a drive could thrash the heads as mirrors are rebuilt simultaneously. http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/geom-mirror.html So, gmirror+GPT=conflict on last sector GPT+gmirror = hardrive head kill nice... So, for no more than 2TB disks the best way to go is GMIRROR of the drive +PARTITION on top of it? GPT partitions should work, just limit it to one mirrored partition per drive. Please, clarify what you mean here. Or maybe there is a way to instruct gmirror do rebuild only what i say (manual rebuild) ? 'gmirror configure -n' ? Have not tried it. The trick would be to do that before multiple mirrors start rebuilding, which they will as soon as geom_mirror.ko is loaded. As i understand from the man page -n setup the device not to auto rebuild ever. So, this is probably the thing i want. I need to setup a test system and play with it a bit. Artem ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Software raid VS hardware raid
> My other concern is what happens when one drive goes down if we use > gmirror? Is it completelly transparent > and bad drive can be hot swapped while server is running and rebuild > started? > I am thinking now about gpt+gmirror (including boot and swap) > > Artem > Yes. In fact, you can test this by unplugging the data or power cable to a drive while the server is running. I've done this with consumer sata drives and, so far, not had a problem. The server stays up and running and disk access is not interrupted. I can then plug in a new disk and add it to the gmirror and the array rebuilds. I've not tried this with gpt, so I can't comment there. -Modulok- ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Software raid VS hardware raid
On Tue, 29 Jan 2013, Artem Kuchin wrote: 29.01.2013 18:57, Warren Block: On Tue, 29 Jan 2013, Artem Kuchin wrote: The Handbook chapter on gmirror talks about the problems with GPT and GEOM metadata. In short: right now, they conflict. It's possible to mirror GPT partitions, but be aware that if you mirror more than one partition on a drive, a rebuild after replacing a drive could thrash the heads as mirrors are rebuilt simultaneously. http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/geom-mirror.html So, gmirror+GPT=conflict on last sector GPT+gmirror = hardrive head kill nice... So, for no more than 2TB disks the best way to go is GMIRROR of the drive +PARTITION on top of it? GPT partitions should work, just limit it to one mirrored partition per drive. Or maybe there is a way to instruct gmirror do rebuild only what i say (manual rebuild) ? 'gmirror configure -n' ? Have not tried it. The trick would be to do that before multiple mirrors start rebuilding, which they will as soon as geom_mirror.ko is loaded. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Software raid VS hardware raid
On Tue, 29 Jan 2013 08:57:31 -0600, Warren Block wrote: As far a gmirror is concerned, yes, drives can be removed and new drives inserted while the mirror is running. Hot swap is more of an issue with the hardware. I have not tried it with SATA drives, although I think it should work. The Handbook chapter on gmirror talks about the problems with GPT and GEOM metadata. In short: right now, they conflict. It's possible to mirror GPT partitions, but be aware that if you mirror more than one partition on a drive, a rebuild after replacing a drive could thrash the heads as mirrors are rebuilt simultaneously. http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/geom-mirror.html Why isn't gmirror more intelligent? I hate to use Linux as an example, but mdadm won't simultaneously rebuild multiple RAID sets if they use the same physical providers to prevent this. Could this be added as a feature? Even a sysctl toggle? ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Software raid VS hardware raid
29.01.2013 18:57, Warren Block: On Tue, 29 Jan 2013, Artem Kuchin wrote: The Handbook chapter on gmirror talks about the problems with GPT and GEOM metadata. In short: right now, they conflict. It's possible to mirror GPT partitions, but be aware that if you mirror more than one partition on a drive, a rebuild after replacing a drive could thrash the heads as mirrors are rebuilt simultaneously. http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/geom-mirror.html So, gmirror+GPT=conflict on last sector GPT+gmirror = hardrive head kill nice... So, for no more than 2TB disks the best way to go is GMIRROR of the drive +PARTITION on top of it? Or maybe there is a way to instruct gmirror do rebuild only what i say (manual rebuild) ? Artem ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Software raid VS hardware raid
On Tue, 29 Jan 2013, Artem Kuchin wrote: My other concern is what happens when one drive goes down if we use gmirror? Is it completelly transparent and bad drive can be hot swapped while server is running and rebuild started? I am thinking now about gpt+gmirror (including boot and swap) As far a gmirror is concerned, yes, drives can be removed and new drives inserted while the mirror is running. Hot swap is more of an issue with the hardware. I have not tried it with SATA drives, although I think it should work. The Handbook chapter on gmirror talks about the problems with GPT and GEOM metadata. In short: right now, they conflict. It's possible to mirror GPT partitions, but be aware that if you mirror more than one partition on a drive, a rebuild after replacing a drive could thrash the heads as mirrors are rebuilt simultaneously. http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/geom-mirror.html ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Software raid VS hardware raid
Artem Kuchin wrote: [snip] > The server is going to be a web server with many sites and with mysql > running on it. Nothing really really > heavy. Currently with run all this on our own server with 8 cores and > 16GB ram and 3ware raid1 > and cpu load is about 5% :) Everything is quick and responsive. I hope > to see the same on a software raid. The controller would be a slight concern. But for what you've described doing I doubt it will be a big deal. The 3Ware may have a faster processor on it than say a generic onboard built-in. But since all we're talking here is a RAID 1 mirror my guess is it may not be a big enough difference to see. Writes will be just as if you are writing to 1 drive, reads will be faster. Maybe that 5% cpu load turns into 6% or 7%. > I really don't want to deploy ZFS on a new server where all these site > need to migrate because i am kind of > "don't fix it if it is not broken" kind of guy. > UFS+journaling+softupdates served us well for years and snapshots > are available on ufs too. I understand; I've only played around with ZFS some on Solaris. I may move in that direction some day, but for now > My other concern is what happens when one drive goes down if we use > gmirror? Is it completelly transparent > and bad drive can be hot swapped while server is running and rebuild > started? > I am thinking now about gpt+gmirror (including boot and swap) I've never actually hot-swapped one but I can't see any reason why not. You can't use the gmirror remove directive when a drive has failed, but you do a gmirror forget , swap it, then just do gmirror insert to insert the replaced drive into the mirror. When everything is working as it should gmirror is mostly 'automatic', e.g. after the insert the rebuild just starts. Main thing I appreciated about this is the server stayed up and online after one drive died. My two servers at home are my testbeds to test out things first before doing stuff to the ones at work. I just installed both to 9.1. The difference now is I've used GPT (gpart) and this is new to me. Previously everything was always fdisk and disklabel. Both these machines are setup on one drive at this point and I haven't yet gotten into the mirroring yet. With the old fdisk/disklabel it was simple to just mirror the entire drive itself (slice). The other approach is to mirror partitions. I think I may need to do this as I think this is the way you have to proceed in order to avoid having gpt and gmirror both trying to claim the last sector on the drive (metadata storage). -Mike ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Software raid VS hardware raid
29.01.2013 11:54, Michael Powell: Artem Kuchin wrote: I guess what I'm trying to point out is that low performance wrt software RAID will stem from other things besides just simply consuming a few CPU cycles. Today's CPUs have the cycles to spare. I've been using gmirror for RAID 1 mirrors for a few years now and am happy with this. I have had a few old drives die and the servers stayed up and online. This allowed me to defer the actual drive replacement and not have to drop everything and fight fire. Thank you everyone for replying. I realize that many other things affect the performance, not only the CPU power. For example, disk IO kernel multithreading is one of the things. But i guess in FBSD 9 it is more or less solved. The server is going to be a web server with many sites and with mysql running on it. Nothing really really heavy. Currently with run all this on our own server with 8 cores and 16GB ram and 3ware raid1 and cpu load is about 5% :) Everything is quick and responsive. I hope to see the same on a software raid. I really don't want to deploy ZFS on a new server where all these site need to migrate because i am kind of "don't fix it if it is not broken" kind of guy. UFS+journaling+softupdates served us well for years and snapshots are available on ufs too. My other concern is what happens when one drive goes down if we use gmirror? Is it completelly transparent and bad drive can be hot swapped while server is running and rebuild started? I am thinking now about gpt+gmirror (including boot and swap) Artem ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Software raid VS hardware raid
Artem Kuchin wrote: > Hello! > > I have to made a decision on choosing a dedicated server. > The problem i see is that while i can find very affordable and good > options they do not > provide hardware raid or even if they do it is not the best hardware for > freebsd. > The server base conf is 8core 32gb ram 2.8+ ghz. > So, maybe someone has personal experience with both worlds and can tell > if it > really matters in such configuration if i go for software raid. What are > the benefits > and what are the negatives of software raid? How much is the performance > penalty? > I am planning to use mirror configuration of two SATA 7200rpm 2TB disks. > Nothing fancy. > File system planned is UFS with journaling. I can't say for sure exactly what's best for your needs, however, please allow me to toss out some very generic tidbits which may aid you in some way. Historically back when RAID was new, hardware controllers were the only way to go. Back then I would never look at software RAID for a server machine. Best to offload as much work away from the CPU as possible to free it up for running the OS. What has changed is the amount of raw horsepower available from modern-day processors as compared to when RAID first came out. On the multi-core monster CPUs of today software RAID is a perfectly viable consideration because there are CPU cycles to spare, so the "performance penalty" is less now than it once was. Having said that, there are several other considerations to keep in mind as well. The type of RAID required matters. If you want/need RAID 5/6 it is definitely better to go with hardware RAID because of the horsepower required to do the XOR parity generation. You would want RAID 5/6 running on a hardware controller and not on the CPU. On the other hand, RAID 0, 1, and 10 are fine candidates for software RAID. One thing I've noticed that seems to somewhat get lost in this discussion is equating software-based RAID with not needing to spend money on the expensive RAID controller. At first glance it does seem like quite a waste to spend hundreds of dollars on a really fast RAID controller and then turn all its functionality off and just use it JBOD style. If you truly want performance you still need the processing power of the hardware chip on the (expensive) controller. Most central to this is I/Os per second. This matters more to some workloads than others, with being a database server probably at the top of the list where I/Os per second is king. The better the chip on the controller card the more I/Os per second. Another thing that matters less wrt to server hardware is the third kind of RAID known as "fake" or "pseudo" RAID. This is mostly found on desktop PC motherboards and some low-end (cheap) hardware cards. There is a config in the BIOS to set up so-called "RAID", but it is only half of the matter - the other half is in the driver. FreeBSD does indeed have support for some of these "fake RAID" things but I stay far far away from them. Either go hardware or pure software only - the fakeraid is crap. Another thing I'd warn you about is the drives themselves. Take a look: http://wdc.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1397 Many people get very lucky much of the time and don't experience problems with this. Using drives designed for desktop PCs with RAID can be prone to problem. Drives designed for servers are more expensive, but I've always felt it is better to put server drives in servers. :-) In terms of a 'performance penalty' what you will find is it gets shifted away from just losing a few CPU cycles into other areas. If the drives are Advanced Format 4k sector critters and they aren't properly aligned in the partitioning phase of set up performance will take a hit. If the controller chip they are hooked up to is slow, then the entire drive subsystem will suffer. Another thing you will find that will surface as a problem area is the shift away from the old style DOS MBR scheme and towards GPT. Software RAID (and indeed hardware controllers too) store their metadata at the end of the drive and needs to be "outside" the file system. The problem arises when both the software raid and the GPT partitioning try to store metadata to the same location and collide. Just knowing about this in advance and spending some quality reading time about it prior to trying to set up the box will help greatly. Plenty has been written (even in this list) about this subject by people smarter than me so the info you need is out there, albeit it can be confusing at first. I guess what I'm trying to point out is that low performance wrt software RAID will stem from other things besides just simply consuming a few CPU cycles. Today's CPUs have the cycles to spare. I've been using gmirror
Re: Software raid VS hardware raid
On Jan 28, 2013, at 3:43 PM, Artem Kuchin wrote: > I have to made a decision on choosing a dedicated server. > The problem i see is that while i can find very affordable and good options > they do not > provide hardware raid or even if they do it is not the best hardware for > freebsd. I prefer SW RAID, specifically ZFS, for two very large reasons: 1) Visibility: From the OS layer you have very good visibility into the health of the RAID set and the underlying drives. All of the lower end HW RAID solutions I have seen require proprietary software to "manage" the RAID configuration, usually from the physical system's BIOS layer. Finding good OS layer software to monitor the RAID and the drives has been very painful. If you don't know you have a failure, then you can't do anything about it and when you have a second failure you lose data. Running a HW RAID system and not being able to issue a simple command from the OS and see the status of the RAID scares me. 2) Error Detection and Correction: HW RAID relies on the drives to report read and write errors. With UNCORRECTABLE error rates of 10^-14 and 10^-15 and LARGE (1 TB plus) drives you are almost guaranteed to statistically run into UNCORRECTABLE errors over the life of a typical drive. ZFS has end to end checksums and can detect a single bad bit from a drive, if the set is redundant it can recreate the correct data and re-write it, effectively correcting the bad data on disk. NOTE: Larger, more expensive HW RAID systems address both of the above issues, but at a much higher cost in terms of money and management overhead. DISCLAIMER: I have been managing mission critical, cannot afford to lose it data under ZFS for over 5 years, with no loss of data (even with some horribly unreliable low cost HW RAID systems under the ZFS layer... if we had not used ZFS we would have lost data multiple times). -- Paul Kraus Deputy Technical Director, LoneStarCon 3 Sound Coordinator, Schenectady Light Opera Company ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Software raid VS hardware raid
On Mon, 28 Jan 2013, Per olof Ljungmark wrote: On 01/28/13 21:43, Artem Kuchin wrote: Hello! I have to made a decision on choosing a dedicated server. The problem i see is that while i can find very affordable and good options they do not provide hardware raid or even if they do it is not the best hardware for freebsd. The server base conf is 8core 32gb ram 2.8+ ghz. So, maybe someone has personal experience with both worlds and can tell if it really matters in such configuration if i go for software raid. What are the benefits and what are the negatives of software raid? How much is the performance penalty? I am planning to use mirror configuration of two SATA 7200rpm 2TB disks. Nothing fancy. File system planned is UFS with journaling. I won't delve into detail here but if the data is important HW RAID is where you want to be. Perhaps you could give us a little more details A problem with HW RAID is that if the controller breaks, you need to get an identical controller to replace it, or the data will be lost. With software raid, you can read the data on any machine that will boot FreeBSD. That is a great convenience compared to searching eBay for an obsolete controller with the proper rev level. We haven't noticed any speed disadvantage on modern multi-core hardware and RAID 1. The advantages of HW raid escape me - I understand that years ago it provided OS independence and reduced CPU load, but it no longer provides the former, and with 8 cores do you need the latter while waiting for a disk platter to spin? ZFS is worthwhile, too, especially since you have a good amount of memory. That would give you snapshots and some other desirable features, such as background scanning for defects that UFS doesn't have. about what the purpose of the server is? Mission-critical or low cost? Those two tends to be mutually exclusive... Surely the presence of SATA drives shows that low cost is essential. Mirroring and ZFS provide very important advantages. HW raid seems to fill a much needed gap (apologies to Brian Kernigan). daniel feenberg We are HP-only but have good experience from LSI as well. Just my $0.02. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Software raid VS hardware raid
On 01/28/13 21:43, Artem Kuchin wrote: > Hello! > > I have to made a decision on choosing a dedicated server. > The problem i see is that while i can find very affordable and good > options they do not > provide hardware raid or even if they do it is not the best hardware for > freebsd. > The server base conf is 8core 32gb ram 2.8+ ghz. > So, maybe someone has personal experience with both worlds and can tell > if it > really matters in such configuration if i go for software raid. What are > the benefits > and what are the negatives of software raid? How much is the performance > penalty? > I am planning to use mirror configuration of two SATA 7200rpm 2TB disks. > Nothing fancy. > File system planned is UFS with journaling. > I won't delve into detail here but if the data is important HW RAID is where you want to be. Perhaps you could give us a little more details about what the purpose of the server is? Mission-critical or low cost? Those two tends to be mutually exclusive... We are HP-only but have good experience from LSI as well. Just my $0.02. //per ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Software raid VS hardware raid
Hello! I have to made a decision on choosing a dedicated server. The problem i see is that while i can find very affordable and good options they do not provide hardware raid or even if they do it is not the best hardware for freebsd. The server base conf is 8core 32gb ram 2.8+ ghz. So, maybe someone has personal experience with both worlds and can tell if it really matters in such configuration if i go for software raid. What are the benefits and what are the negatives of software raid? How much is the performance penalty? I am planning to use mirror configuration of two SATA 7200rpm 2TB disks. Nothing fancy. File system planned is UFS with journaling. Artem ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Hardware recommendations, not "enterprise" budget.
On Oct 29, 2012 10:57 PM, "Joshua Isom" wrote: > > Soon I'll be purchasing a wireless N card for my current FreeBSD system since I'm not yet ready to add ethernet to my house. What would be the current recommendations for using wireless N on FreeBSD? My router is a Linksys E2000, which supports 2.4GHz and 5GHz but not concurrently. Supporting 5GHz is a strong preference but I doubt I'll have much luck getting everything else to work at 5GHz. > > I'm also thinking of an HTPC. For low power and mostly silent hardware, what's the best? > ___ > freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions > To unsubscribe, send any mail to " freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org" Hi Joshua, >From my experience an Atheros or Ralink chipset is generally going to be the best way to go. Not sure about your system, or what type of device you are considering, but if its going to be a USB dongle id go with Ralink chipset device. Waitman Gobble San Jose California ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Hardware recommendations, not "enterprise" budget.
Soon I'll be purchasing a wireless N card for my current FreeBSD system since I'm not yet ready to add ethernet to my house. What would be the current recommendations for using wireless N on FreeBSD? My router is a Linksys E2000, which supports 2.4GHz and 5GHz but not concurrently. Supporting 5GHz is a strong preference but I doubt I'll have much luck getting everything else to work at 5GHz. I'm also thinking of an HTPC. For low power and mostly silent hardware, what's the best? ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Request to Add Website Details- Hardware Section
Again... How is the list being spammed like this?? On Tue, 9 Oct 2012, Joe Phillip wrote: Dear Webmaster, We have been manually researching for relevant partners and found your website very useful. Adding my website under Hardware section(URL: * http://www.freebsd.org/commercial/hardware.html) *of your esteemed website would be very helpful to us as well be of high value to your customers. If interested, pls use the following link details to place our link on your site: Title: Rackmount Monitor URL: http://www.kvmswitchtech.com/rackmount-monitors-c11572.htm Desc: KVMSwitchTech provides wide range of rackmount monitors to save valuable space in server rooms. Get 1U rack mount monitors, 1u solaris rackmount monitors at competitive prices. OR you can use this HTML Code: http://www.kvmswitchtech.com/rackmount-monitors-c11572.htm";>Rackmount Monitor - KVMSwitchTech.com provides wide range of rackmount monitors to save valuable space in server rooms. Get 1U rack mount monitors, 1u solaris rackmount monitors at competitive prices. In case if you also require a linkback, please let me know. Thanks Joe Webmaster ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org" ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: BSD on IOS hardware
Greg Freeman wrote: Is it possible to load FreeBSD on an Apple Mobile device designed to run IOS? There are a lot of old iPads out there. If we could repurpose them to straight Unix pads that might be cool. On 03/10/2012 05:19, Sean Cavanaugh wrote: > I hate to say it, but wouldn't it be easier to just buy a cheap android tablet in the first place? If you are buying new hardware that would be a good choice but if you just get hold of old hardware that has been tossed out after an upgrade it is a matter of working with what you have. Given the popularity of ipod/iphone/ipad there will be a lot more of them lying around as time goes by. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
RE: BSD on IOS hardware
> -Original Message- > From: owner-freebsd-questi...@freebsd.org [mailto:owner-freebsd- > questi...@freebsd.org] On Behalf Of Shane Ambler > Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2012 3:13 PM > To: Rares Aioanei > Cc: Greg Freeman; freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.org > Subject: Re: BSD on IOS hardware > > On 02/10/2012 22:58, Rares Aioanei wrote: > > On Thu, 27 Sep 2012 10:18:06 -0400 > > Greg Freeman wrote: > > > >> Is it possible to load FreeBSD on an Apple Mobile device designed to > >> run IOS? There are a lot of old iPads out there. If we could > >> repurpose them to straight Unix pads that might be cool. From there > >> shells and then maybe an open source alternative to IOS or Android. > >> Maybe a way for people to get free of the info pirates > > > > How do you intend to type on it? > > While apple offers a bluetooth keyboard I have seen docks with a keyboard > built in. The other option is that the system will need xorg installed as the > minimum setup so you have a touch screen with onscreen keyboard. > > The ipad/ipod would be a target that netbsd may try - I don't believe they > have though. > > I don't think they support the newer touch screen devices but rockbox is an > opensource ipod (and other mp3 players) firmware replacement. > It could be a starting point for booting another OS. > > Having said that I think your best bet would probably be jailbreaking the ipad > so you get more control over what you can install. > Search for cydia > I hate to say it, but wouldn't it be easier to just buy a cheap android tablet in the first place? Some of the ones from china are only a hundred bucks or so but run ICS on a 7" screen. I do like the idea of trying to push BSD to more devices. Would be neat to host a full website from an ipod, but I do agree that would be more the realm of NetBSD, not FreeBSD. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: BSD on IOS hardware
On 02/10/2012 22:58, Rares Aioanei wrote: On Thu, 27 Sep 2012 10:18:06 -0400 Greg Freeman wrote: Is it possible to load FreeBSD on an Apple Mobile device designed to run IOS? There are a lot of old iPads out there. If we could repurpose them to straight Unix pads that might be cool. From there shells and then maybe an open source alternative to IOS or Android. Maybe a way for people to get free of the info pirates How do you intend to type on it? While apple offers a bluetooth keyboard I have seen docks with a keyboard built in. The other option is that the system will need xorg installed as the minimum setup so you have a touch screen with onscreen keyboard. The ipad/ipod would be a target that netbsd may try - I don't believe they have though. I don't think they support the newer touch screen devices but rockbox is an opensource ipod (and other mp3 players) firmware replacement. It could be a starting point for booting another OS. Having said that I think your best bet would probably be jailbreaking the ipad so you get more control over what you can install. Search for cydia ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: BSD on IOS hardware
On Thu, 27 Sep 2012 10:18:06 -0400 Greg Freeman wrote: > Is it possible to load FreeBSD on an Apple Mobile device designed to > run IOS? There are a lot of old iPads out there. If we could > repurpose them to straight Unix pads that might be cool. From there > shells and then maybe an open source alternative to IOS or Android. > Maybe a way for people to get free of the info > pirates How do you intend to type on it? -- Rares Aioanei ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
BSD on IOS hardware
Is it possible to load FreeBSD on an Apple Mobile device designed to run IOS? There are a lot of old iPads out there. If we could repurpose them to straight Unix pads that might be cool. From there shells and then maybe an open source alternative to IOS or Android. Maybe a way for people to get free of the info pirates.___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: OT: Robotics or embedded or hardware programming... what is this called?
On Mon, 25 Jun 2012 09:43:35 -0600 (MDT), Warren Block wrote: > On Mon, 25 Jun 2012, Ian Smith wrote: > > > On Fri, 22 Jun 2012 06:47:48 -0600 (MDT), Warren Block wrote: > > > On Fri, 22 Jun 2012, Ian Smith wrote: > > > > > > Well, there is devel/arduino. It's not emdedded Linux, but an IDE for > > > writing and downloading code. The Arduino is a small embedded controller > > > based on the Atmel AVR microcontrollers. They are quite powerful, easy > > > to > > > program, and accessible for experimenters. You can skip the Arduino > > > environment if you like, using the same lower-level tools like avr-gcc > > > directly. And the Arduino board can be used as a programmer, downloading > > > code to plain AVR chips and avoiding the need for more Arduino boards. > > > Talk > > > about the Arduino on FreeBSD is generally on the freebsd-embedded mailing > > > list. > > > > Thanks Warren. I got the wrong idea that Arduino ran an embedded Linux > > from a friend, a Linux-using Electrical Engineer, but not a programmer. > > I'd also (too) briefly glanced at www.arduino.cc and noted Windows, Mac > > and Linux references, and Linux binaries, but had no idea you had ported > > the GUI. Could you perhaps try pushing the FreeBSD port upstream to > > Arduino, so people can find out that it exists from there? > > There was an updated entry mentioning the port in the Playground, which now > seems to have reverted back to the old not-yet-working procedure for FreeBSD > 6.1. And I see that 1.0.1 is out, so now the port needs to be updated. > There doesn't appear to be a way for me to edit that. I can send mail to the > site about mentioning the FreeBSD port on the downloads page. Or you can, if > you like. MAMBM .. I'd promised myself I wouldn't spend any more time on this :) That wiki is fairly messed up, but its search helps a bit; searching for 'FreeBSD' (ie googling 'FreeBSD site:http://arduino.cc/playground') turns up more than is indexed from the sidebar, including some pages not apparently accessible otherwise. It really needs the main index editing (as well as http://arduino.cc/playground/Learning/FreeBSD) to point to (say) 'Installing Arduino on other platforms' after the Linux one, but it'd be a bit of work. Yes, even just a link in the Downloads section would help, but making FreeBSD support more obvious sure wouldn't hurt. > Something I forgot to mention earlier is that it may now be possible to buy > Arduinos or compatibles at Radio Shack stores in the US. Yes they're definitely getting out there. Tandy / RS abandoned the kit market here, but Jaycar (2011 cat) has Uno-compatible boards for $40 and a Duemilanove-compatible with onboard Ethernet 'shield' for $70. Hmm. Despite indexing FreeBSD under Linux(!), anybody interested in embedded monitoring, control and/or robotics with Arduino or Atmel uCs in general should find something of interest in 'The World Famous Index of Arduino & Freeduino Knowledge' at http://www.freeduino.org/ sucked in, Ian ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: OT: Robotics or embedded or hardware programming... what is this called?
On Mon, 25 Jun 2012, Ian Smith wrote: On Fri, 22 Jun 2012 06:47:48 -0600 (MDT), Warren Block wrote: > On Fri, 22 Jun 2012, Ian Smith wrote: > > Well, there is devel/arduino. It's not emdedded Linux, but an IDE for > writing and downloading code. The Arduino is a small embedded controller > based on the Atmel AVR microcontrollers. They are quite powerful, easy to > program, and accessible for experimenters. You can skip the Arduino > environment if you like, using the same lower-level tools like avr-gcc > directly. And the Arduino board can be used as a programmer, downloading > code to plain AVR chips and avoiding the need for more Arduino boards. Talk > about the Arduino on FreeBSD is generally on the freebsd-embedded mailing > list. Thanks Warren. I got the wrong idea that Arduino ran an embedded Linux from a friend, a Linux-using Electrical Engineer, but not a programmer. I'd also (too) briefly glanced at www.arduino.cc and noted Windows, Mac and Linux references, and Linux binaries, but had no idea you had ported the GUI. Could you perhaps try pushing the FreeBSD port upstream to Arduino, so people can find out that it exists from there? There was an updated entry mentioning the port in the Playground, which now seems to have reverted back to the old not-yet-working procedure for FreeBSD 6.1. And I see that 1.0.1 is out, so now the port needs to be updated. There doesn't appear to be a way for me to edit that. I can send mail to the site about mentioning the FreeBSD port on the downloads page. Or you can, if you like. Something I forgot to mention earlier is that it may now be possible to buy Arduinos or compatibles at Radio Shack stores in the US. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: OT: Robotics or embedded or hardware programming... what is this called?
On Fri, 22 Jun 2012 06:47:48 -0600 (MDT), Warren Block wrote: > On Fri, 22 Jun 2012, Ian Smith wrote: > > > I thought I saw something somewhere (maybe just wishful thinking) about > > FreeBSD on the Arduino, which normally runs a sort of embedded Linux, > > that could be very interesting; the hardware is cheap (kits at Jaycar > > stores in Australia anyway), very modular design, and there are heaps of > > fascinating projects. I want the quadricopter to follow me around the > > room at parties - at my age I need something really impressive :) > > Well, there is devel/arduino. It's not emdedded Linux, but an IDE for > writing and downloading code. The Arduino is a small embedded controller > based on the Atmel AVR microcontrollers. They are quite powerful, easy to > program, and accessible for experimenters. You can skip the Arduino > environment if you like, using the same lower-level tools like avr-gcc > directly. And the Arduino board can be used as a programmer, downloading > code to plain AVR chips and avoiding the need for more Arduino boards. Talk > about the Arduino on FreeBSD is generally on the freebsd-embedded mailing > list. Thanks Warren. I got the wrong idea that Arduino ran an embedded Linux from a friend, a Linux-using Electrical Engineer, but not a programmer. I'd also (too) briefly glanced at www.arduino.cc and noted Windows, Mac and Linux references, and Linux binaries, but had no idea you had ported the GUI. Could you perhaps try pushing the FreeBSD port upstream to Arduino, so people can find out that it exists from there? I hope to explore further once I get 9.x running; this 8.2-R system is chokka, not enough remaining space for a JDK, nor even a JRE :) > The Microchip PIC microcontrollers compete with the AVR. There are some > FreeBSD ports for programming those, but there are many varying chips and the > hardware needed to program some of them differs. I don't know if there is > anything directly comparable to the Arduino IDE. ARM processors have become > so cheap that they are starting to compete in this arena also. I looked at PICs ages ago, but just wasn't enticed by their instruction set; as an old S/3[67]0 bod I've always fallen for the more orthogonal processors like the Signetics 2650 (hands up who's heard of that!), 680[59]/68K and more lately AVRs, Harvard architecture despite little- endianness. Not sure there's room left in my head for MIPS or ARM .. > > On the FreeBSD side there's advanced work, I gather, on ARM and Atmel > > MEGA 32-bit and MIPS platforms at least. Personally I consider these > > 'big iron' and far prefer writing in macro assembler for little Atmel > > Tiny25s and such, but that's strictly "Look Ma, no OS!" programming. > > Another option: the freebsd-wireless list has had some very interesting > traffic about the TP-Link TL-WR1043ND, a $50 MIPS-based wireless router with > Atheros 802.11n chipset, USB, and gigabit Ethernet which can run FreeBSD > directly. Not sure how usable it is at present. Interesting. I'm subs'd to wireless@ and embedded@ (previously small@) but obviously haven't been paying enough attention :) Thanks again. cheers, Ian ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: OT: Robotics or embedded or hardware programming... what is this called?
On Fri, 22 Jun 2012, Ian Smith wrote: I thought I saw something somewhere (maybe just wishful thinking) about FreeBSD on the Arduino, which normally runs a sort of embedded Linux, that could be very interesting; the hardware is cheap (kits at Jaycar stores in Australia anyway), very modular design, and there are heaps of fascinating projects. I want the quadricopter to follow me around the room at parties - at my age I need something really impressive :) Well, there is devel/arduino. It's not emdedded Linux, but an IDE for writing and downloading code. The Arduino is a small embedded controller based on the Atmel AVR microcontrollers. They are quite powerful, easy to program, and accessible for experimenters. You can skip the Arduino environment if you like, using the same lower-level tools like avr-gcc directly. And the Arduino board can be used as a programmer, downloading code to plain AVR chips and avoiding the need for more Arduino boards. Talk about the Arduino on FreeBSD is generally on the freebsd-embedded mailing list. The Microchip PIC microcontrollers compete with the AVR. There are some FreeBSD ports for programming those, but there are many varying chips and the hardware needed to program some of them differs. I don't know if there is anything directly comparable to the Arduino IDE. ARM processors have become so cheap that they are starting to compete in this arena also. On the FreeBSD side there's advanced work, I gather, on ARM and Atmel MEGA 32-bit and MIPS platforms at least. Personally I consider these 'big iron' and far prefer writing in macro assembler for little Atmel Tiny25s and such, but that's strictly "Look Ma, no OS!" programming. Another option: the freebsd-wireless list has had some very interesting traffic about the TP-Link TL-WR1043ND, a $50 MIPS-based wireless router with Atheros 802.11n chipset, USB, and gigabit Ethernet which can run FreeBSD directly. Not sure how usable it is at present. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: OT: Robotics or embedded or hardware programming... what is this called?
In freebsd-questions Digest, Vol 420, Issue 10, Message: 17 On Wed, 20 Jun 2012 19:54:27 -0600 Modulok wrote: > Sorry for the off-topic post. There are a lot of technically adept people on > this list, so I thought I'd try my luck here: On recent volcanic form, this scarcely measures on the OT scale :) > I want to get started programming for hardware. Motors, sensors, actuators, > etc. > I have a programming background, (python, PHP, C++) but no experience with > code > that drives hardware. (Motors, sensors, etc.) > > I *don't* want closed-source "kit robots" where the point is to build the > robot > the book and thats it. I also don't want ladder logic-based PMC's. Some kind > of > micro-controller that runs a *nix flavor (or a BSD flavor!) would be great! > (If > that's what I need.) Basically, I want to do stuff like "if input1() is True > then apply_voltage_on_output3()", etc. Build my own traffic light, coffee > maker, mars rover, automatic-plant waterer, whatever. Sure. Fun and potentially profitable stuff. Wish I had a spare life .. > What do you call this? Embedded programming? Generic hardware programming? > Robotics programming? Are there prefabricated, standard embedded boards and > hardware specs that play together like PC parts do? In short, I don't even > know > where to start. Try browsing from http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-embedded/ to see if that's of interest. Getting FreeBSD up on various embedded platforms is the focus there, but I've seen robotics references too. I see also, but haven't explored these (both look moderately busy): http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-arm/ http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-mips/ > Even general pointers to books/websites would be great. Once I know what it's > called I can google much more effectively ;) I think once you find a platform you're interested in, you'll google up a perhaps bewildering array of support websites and forums, with books to suit. For me it's about the processor instruction set and hardware functionality, but I gather you're looking for higher level language implementations, so you'll want to sniff and taste a few. I thought I saw something somewhere (maybe just wishful thinking) about FreeBSD on the Arduino, which normally runs a sort of embedded Linux, that could be very interesting; the hardware is cheap (kits at Jaycar stores in Australia anyway), very modular design, and there are heaps of fascinating projects. I want the quadricopter to follow me around the room at parties - at my age I need something really impressive :) On the FreeBSD side there's advanced work, I gather, on ARM and Atmel MEGA 32-bit and MIPS platforms at least. Personally I consider these 'big iron' and far prefer writing in macro assembler for little Atmel Tiny25s and such, but that's strictly "Look Ma, no OS!" programming. cheers, Ian ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: OT: Robotics or embedded or hardware programming... what is this called?
I have one of these http://www.nerdkits.com/ They pack everything you need in and a few examples, quite neat but you need to do some electronics On 21/06/2012, Wojciech Puchar wrote: >> I want to get started programming for hardware. Motors, sensors, >> actuators, etc. >> I have a programming background, (python, PHP, C++) but no experience with >> code >> that drives hardware. (Motors, sensors, etc.) > > add "--" to your language list so first 2 would disappear and third will > become C. > >> I *don't* want closed-source "kit robots" where the point is to build the >> robot >> the book and thats it. I also don't want ladder logic-based PMC's. Some >> kind of >> micro-controller that runs a *nix flavor (or a BSD flavor!) would be >> great! (If > > Why do you want something like microcontroller to run any OS? >> What do you call this? Embedded programming? Generic hardware >> programming? > > running unix on microcontroller-style hardware is what i call nonsense. > > Writing your program that runs from first executed instruction is what i > call normal programming of such devices. > > The proper way is to > > 1) buy a microcontrooler chip, make your hardware using it, possibly buy > already made boards. microcontrollers are <1$, some more capable 32-bit > ones (ARM compatible usually, some are MIPS) for 2-3$. > > 2) throw away all included libraries because they are mostly mess. > prepare something that can be used as crt0.s > Better write it yourself in assembly. shouldn't be larger than 5 > instructions anyway, a bit more if ARM interrupt vectors are needed to be > filled. > > Some assembly knowledge is very useful, in spite of writing most in C. > > 3) read documentation. All embedded devices (like A/D converters, PWM > generators etc.) are described. With 32-bit micros start from "memory MAP" > chapter and then device description. You will just find out at what > address your peripheral is accessible. > > 4) lets say for example that 32 GPIO pins are accessible at address > 0x40001000 for setting ports, 0x40002000 for resetting ports, 0x40003000 > for reading out value, and 0x40004000 for setting direction > (input/output). > > #define GPIO0_SET ((int*)0x40001000) > #define GPIO0_RESET ((int*)0x40002000) > #define GPIO0_READ ((int*)0x40003000) > #define GPIO0_DIR ((int*)0x40004000) > > > 5) use it in your program. > > *GPIO0_DIR=0x; //sets all pins to output > *GPIO0_SET=0x; //sets every other pin to 1 > *GPIO0_RESET=0x; //set the rest to 0 > > > > if you have questions send it privately. microcontrollers are wrong place > for unix system and it's overcomplexity relatively to the task. > > ___ > freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions > To unsubscribe, send any mail to > "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org" > ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: OT: Robotics or embedded or hardware programming... what is this called?
I want to get started programming for hardware. Motors, sensors, actuators, etc. I have a programming background, (python, PHP, C++) but no experience with code that drives hardware. (Motors, sensors, etc.) add "--" to your language list so first 2 would disappear and third will become C. I *don't* want closed-source "kit robots" where the point is to build the robot the book and thats it. I also don't want ladder logic-based PMC's. Some kind of micro-controller that runs a *nix flavor (or a BSD flavor!) would be great! (If Why do you want something like microcontroller to run any OS? What do you call this? Embedded programming? Generic hardware programming? running unix on microcontroller-style hardware is what i call nonsense. Writing your program that runs from first executed instruction is what i call normal programming of such devices. The proper way is to 1) buy a microcontrooler chip, make your hardware using it, possibly buy already made boards. microcontrollers are <1$, some more capable 32-bit ones (ARM compatible usually, some are MIPS) for 2-3$. 2) throw away all included libraries because they are mostly mess. prepare something that can be used as crt0.s Better write it yourself in assembly. shouldn't be larger than 5 instructions anyway, a bit more if ARM interrupt vectors are needed to be filled. Some assembly knowledge is very useful, in spite of writing most in C. 3) read documentation. All embedded devices (like A/D converters, PWM generators etc.) are described. With 32-bit micros start from "memory MAP" chapter and then device description. You will just find out at what address your peripheral is accessible. 4) lets say for example that 32 GPIO pins are accessible at address 0x40001000 for setting ports, 0x40002000 for resetting ports, 0x40003000 for reading out value, and 0x40004000 for setting direction (input/output). #define GPIO0_SET ((int*)0x40001000) #define GPIO0_RESET ((int*)0x40002000) #define GPIO0_READ ((int*)0x40003000) #define GPIO0_DIR ((int*)0x40004000) 5) use it in your program. *GPIO0_DIR=0x; //sets all pins to output *GPIO0_SET=0x; //sets every other pin to 1 *GPIO0_RESET=0x; //set the rest to 0 if you have questions send it privately. microcontrollers are wrong place for unix system and it's overcomplexity relatively to the task. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: OT: Robotics or embedded or hardware programming... what is this called?
2012-06-21 03:54, Modulok skrev: List, Sorry for the off-topic post. There are a lot of technically adept people on this list, so I thought I'd try my luck here: I want to get started programming for hardware. Motors, sensors, actuators, etc. I have a programming background, (python, PHP, C++) but no experience with code that drives hardware. (Motors, sensors, etc.) I *don't* want closed-source "kit robots" where the point is to build the robot the book and thats it. I also don't want ladder logic-based PMC's. Some kind of micro-controller that runs a *nix flavor (or a BSD flavor!) would be great! (If that's what I need.) Basically, I want to do stuff like "if input1() is True then apply_voltage_on_output3()", etc. Build my own traffic light, coffee maker, mars rover, automatic-plant waterer, whatever. What do you call this? Embedded programming? Generic hardware programming? Robotics programming? Are there prefabricated, standard embedded boards and hardware specs that play together like PC parts do? In short, I don't even know where to start. Even general pointers to books/websites would be great. Once I know what it's called I can google much more effectively ;) Thanks! -Modulok- That ballpark is quite large. I'll give you some links http://www.linuxcnc.org/ http://arduino.cc/ ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: OT: Robotics or embedded or hardware programming... what is this called?
On 06/20/2012 06:54 PM, Modulok wrote: Even general pointers to books/websites would be great. Once I know what it's called I can google much more effectively Mars rover is robotic/embedded. I am using this site myself. http://www.societyofrobots.com/ ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
OT: Robotics or embedded or hardware programming... what is this called?
List, Sorry for the off-topic post. There are a lot of technically adept people on this list, so I thought I'd try my luck here: I want to get started programming for hardware. Motors, sensors, actuators, etc. I have a programming background, (python, PHP, C++) but no experience with code that drives hardware. (Motors, sensors, etc.) I *don't* want closed-source "kit robots" where the point is to build the robot the book and thats it. I also don't want ladder logic-based PMC's. Some kind of micro-controller that runs a *nix flavor (or a BSD flavor!) would be great! (If that's what I need.) Basically, I want to do stuff like "if input1() is True then apply_voltage_on_output3()", etc. Build my own traffic light, coffee maker, mars rover, automatic-plant waterer, whatever. What do you call this? Embedded programming? Generic hardware programming? Robotics programming? Are there prefabricated, standard embedded boards and hardware specs that play together like PC parts do? In short, I don't even know where to start. Even general pointers to books/websites would be great. Once I know what it's called I can google much more effectively ;) Thanks! -Modulok- ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Hardware compatability question
Hi, it's not really about the machines but more the hardware. FreeBSD is quite diverse in what it can run on so best bet check the HCL's off the www.freebsd.org website as that would give you the best idea! Otherwise just install and see what works and doesn't. FreeBSD is pretty comprehensive of H/W support. I would say if you were moving away from MS, FreeBSD is a great choice and probably the best out there providing you don't need something specific - you will need to get used to the CLI environment but once that's worked out it's a sinch. I am now introducing *BSD to my company too and trying to move them away from Linux which has it's own caveats. Good luck with the move, I'd love to give you a full-blown sales pitch but unfortunatley don't have time right now. - though it would be kinda useless as FreeBSD really sells itself if you know what it can do for you! Regards, Kaya On Thu, May 31, 2012 at 3:23 PM, wrote: > > Hello, > I am moving away from MS products due to security and stability > concerns. Below are the machines I use and would like to know which > version of FreeBSD will work best with each. The compu ters are used > at home and away, for e-mail, preparing documents, databases , and > spredsheets, as well as, web browsing and some begining programing > (Perl, C, HTML, and Assembely I think). > Here are the notes on my machines: > HP Compaq CQ5300Y > MOBO M2N68-LA (Narra5) > AMD Sempron LE-1300 2.30GHz > Vidio Card NVIDIA GeForce 6150SE nForce 430 > RAM: PC2-6400 MB/sec 2 Gigs RAM > HD: WDC WD32 00AAJS-65M0A SCSI 320 Gig HD > Toshiba Satel lite A205-S5880 > Intel Pentium Dual CPU T2390 @ 1.86 GH > Vidio Card: Mobile Intel 965 Express Chipset > RAM: 3 Gigs > HD: Toshiba MK2046GSX ATA > Both where bought new and are stock off the shelf models. > Thank you for your fine efforts and your time in this, > Phnxcs_rep > ___ > freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions > To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org" ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Purpose of FreeBSD X.Y-RELEASE Hardware Notes
Gentleman (and ladies), what is the purpose of the Hardware Notes when it does not provide any REAL information about what hardware is supported? A painful example, I checked if SCSI Controller Adaptec 29320 is supported on FreeBSD and the 'official' information is that it is supported with the AHD(4) driver, like below. > [i386,sparc64,ia64,amd64] The ahd(4) driver supports the following: > Adaptec AIC7901 host adapter chip > Adaptec AIC7901A host adapter chip > Adaptec AIC7902 host adapter chip > *Adaptec 29320 host adapter* > Adaptec 39320 host adapter > Many motherboards with on-board SCSI support But after connecting this Adaptec 29320 to the system it shits the terminal from top to bottom and all I have are issues with it, that is called officially supported hardware? There should be [*] sign on that device that this device ID is known, but its support is less then good. Grepping the Internet shows that all people suggest to put that SCSI card directly into the bin and get something else to work on FreeBSD. Regards, vermaden and nothing more -- ... ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Hardware compatibility
On 02/23/12 11:57, Da Rock wrote: On 02/23/12 08:33, Jerry wrote: On Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:31:10 +1000 Da Rock articulated: The most annoying for me was when they're running Win7 (blah!) and I was trying to burn a cd _and_ keep the kids from interrupting by playing on the keyboard. I closed the lid like I do with FBSD and it suspended! Grr! That behavior is totally configurable. You can change it to do nothing, enter hibernation, activate the screen saver, etc. You just have to RTFM. Yes it is configurable, especially in FBSD, which is exactly my point to the OP. Oh, and I might add: what manual? ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Hardware compatibility
On 02/23/12 08:33, Jerry wrote: On Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:31:10 +1000 Da Rock articulated: The most annoying for me was when they're running Win7 (blah!) and I was trying to burn a cd _and_ keep the kids from interrupting by playing on the keyboard. I closed the lid like I do with FBSD and it suspended! Grr! That behavior is totally configurable. You can change it to do nothing, enter hibernation, activate the screen saver, etc. You just have to RTFM. Yes it is configurable, especially in FBSD, which is exactly my point to the OP. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Hardware compatibility
On Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:31:10 +1000 Da Rock articulated: > The most annoying for me was when they're running Win7 (blah!) and I > was trying to burn a cd _and_ keep the kids from interrupting by > playing on the keyboard. I closed the lid like I do with FBSD and it > suspended! Grr! That behavior is totally configurable. You can change it to do nothing, enter hibernation, activate the screen saver, etc. You just have to RTFM. -- Jerry ♔ Disclaimer: off-list followups get on-list replies or get ignored. Please do not ignore the Reply-To header. __ ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Hardware compatibility
On 02/22/12 09:19, Polytropon wrote: On Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:44:08 +1000, Da Rock wrote: On 02/22/12 01:44, Polytropon wrote: Today's problems seem to be suspend/resume/hibernate (all the variations of "it's not switched on, but also not switched off entirely") and some specific sorts of wireless devices. I've never used, so I hadn't thought of it. That doesn't work for desktop either does it? If you can show me how to close a desktop's or minitower's lid... :-) When APM was the standard for those functionalities, it worked perfectly at the time APM had been obsoleted. I assume the same thing regarding ACPI will be the same: When it works, it gets replaced by something else. Kinda like 802.11n and flash... One thing I have tested is the backlight turns off when you close the lid and the power button will do a proper shutdown. I haven't heard of the others working - at the very least you need to script it for your own needs. Depends. Sometimes you might intend that closing the lid doesn't cause _any_ action, and the power button to be the power button (causing a shutdown). Exanple: You are using the laptop with external keyboard, mouse and screen. To avoid the internal keyboard to become dusty, closing the laptop would be nice. And if you're done with the work - also applies when used "normally" - press the power button, close the lid, and the device will power down in few seconds. Modern laptops don't seem to be able to perform like that. If you press the power button, maybe they shutdown. If you close the light right after that, it will go into some sleep or hibernate mode _during_ the shutdown. As far as I know, many of such functionalities depends on the ACPI implementation. Here, manufacturers often do a crappy job, not caring for specifications and standards. This may often render parts of the device useless. Most of it all can be scripted using devd. I don't know of any acpi laptops that have it builtin, it all has to implemented in the OS. Except the lid and backlight. The most annoying for me was when they're running Win7 (blah!) and I was trying to burn a cd _and_ keep the kids from interrupting by playing on the keyboard. I closed the lid like I do with FBSD and it suspended! Grr! Fair comment. I had in mind mostly a CD, but I admit a USB will be far better. I also had in mind the livefs system produced by the releases, which doesn't give much at all. X would be very helpful and implies a full system on the disk - this _will_ do most tests for a production environment, like test whether components actually work or are just recognised. Live file systems like FreeSBIE produced good results when the underlying OS was recent. 3D and current drivers might be a problem today. If you do this *and* get it to boot, you want to get a copy of pciconf -lv which will give you the best idea on whats what. You may be able to use a linux live disk (if you can get it to boot) to accomplish this better. USB sticks seem to be the best solution as they can allow you to store files (as the results of your investigation). Definitely agreed. But you'd need a full on system to do this, preferably with X - watch the Vid cards. That said you can always use vesa anyway. Of course, but if you are interested in utilizing the new system's full functionality, being able to also load kernel drivers (such as nVidia and ATI) could also be a benefit. Unfortunately merely loading the drivers won't tell you much without X. They can conflict (or not) only when run by X. These days, though, its not just video to worry about like this. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Hardware compatibility
On Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:44:08 +1000, Da Rock wrote: > On 02/22/12 01:44, Polytropon wrote: > > Today's problems seem to be suspend/resume/hibernate (all > > the variations of "it's not switched on, but also not > > switched off entirely") and some specific sorts of wireless > > devices. > I've never used, so I hadn't thought of it. That doesn't work for > desktop either does it? If you can show me how to close a desktop's or minitower's lid... :-) When APM was the standard for those functionalities, it worked perfectly at the time APM had been obsoleted. I assume the same thing regarding ACPI will be the same: When it works, it gets replaced by something else. > One thing I have tested is the backlight turns off when you close the > lid and the power button will do a proper shutdown. I haven't heard of > the others working - at the very least you need to script it for your > own needs. Depends. Sometimes you might intend that closing the lid doesn't cause _any_ action, and the power button to be the power button (causing a shutdown). Exanple: You are using the laptop with external keyboard, mouse and screen. To avoid the internal keyboard to become dusty, closing the laptop would be nice. And if you're done with the work - also applies when used "normally" - press the power button, close the lid, and the device will power down in few seconds. Modern laptops don't seem to be able to perform like that. If you press the power button, maybe they shutdown. If you close the light right after that, it will go into some sleep or hibernate mode _during_ the shutdown. As far as I know, many of such functionalities depends on the ACPI implementation. Here, manufacturers often do a crappy job, not caring for specifications and standards. This may often render parts of the device useless. > Fair comment. I had in mind mostly a CD, but I admit a USB will be far > better. I also had in mind the livefs system produced by the releases, > which doesn't give much at all. X would be very helpful and implies a > full system on the disk - this _will_ do most tests for a production > environment, like test whether components actually work or are just > recognised. Live file systems like FreeSBIE produced good results when the underlying OS was recent. 3D and current drivers might be a problem today. > >> If you do this *and* get it to boot, you want to get a copy of pciconf > >> -lv which will give you the best idea on whats what. You may be able to > >> use a linux live disk (if you can get it to boot) to accomplish this > >> better. > > USB sticks seem to be the best solution as they can allow > > you to store files (as the results of your investigation). > Definitely agreed. But you'd need a full on system to do this, > preferably with X - watch the Vid cards. That said you can always use > vesa anyway. Of course, but if you are interested in utilizing the new system's full functionality, being able to also load kernel drivers (such as nVidia and ATI) could also be a benefit. -- Polytropon Magdeburg, Germany Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0 Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ... ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Hardware compatibility
On 02/22/12 01:44, Polytropon wrote: On Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:45:05 +1000, Da Rock wrote: To the OP, check the pages Polytropon has linked here, but the chances of getting exactly that are nil to impossible. I've run about 6 or more laptops now without too much trouble. The biggest problems were wireless, but that was the bad old days... most support is there now thanks to Adrianns work. Today's problems seem to be suspend/resume/hibernate (all the variations of "it's not switched on, but also not switched off entirely") and some specific sorts of wireless devices. I've never used, so I hadn't thought of it. That doesn't work for desktop either does it? One thing I have tested is the backlight turns off when you close the lid and the power button will do a proper shutdown. I haven't heard of the others working - at the very least you need to script it for your own needs. Having a live disk is not likely to help for several reasons: 1. there aren't really the tools to see if something will actually work in a production environment (unless pc-bsd have a disc I don't know about). For instance, wifi maybe recognised but not actually work and error like crazy only once you start to use it. The main idea of using such a system is to most precisely determine the _present_ hardware to allow further investigations (e. g. web searches and mailing list questions). The OS from disc or stick can help to identify the hardware. If you're running a live file system from a USB stick, you can do things like: # dmesg # pciconf -lv # usbconfig # sysctl -a If you start the system by "boot -v" (verbose logging), dmesg will contain some more lines than usual. If you have a USB stick, you can easily save the output of those commands to persistent files. If you have X in the mix, you can also check the support for the display and obtain other information that might be important later on (especially GPU info): # glxinfo # xvinfo Log files worth saving are in /var/log, as well as Xorg.0.log for X-related things. If you prepare some programs, you can also do some testing, e. g. multimedia, gaming, 3D support, networking and so on. Fair comment. I had in mind mostly a CD, but I admit a USB will be far better. I also had in mind the livefs system produced by the releases, which doesn't give much at all. X would be very helpful and implies a full system on the disk - this _will_ do most tests for a production environment, like test whether components actually work or are just recognised. 2. The BIOS will get in your way - see recent thread regarding samsung laptop not installing. I don't think the salespeople will let you play with that either. Depends. If you're interested in buying one of the more expensive ones, they will offer you a "test ride" which includes that you have a look at the CMOS setup (which is something very typical for you as an IT professional). You can say: "The BIOS is defective, it doesn't allow me to boot a standard OS. Let's see... for 100$ less, I would still do you a favour and buy it." :-) You are a devious one Polytropon :) That would depend on the sales enviornment and country your in. Here they have the systems running with a lease on and a screenlock, and try to show you as little as possible to buy the thing... or you buy online. I'd love to try that trick of yours though If you do this *and* get it to boot, you want to get a copy of pciconf -lv which will give you the best idea on whats what. You may be able to use a linux live disk (if you can get it to boot) to accomplish this better. USB sticks seem to be the best solution as they can allow you to store files (as the results of your investigation). Definitely agreed. But you'd need a full on system to do this, preferably with X - watch the Vid cards. That said you can always use vesa anyway. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Hardware compatibility
On Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:45:05 +1000, Da Rock wrote: > To the OP, check the pages Polytropon has linked here, but the chances > of getting exactly that are nil to impossible. I've run about 6 or more > laptops now without too much trouble. The biggest problems were > wireless, but that was the bad old days... most support is there now > thanks to Adrianns work. Today's problems seem to be suspend/resume/hibernate (all the variations of "it's not switched on, but also not switched off entirely") and some specific sorts of wireless devices. > Having a live disk is not likely to help for several reasons: > 1. there aren't really the tools to see if something will actually work > in a production environment (unless pc-bsd have a disc I don't know > about). For instance, wifi maybe recognised but not actually work and > error like crazy only once you start to use it. The main idea of using such a system is to most precisely determine the _present_ hardware to allow further investigations (e. g. web searches and mailing list questions). The OS from disc or stick can help to identify the hardware. If you're running a live file system from a USB stick, you can do things like: # dmesg # pciconf -lv # usbconfig # sysctl -a If you start the system by "boot -v" (verbose logging), dmesg will contain some more lines than usual. If you have a USB stick, you can easily save the output of those commands to persistent files. If you have X in the mix, you can also check the support for the display and obtain other information that might be important later on (especially GPU info): # glxinfo # xvinfo Log files worth saving are in /var/log, as well as Xorg.0.log for X-related things. If you prepare some programs, you can also do some testing, e. g. multimedia, gaming, 3D support, networking and so on. > 2. The BIOS will get in your way - see recent thread regarding samsung > laptop not installing. I don't think the salespeople will let you play > with that either. Depends. If you're interested in buying one of the more expensive ones, they will offer you a "test ride" which includes that you have a look at the CMOS setup (which is something very typical for you as an IT professional). You can say: "The BIOS is defective, it doesn't allow me to boot a standard OS. Let's see... for 100$ less, I would still do you a favour and buy it." :-) > If you do this *and* get it to boot, you want to get a copy of pciconf > -lv which will give you the best idea on whats what. You may be able to > use a linux live disk (if you can get it to boot) to accomplish this better. USB sticks seem to be the best solution as they can allow you to store files (as the results of your investigation). -- Polytropon Magdeburg, Germany Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0 Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ... ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Hardware compatibility
On 02/21/12 05:35, Polytropon wrote: On Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:35:43 +0100, Riccardo Garzelli wrote: I was thinking of purchasing a new laptop and I wanted to go for FreeBSD OS. Unfortunately I'm no brainer in Unix so I'd like to find a PC that can run FreeBSD 9.0 out of the box. Could you either tell me which hardware are suitable or a link to a compatibility list? Check the hardware compatibility list to find out which devices are compatible to FreeBSD, also see the release notes regarding version 9.0 of the OS. http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en/books/faq/hardware.html http://www.freebsd.org/releases/9.0R/hardware.html It's also a good idea to prepare a FreeBSD CD or DVD (or USB stick) that you can launch a FreeBSD system from (e. g. live file system with some diagnostic tools, to see if the hardware is supported). Ask if you can boot the system you're interested in buying with that test media, it shouldn't be a problem. You could also _ask_ for how the FreeBSD support is, but don't expect any useful answers from an average salesperson. :-) "Does it run FreeBSD?" - "Yes, you can click on the Internet with it, it's very shiny and comes with a wireless cable." =^_^= LOL. I like that - I ended up selling a mobile phone to someone in a major retailer while a clueless salesperson attempted to answer their questions. When the salesperson came back to me to see what I wanted, I realised he wasn't going to know the answer either... To the OP, check the pages Polytropon has linked here, but the chances of getting exactly that are nil to impossible. I've run about 6 or more laptops now without too much trouble. The biggest problems were wireless, but that was the bad old days... most support is there now thanks to Adrianns work. Find one you like and run with it. If you have any issues post here and see if people have some answers that will make it work. I hang out here a lot for starters. Having a live disk is not likely to help for several reasons: 1. there aren't really the tools to see if something will actually work in a production environment (unless pc-bsd have a disc I don't know about). For instance, wifi maybe recognised but not actually work and error like crazy only once you start to use it. 2. The BIOS will get in your way - see recent thread regarding samsung laptop not installing. I don't think the salespeople will let you play with that either. All the laptops (and possibly branded desktops) are getting the Window$ "virus". If you do this *and* get it to boot, you want to get a copy of pciconf -lv which will give you the best idea on whats what. You may be able to use a linux live disk (if you can get it to boot) to accomplish this better. I did this with a touch screen years ago and "wowed" the salesperson - they generally have no clue about these things :) My advice: buy one and wing it... it will be alright mostly. My current laptops with FreeBSD: HP Compaq Presario CQ62 HP Compaq Presario CQ62 Asus A52N ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Hardware compatibility
On Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:35:43 +0100, Riccardo Garzelli wrote: > I was thinking of purchasing a new laptop and I wanted to go for FreeBSD > OS. Unfortunately I'm no brainer in Unix so I'd like to find a PC that can > run FreeBSD 9.0 out of the box. > Could you either tell me which hardware are suitable or a link to a > compatibility list? Check the hardware compatibility list to find out which devices are compatible to FreeBSD, also see the release notes regarding version 9.0 of the OS. http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en/books/faq/hardware.html http://www.freebsd.org/releases/9.0R/hardware.html It's also a good idea to prepare a FreeBSD CD or DVD (or USB stick) that you can launch a FreeBSD system from (e. g. live file system with some diagnostic tools, to see if the hardware is supported). Ask if you can boot the system you're interested in buying with that test media, it shouldn't be a problem. You could also _ask_ for how the FreeBSD support is, but don't expect any useful answers from an average salesperson. :-) "Does it run FreeBSD?" - "Yes, you can click on the Internet with it, it's very shiny and comes with a wireless cable." =^_^= -- Polytropon Magdeburg, Germany Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0 Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ... ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Hardware compatibility
On Mon, Feb 20, 2012 at 05:35:43PM +0100, Riccardo Garzelli wrote: > Dear Information service > > I was thinking of purchasing a new laptop and I wanted to go for FreeBSD > OS. Unfortunately I'm no brainer in Unix so I'd like to find a PC that can > run FreeBSD 9.0 out of the box. The best way to check is to take a LiveCD to the store and ask if you can boot the laptop that you'd like from that. > Could you either tell me which hardware are suitable or a link to a > compatibility list? GIYF: http://laptop.bsdgroup.de/freebsd/ Roland -- R.F.Smith http://www.xs4all.nl/~rsmith/ [plain text _non-HTML_ PGP/GnuPG encrypted/signed email much appreciated] pgp: 1A2B 477F 9970 BA3C 2914 B7CE 1277 EFB0 C321 A725 (KeyID: C321A725) pgp5RzsB35nOD.pgp Description: PGP signature
Hardware compatibility
Dear Information service I was thinking of purchasing a new laptop and I wanted to go for FreeBSD OS. Unfortunately I'm no brainer in Unix so I'd like to find a PC that can run FreeBSD 9.0 out of the box. Could you either tell me which hardware are suitable or a link to a compatibility list? Thanks in advance Rick ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Probable Hardware Failure
On 14 Jan 2012 at 16:12, Doug Hardie wrote: > I have a pretty old desktop that has been around quite awhile. It has > started periodic crashes. No log messages. However, the core status > files all show "double fault". I am confident this is a hardware > issue, but is there any easy way to determine if its power or memory > related? Those are the primary candidates although memory is also > possible. We really need to replace the entire unit, but that might > be a bit more salable if I can present convincing evidence of the > cause of the problem. > Doug. First check the Power Supply voltages are correct, and not too noisy. You'll need a good DMM, and 'scope for that. Then, Visually examine the motherboard. Are any of the round can electrolytic cap's "Bulging" at the top, or showing some brown or green gunk leaking out from where they sit on the board. Likewise, it's often worth checking the low voltage caps in the PSU too. CAUTION! Lots of volts exist in places inside them, take care, leave it a few mins after unplugging before taking it apart. If so, it's not uncommon, you'll need to re-cap the Mobo, and or the PSU. Chances are, it's just one particular make/type that has failed, so if the others look OK, just change the failed ones. Get the same value and voltage, but if you can from a reputable manufaturer, Panasonic or some such. NOTE! It's not uncommon either, for some parts to be installed at manufature the wrong way round. It's amazing they last as long as they do before letting go. Also, at least one Mobo maker had the wrong polarity markings on the board. In those cases, you'll need to "buzz out" the associated power rail, comparing the polarity of the suspect part, with it's copanions on the same power rail. For some common Mobo's, if you google the model number, you'll find websites selling complete re-cap kits, or offering an exchange service. This is A LOT more common, than failing RAM, but can present itself in many and varied ways, from corrupted display's, to systems that wont boot. Laptops are not immune to this either. Also, Hard Drives can "go funny" with age, not failing as such, but the surface getting corrupted so that the drives own logic cant always unscramble the mess to the OS's satisfaction. Then, there is the situation (I had one recently) where a failing PSU, caused Hard Drive data corruption. Mr Gibson's product "Spinrite" is the tool to use to fix that (and it did!) Not free, but more than worth the weight of a CD, Floppy or USB stick in Gold! But you'll need to make sure the Mobo and everything else is OK. It also works on Floppy drives, if you "Just HAVE" to recover that data. If you have a fleet of machines, you should have your own copy. No affiliation, just a more than happy long term owner/user of that tool. (www.grc.com) I've resurected more than one "Sick" PC by following some or all of the above, there again, I can wield a soldering iron with the best of them, and have the test gear to hand to fault find these things, and a source of parts. But it saves a shed load of money if you can afford the time to do it... Hope something helps. Best Regards. Dave B. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Probable Hardware Failure
On Sat, 14 Jan 2012 16:12:24 -0800 Doug Hardie wrote: > I have a pretty old desktop that has been around quite awhile. It > has started periodic crashes. No log messages. However, the core > status files all show "double fault". I am confident this is a > hardware issue, but is there any easy way to determine if its power > or memory related? Those are the primary candidates although memory > is also possible. We really need to replace the entire unit, but > that might be a bit more salable if I can present convincing evidence > of the cause of the problem. In regards to the RAM, I would strongly suggest memtest86/memtest86+. When you begin seeing odd issues like that, it can be a handy tool to use for a quick RAM check. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Probable Hardware Failure
On 14 January 2012, at 18:11, _ wrote: > Memory is a rather broad term. If by memory you mean RAM, you could replace > your current RAM with another chip, supposing you have one around. > > An interesting read on "Double Fault" is: > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_fault > > According to it, that would rather point to a software than a hardware > related problem. > > > On Sun, Jan 15, 2012 at 1:12 AM, Doug Hardie wrote: > I have a pretty old desktop that has been around quite awhile. It has > started periodic crashes. No log messages. However, the core status files > all show "double fault". I am confident this is a hardware issue, but is > there any easy way to determine if its power or memory related? Those are > the primary candidates although memory is also possible. We really need to > replace the entire unit, but that might be a bit more salable if I can > present convincing evidence of the cause of the problem. I doubt if its a direct software fault. The system is running 7.2 and has been running that for several years without any problems. Nothing has been changed on it. However, a memory fault could easily end up in the kernel thus making it look like a software problem. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Probable Hardware Failure
Memory is a rather broad term. If by memory you mean RAM, you could replace your current RAM with another chip, supposing you have one around. An interesting read on "Double Fault" is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_fault According to it, that would rather point to a software than a hardware related problem. On Sun, Jan 15, 2012 at 1:12 AM, Doug Hardie wrote: > I have a pretty old desktop that has been around quite awhile. It has > started periodic crashes. No log messages. However, the core status files > all show "double fault". I am confident this is a hardware issue, but is > there any easy way to determine if its power or memory related? Those are > the primary candidates although memory is also possible. We really need to > replace the entire unit, but that might be a bit more salable if I can > present convincing evidence of the cause of the problem. > > > ___ > freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions > To unsubscribe, send any mail to " > freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org" > ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Probable Hardware Failure
I have a pretty old desktop that has been around quite awhile. It has started periodic crashes. No log messages. However, the core status files all show "double fault". I am confident this is a hardware issue, but is there any easy way to determine if its power or memory related? Those are the primary candidates although memory is also possible. We really need to replace the entire unit, but that might be a bit more salable if I can present convincing evidence of the cause of the problem. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Question about hardware support
On Wed, 7 Dec 2011, Matthias Apitz wrote: El día Wednesday, December 07, 2011 a las 12:54:35PM +, Matthew Seaman escribió: Drivers in FreeBSD are generally described in terms of the specific components (motherboard chipset, NIC, SATA controller, etc. etc.) rather than in terms of a specific whole machine produced by a manufacturer. Laptops are particularly tricky in this regard, and if no-one else has reported on your particular model, generally the best procedure is to try booting the device using a USB or CD-Rom image, and see what does and doesn't work. One good method is to let it boot a recent Knoppix DVD and see what chips it 'sees'; it will not touch the installed OS; Along those lines, PC-BSD (pcbsd.org) has a live DVD or live USB mode.___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Question about hardware support
El día Wednesday, December 07, 2011 a las 12:54:35PM +, Matthew Seaman escribió: > Drivers in FreeBSD are generally described in terms of the specific > components (motherboard chipset, NIC, SATA controller, etc. etc.) rather > than in terms of a specific whole machine produced by a manufacturer. > > Laptops are particularly tricky in this regard, and if no-one else has > reported on your particular model, generally the best procedure is to > try booting the device using a USB or CD-Rom image, and see what does > and doesn't work. One good method is to let it boot a recent Knoppix DVD and see what chips it 'sees'; it will not touch the installed OS; matthias -- Matthias Apitz t +49-89-61308 351 - f +49-89-61308 399 - m +49-170-4527211 e - w http://www.unixarea.de/ UNIX since V7 on PDP-11 | UNIX on mainframe since ESER 1055 (IBM /370) UNIX on x86 since SVR4.2 UnixWare 2.1.2 | FreeBSD since 2.2.5 ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Question about hardware support
On 07/12/2011 05:34, Ammar Shaarbaf wrote: > Are there any FreeBSD drivers for Acer Aspire 3610? > This is the closest hardware match I could find: http://laptop.bsdgroup.de/freebsd/index.html?action=show_laptop_detail&laptop=12882 Drivers in FreeBSD are generally described in terms of the specific components (motherboard chipset, NIC, SATA controller, etc. etc.) rather than in terms of a specific whole machine produced by a manufacturer. Laptops are particularly tricky in this regard, and if no-one else has reported on your particular model, generally the best procedure is to try booting the device using a USB or CD-Rom image, and see what does and doesn't work. Cheers, Matthew -- Dr Matthew J Seaman MA, D.Phil. 7 Priory Courtyard Flat 3 PGP: http://www.infracaninophile.co.uk/pgpkey Ramsgate JID: matt...@infracaninophile.co.uk Kent, CT11 9PW signature.asc Description: OpenPGP digital signature
Question about hardware support
Hello, Are there any FreeBSD drivers for Acer Aspire 3610? Thank you and best regards, Ammar ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Hardware booting problem
At 03:34 AM 9/15/2011, Doug Hardie wrote: I encountered a situation today that I do not understand. This is a very old i386 PC that does not have a usable CD drive. The existing drive uses a very funky SCSI connector that I have nothing for. The system disk is SCSI and there was one additional PATA drive used for additional storage. The PATA drive failed. It won't even stick around in /dev for more than a couple minutes after boot and there are lots of messages about bad sectors. The data is completely backed up and the that drive is over 5 years old. I removed the old drive and installed a new one. System will not boot. It hangs in the BIOS. Never gets around to installing the SCSI BIOS. My first guess was there was no boot sector on the SCSI drive. That seems unusual since my other systems boot off the SCSI drives just fine. This one used to also before I added the PATA drive. However, if I put the dead drive back in along with the new one, then it boots. This also implies that the boot sector was only on the PATA drive. But the PATA drive is for all intents and purposes dead. So how is it booting? Is there any way to look into the SCSI drive and see if there is a boot sector there? This is more a curiosity item as there are additional failures starting to occur in that computer. We are going to replace it. Its around 10 years old. Depending on your SCSI card BIOS, some allow you to set which LUN it boots. You may want to explore the SCSI settings, and try to set the new drive as the first boot device, then try removing the old drive. -Derek -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Hardware booting problem
I encountered a situation today that I do not understand. This is a very old i386 PC that does not have a usable CD drive. The existing drive uses a very funky SCSI connector that I have nothing for. The system disk is SCSI and there was one additional PATA drive used for additional storage. The PATA drive failed. It won't even stick around in /dev for more than a couple minutes after boot and there are lots of messages about bad sectors. The data is completely backed up and the that drive is over 5 years old. I removed the old drive and installed a new one. System will not boot. It hangs in the BIOS. Never gets around to installing the SCSI BIOS. My first guess was there was no boot sector on the SCSI drive. That seems unusual since my other systems boot off the SCSI drives just fine. This one used to also before I added the PATA drive. However, if I put the dead drive back in along with the new one, then it boots. This also implies that the boot sector was only on the PATA drive. But the PATA drive is for all intents and purposes dead. So how is it booting? Is there any way to look into the SCSI drive and see if there is a boot sector there? This is more a curiosity item as there are additional failures starting to occur in that computer. We are going to replace it. Its around 10 years old. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: NFS zfs serveur (hardware question)
On Sat, Jun 25, 2011 at 5:07 AM, Peter Toth wrote: > There is still a way to increase NFS performance in 9.0 (without a ZIL > SSD) by setting zfs property "sync=disabled", which will disable > synchronous writes - comes with some risks, research it before switching > it off. Also, this will only disable sync for the ZFS filesystem not for > the whole pool. Thanks, I'll look into that. I do appreciate that ZFS tries to be more careful about sync writes than most filesystems. But I also have users who expect "tar xvf" to complete in a reasonable amount of time, and having the ZIL enabled reduces file creation performance by a factor of ten. ;) ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: NFS zfs serveur (hardware question)
On 06/24/11 10:17, David Brodbeck wrote: > On Wed, Jun 22, 2011 at 6:26 PM, Damien Fleuriot wrote: >> As a rule of thumb and for a serious server, I would recommend 1 SSD as >> dedicated cache and 2 SSD for a mirrored ZIL (you don't want to lose this >> data). >> However I think ppl posted about running intro trouble when using both ZIL >> and cache disks, so I suggest you only get the ZIL. > Definitely get the ZIL device. NFS performance will be almost > intolerable without it. It used to be you could work around this, at > cost of an increased risk of data loss if the server crashed, by > turning off the ZIL; but as of 9.0 this is no longer allowed, so a ZIL > device is pretty much mandatory. I'm looking at ways to add one to > one of my machines for this reason. > ___ > freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions > To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org" > There is still a way to increase NFS performance in 9.0 (without a ZIL SSD) by setting zfs property "sync=disabled", which will disable synchronous writes - comes with some risks, research it before switching it off. Also, this will only disable sync for the ZFS filesystem not for the whole pool. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: NFS zfs serveur (hardware question)
On Wed, Jun 22, 2011 at 6:26 PM, Damien Fleuriot wrote: > As a rule of thumb and for a serious server, I would recommend 1 SSD as > dedicated cache and 2 SSD for a mirrored ZIL (you don't want to lose this > data). > However I think ppl posted about running intro trouble when using both ZIL > and cache disks, so I suggest you only get the ZIL. Definitely get the ZIL device. NFS performance will be almost intolerable without it. It used to be you could work around this, at cost of an increased risk of data loss if the server crashed, by turning off the ZIL; but as of 9.0 this is no longer allowed, so a ZIL device is pretty much mandatory. I'm looking at ways to add one to one of my machines for this reason. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: NFS zfs serveur (hardware question)
On Wed, June 22, 2011 9:26 pm, Damien Fleuriot wrote: > You will lose your main ZFS pool if you lose: > - more than 1 of your full ZFS pools > or > - your ZIL (need confirmation on that) >From my reading, on the ZIL: Under 8.2, true. If you have patched your ZFS install, or are running -CURRENT, you can lose your ZIL, I think. (The ability is in zpool version 19.) The 'I think' is because that version allows *removal* of the ZIL device. Which should be the same as a loss of the device, but... Daniel T. Staal --- This email copyright the author. Unless otherwise noted, you are expressly allowed to retransmit, quote, or otherwise use the contents for non-commercial purposes. This copyright will expire 5 years after the author's death, or in 30 years, whichever is longer, unless such a period is in excess of local copyright law. --- ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: NFS zfs serveur (hardware question)
On 22 Jun 2011, at 15:41, Michel Le Cocq wrote: > Hi all, I'm planning to change my data NFS server. For 60 clients. > > I wanted to serv NFS for data over NFS and also for diskless host > (http://projets.mathrice.org/faddef/cgi-bin/trac.cgi). > > Here is the harware I chose : > > a little proc : 1.6 Ghz Xeon 4 coeurs (mono) > : It's seems that on a such server the proc is just Waiting for >IO... !? > > a lot of Ram : 24 Go > > speedy disk : Sas 15K > : to limit IO Wait > > What do you think of a such conf ? > > -- > M > ___ > freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions > To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org" You'll need to be much more accurate to get helpful answers. What usable storage size do you need ? 2T ? 5T ? 15T ? What kind of performance do you need ? How many slots do you have for hard drives ? Do you want 2.5 or 3.5 size factor disks ? What kin of data security do you want ? (is the data critical ?) Can you afford downtime / incidents during which the data will be unavailable ? Is this a dumb file server or are you going to use NFS for example for your database or web servers ? What is your budget for this ? Are you going to use compression ? (no, you're not, trust me) Are you going to use snapshots ? As a rule of thumb and for a serious server, I would recommend 1 SSD as dedicated cache and 2 SSD for a mirrored ZIL (you don't want to lose this data). However I think ppl posted about running intro trouble when using both ZIL and cache disks, so I suggest you only get the ZIL. An example of a viable setup would be: 9x 500gb 15k disks for data 2x 32gb SSD disks for ZIL Then, create 3 zraid pools with 3 disks each (try to put each disk within the pool on a different controller). Now, create a new zraid pool using your 3 pools. Effectively, you get: datapool (zraid1, 2TB usable) zraid1 (1TB usable) disk A1 disk B1 disk C1 zraid1 (1TB usable) disk A2 disk B2 disk C2 zraid1 (1TB usable) disk A3 disk B3 disk C3 ZFS Intent Log SSD A4 SSD B4 You will lose your main ZFS pool if you lose: - more than 1 of your full ZFS pools or - your ZIL (need confirmation on that) Now, the odds of that happening are rather low... If you're lucky, Jeremy Chadwick will have thoughts on the matter. For the most efficient help, re-read my questions above, these are important considerations. There are a lot of different pool setups available, and both have their pros and cons. Tell us what you're looking for, and I'm sure we can hatch a good solution.___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: NFS zfs serveur (hardware question)
On Wed, 22 Jun 2011 08:41:58 -0500, Michel Le Cocq wrote: speedy disk : Sas 15K : to limit IO Wait The more spindles the better. Get more disks if possible. Regards, Mark ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
NFS zfs serveur (hardware question)
Hi all, I'm planning to change my data NFS server. For 60 clients. I wanted to serv NFS for data over NFS and also for diskless host (http://projets.mathrice.org/faddef/cgi-bin/trac.cgi). Here is the harware I chose : a little proc : 1.6 Ghz Xeon 4 coeurs (mono) : It's seems that on a such server the proc is just Waiting for IO... !? a lot of Ram : 24 Go speedy disk : Sas 15K : to limit IO Wait What do you think of a such conf ? -- M ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Strange memory reading (hardware)
> On Thu, 16 Jun 2011 17:09:30 -0500 > Gary Gatten wrote: > > > It's quite simple really, it's another hidden tax - "Redistribution > > of RAM". You see, even with all the entitlement programs "poor" > > people can't afford more than 512MB of RAM. As you are certainly > > aware that's not enough to watch YouTube and Hulu on their > > government funded (tax payer funded) ultra high speed internet > > connections. So, the government has taken some of your RAM (as you > > obviously can afford to buy more if needed) and will give it to > > those who really NEED it - so while they sit around collecting > > government aid (tax payer earnings) their streaming video's will > > play smoothly. > > What! I didn't even vote for those guys. :-) > > > > Woa - I guess I digressed a bit... > > > > Ummm, sorry - I don't know why this would be. Is there some memory > > mapped video (or disk controller?) stealing RAM? > > > I guess I wasn't clear. Only 2752 MB is show during POST instead 0f > 4096. It has always shown 4096 on this MB. > > Thanks for lighting up my day with the above humor. :-) > > Robert > > What does Memtest86 show, if you try running that? I've had issues in the past where one stick has a single bad bit (in a 512M stick) that caused all sorts of strange things with the BIOS, but not the OS!.. Memtest86 (eventually) found it, testing 1 stick at a time in each of 4 slots. Took ages... DaveB ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: OT: Strange memory reading (hardware)
On Fri, 17 Jun 2011 14:18:53 +0100 Graeme Dargie wrote: Graeme Thanks for taking the time to reply. > > The BIOS if it has shown 4096mb at post in the past would suggest > that it is up to date at least enough to deal with 4gb of ram. I > would say the likely hood of all 4 ram sticks developing the exact > same problem at the same time while not impossible is highly > unlikely. Do you have another machine you can test the ram in or > stick of ram you can test on this motherboard? Not sure if your board > will let you do this or not, but try 1 stick in bank 1 rather than > bank 0, and see what it shows, you might also want to repeat the same > test with 1 stick in bank 2 and then in bank 3. Bios settings for on > board video will reserve some ram, some boards report the main ram > figure less this figure others do not. You might want to try doing a > bios reset with the jumper on the motherboard its self. Also give the > ram slots a blow out with some aero duster could be there is some > dirt in them. Other than running memtestx86 or the 64bit equivalent I > am pretty much out of ideas. > > Regards > > Graeme I cannot be sure that I have tried one individual stick in all slots but I know that I have had various sticks in various slots and all showed as 960MB. As far as I can tell this happened when I was converting this computer from a file server/desktop running 9 current to a freenas server. I rearranged all hard drives and removed some expansion cards (pci firewire, pci-e Sapphire) removed DVD drives and installed one CD drive. All in all I had my hands in the MB quite a bit and could have done something even though I was careful and always grounded myself. Of course, I had the power off whenever working inside the box. I will be taking the computer down in the next few days to add another drive to create a mirror. At that time I will do all that you recommended. i.e. Blow out the dust bunnies, double check all connectors, redress all cables and the run memtest. The MoBo is not new and has been in continuous use for many years. It is not inconceivable that I have a trace problem or a cold solder joint somewhere. Thanks again for your reply. Robert > > > > > ___ > freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions > To unsubscribe, send any mail to > "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org" ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
RE: OT: Strange memory reading (hardware)
-Original Message- From: owner-freebsd-questi...@freebsd.org [mailto:owner-freebsd-questi...@freebsd.org] On Behalf Of Robert Sent: 17 June 2011 00:06 To: Chuck Swiger Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: OT: Strange memory reading (hardware) On Thu, 16 Jun 2011 15:11:22 -0700 Chuck Swiger wrote: > On Jun 16, 2011, at 2:10 PM, Robert wrote: > > I have tested with all of the sticks installed and with one at a > > time. When all of the sticks are installed, BIOS show a total of > > 2752 MB of RAM. If any of the sticks are installed alone in any of > > the four slots, BIOS then shows 960 MB instead of the 1024 one > > would expect. > > Sounds like the BIOS is stealing 64MB for video RAM. > There's likely a BIOS setting which governs the size of this. > > As for not being able to access all 4GB, this is a FAQ. > If you run a 32-bit system, the top gigabyte or so of address space is > reserved for memory mapped I/O reservations like AGP, PCIe, etc. > > If your hardware is capable of running in 64-bit mode, do that. > > Regards, Chuck Thanks for the reply. I should have been clearer. During POST only 2752 MB is shown. Also, I am running the amd64 version of freenas. As I said, I am 100% sure this is a MOBO hardware problem and I was just trying to compute the math. Robert ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org" The BIOS if it has shown 4096mb at post in the past would suggest that it is up to date at least enough to deal with 4gb of ram. I would say the likely hood of all 4 ram sticks developing the exact same problem at the same time while not impossible is highly unlikely. Do you have another machine you can test the ram in or stick of ram you can test on this motherboard? Not sure if your board will let you do this or not, but try 1 stick in bank 1 rather than bank 0, and see what it shows, you might also want to repeat the same test with 1 stick in bank 2 and then in bank 3. Bios settings for on board video will reserve some ram, some boards report the main ram figure less this figure others do not. You might want to try doing a bios reset with the jumper on the motherboard its self. Also give the ram slots a blow out with some aero duster could be there is some dirt in them. Other than running memtestx86 or the 64bit equivalent I am pretty much out of ideas. Regards Graeme ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: OT: Strange memory reading (hardware)
> From owner-freebsd-questi...@freebsd.org Thu Jun 16 16:56:48 2011 > Return-Path: > Received: from mail.r-bonomi.com (ns2.r-bonomi.com [204.87.227.129]) > by mail2.r-bonomi.com (8.14.4/rdb2) with ESMTP id p5GLumlV010091 > for ; Thu, 16 Jun 2011 16:56:48 -0500 (CDT) > Received: from mx2.freebsd.org (mx2.freebsd.org [69.147.83.53]) > by mail.r-bonomi.com (8.14.3/rdb2) with ESMTP id p5GLudZT008266 > for ; Thu, 16 Jun 2011 16:56:39 -0500 (CDT) > Received: from hub.freebsd.org (hub.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::36]) > by mx2.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id C936D1A7089; > Thu, 16 Jun 2011 21:56:17 + (UTC) > Received: from hub.freebsd.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) > by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4BD831065705; > Thu, 16 Jun 2011 21:56:16 + (UTC) > (envelope-from owner-freebsd-questi...@freebsd.org) > Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org > Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) > by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 23E85106564A > for ; > Thu, 16 Jun 2011 21:56:08 + (UTC) > (envelope-from travelin...@cox.net) > Received: from fed1rmfepo102.cox.net (fed1rmfepo102.cox.net [68.230.241.144]) > by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id DA3F68FC15 > for ; > Thu, 16 Jun 2011 21:56:07 + (UTC) > Received: from fed1rmimpo02.cox.net ([70.169.32.72]) by fed1rmfepo101.cox.net > (InterMail vM.8.01.04.00 201-2260-137-20101110) with ESMTP id > <20110616211036.xegd17030.fed1rmfepo101.cox@fed1rmimpo02.cox.net> > for ; Thu, 16 Jun 2011 17:10:36 -0400 > Received: from dell64 ([72.220.91.219]) by fed1rmimpo02.cox.net with bizsmtp > id wlAb1g00m4jy6EY04lAbTe; Thu, 16 Jun 2011 17:10:35 -0400 > X-CT-Score: 0.00 > X-CT-RefID: str=0001.0A02020A.4DFA714C.000D,ss=1,re=0.000,fgs=0 > X-CT-Spam: 0 > X-Authority-Analysis: v=1.1 cv=SPmPLnc/YPzADk30Gyv1IeI7DxEcAgWbYPJMz2yeYQM= > c=1 sm=1 a=psGcP66QiRcA:10 a=G8Uczd0VNMoA:10 a=kj9zAlcOel0A:10 > a=olICo1sKaMXbpqbYUd6B5g==:17 a=FRAN3z_KNnB9zMti78sA:9 > a=Vsz6ik2fFBHHgstyK_YA:7 a=CjuIK1q_8ugA:10 > a=olICo1sKaMXbpqbYUd6B5g==:117 > X-CM-Score: 0.00 > Authentication-Results: cox.net; none > Date: Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:10:30 -0700 > From: Robert > To: "freebsd-questions@freebsd.org" > Message-ID: <20110616141030.0f3dc5f3@dell64> > X-Mailer: Claws Mail 3.7.9 (GTK+ 2.22.1; amd64-portbld-freebsd8.2) > Mime-Version: 1.0 > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII > Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Subject: OT: Strange memory reading (hardware) > X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org > X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 > Precedence: list > List-Id: User questions > List-Unsubscribe: > <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>, > <mailto:freebsd-questions-requ...@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe> > List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions> > List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-questions@freebsd.org> > List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-questions-requ...@freebsd.org?subject=help> > List-Subscribe: > <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>, > <mailto:freebsd-questions-requ...@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe> > Sender: owner-freebsd-questi...@freebsd.org > Errors-To: owner-freebsd-questi...@freebsd.org > Status: R > > Greetings > > I have a strange problem with memory on one of my computers. I have > recently converted this computer to a NAS server. It is an Asus > A8N-VM MB running freenas amd64. I have 4 one Gig memory sticks > installed and as well as I can remember, it had always seen the 4 Gig > of RAM. Most recently I had 9 current installed. > > The problem is not with freenas as it is absolutely hardware. > > I have tested with all of the sticks installed and with one at a time. > When all of the sticks are installed, BIOS show a total of 2752 MB of > RAM. If any of the sticks are installed alone in any of the four slots, > BIOS then shows 960 MB instead of the 1024 one would expect. > > Quickly subtracting 960 from 1024 gets 64 MB missing. Hmmm, perhaps an > address lead or data lead on the MB is open. This I can understand, but > using any finagling factors I can think of, I can't get close to the > missing total of 1344 MB (4096-2752). > > The freenas system runs quite well with the available memory but I was > wondering if anyone could help me understand this problem. > > Thank you for reading this and i hope you are having a great day. > > Robert > ___ > freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions > To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org" > ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: OT: Strange memory reading (hardware)
On Thu, Jun 16, 2011 at 5:11 PM, Chuck Swiger wrote: > As for not being able to access all 4GB, this is a FAQ. > If you run a 32-bit system, the top gigabyte or so of address space is > reserved for memory mapped I/O reservations like AGP, PCIe, etc. > > If your hardware is capable of running in 64-bit mode, do that. > If the issue is present at POST, then it's not related to the FAQ you are referring too. In that case, the only fix I'm aware of it to update the BIOS which isn't always possible. -- Adam Vande More ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: OT: Strange memory reading (hardware)
On Thu, 16 Jun 2011 15:11:22 -0700 Chuck Swiger wrote: > On Jun 16, 2011, at 2:10 PM, Robert wrote: > > I have tested with all of the sticks installed and with one at a > > time. When all of the sticks are installed, BIOS show a total of > > 2752 MB of RAM. If any of the sticks are installed alone in any of > > the four slots, BIOS then shows 960 MB instead of the 1024 one > > would expect. > > Sounds like the BIOS is stealing 64MB for video RAM. > There's likely a BIOS setting which governs the size of this. > > As for not being able to access all 4GB, this is a FAQ. > If you run a 32-bit system, the top gigabyte or so of address space is > reserved for memory mapped I/O reservations like AGP, PCIe, etc. > > If your hardware is capable of running in 64-bit mode, do that. > > Regards, Chuck Thanks for the reply. I should have been clearer. During POST only 2752 MB is shown. Also, I am running the amd64 version of freenas. As I said, I am 100% sure this is a MOBO hardware problem and I was just trying to compute the math. Robert ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Strange memory reading (hardware)
On Thu, 16 Jun 2011 17:09:30 -0500 Gary Gatten wrote: > It's quite simple really, it's another hidden tax - "Redistribution > of RAM". You see, even with all the entitlement programs "poor" > people can't afford more than 512MB of RAM. As you are certainly > aware that's not enough to watch YouTube and Hulu on their government > funded (tax payer funded) ultra high speed internet connections. So, > the government has taken some of your RAM (as you obviously can > afford to buy more if needed) and will give it to those who really > NEED it - so while they sit around collecting government aid (tax > payer earnings) their streaming video's will play smoothly. What! I didn't even vote for those guys. :-) > > Woa - I guess I digressed a bit... > > Ummm, sorry - I don't know why this would be. Is there some memory > mapped video (or disk controller?) stealing RAM? > I guess I wasn't clear. Only 2752 MB is show during POST instead 0f 4096. It has always shown 4096 on this MB. Thanks for lighting up my day with the above humor. :-) Robert ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
RE: Strange memory reading (hardware)
It's quite simple really, it's another hidden tax - "Redistribution of RAM". You see, even with all the entitlement programs "poor" people can't afford more than 512MB of RAM. As you are certainly aware that's not enough to watch YouTube and Hulu on their government funded (tax payer funded) ultra high speed internet connections. So, the government has taken some of your RAM (as you obviously can afford to buy more if needed) and will give it to those who really NEED it - so while they sit around collecting government aid (tax payer earnings) their streaming video's will play smoothly. Woa - I guess I digressed a bit... Ummm, sorry - I don't know why this would be. Is there some memory mapped video (or disk controller?) stealing RAM? G -Original Message- From: owner-freebsd-questi...@freebsd.org [mailto:owner-freebsd-questi...@freebsd.org] On Behalf Of Robert Sent: Thursday, June 16, 2011 4:11 PM To: freebsd-questions@ Subject: OT: Strange memory reading (hardware) Greetings I have a strange problem with memory on one of my computers. I have recently converted this computer to a NAS server. It is an Asus A8N-VM MB running freenas amd64. I have 4 one Gig memory sticks installed and as well as I can remember, it had always seen the 4 Gig of RAM. Most recently I had 9 current installed. The problem is not with freenas as it is absolutely hardware. I have tested with all of the sticks installed and with one at a time. When all of the sticks are installed, BIOS show a total of 2752 MB of RAM. If any of the sticks are installed alone in any of the four slots, BIOS then shows 960 MB instead of the 1024 one would expect. Quickly subtracting 960 from 1024 gets 64 MB missing. Hmmm, perhaps an address lead or data lead on the MB is open. This I can understand, but using any finagling factors I can think of, I can't get close to the missing total of 1344 MB (4096-2752). The freenas system runs quite well with the available memory but I was wondering if anyone could help me understand this problem. Thank you for reading this and i hope you are having a great day. Robert ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org" "This email is intended to be reviewed by only the intended recipient and may contain information that is privileged and/or confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any review, use, dissemination, disclosure or copying of this email and its attachments, if any, is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please immediately notify the sender by return email and delete this email from your system." ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: OT: Strange memory reading (hardware)
On Jun 16, 2011, at 2:10 PM, Robert wrote: > I have tested with all of the sticks installed and with one at a time. > When all of the sticks are installed, BIOS show a total of 2752 MB of > RAM. If any of the sticks are installed alone in any of the four slots, > BIOS then shows 960 MB instead of the 1024 one would expect. Sounds like the BIOS is stealing 64MB for video RAM. There's likely a BIOS setting which governs the size of this. As for not being able to access all 4GB, this is a FAQ. If you run a 32-bit system, the top gigabyte or so of address space is reserved for memory mapped I/O reservations like AGP, PCIe, etc. If your hardware is capable of running in 64-bit mode, do that. Regards, -- -Chuck ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
OT: Strange memory reading (hardware)
Greetings I have a strange problem with memory on one of my computers. I have recently converted this computer to a NAS server. It is an Asus A8N-VM MB running freenas amd64. I have 4 one Gig memory sticks installed and as well as I can remember, it had always seen the 4 Gig of RAM. Most recently I had 9 current installed. The problem is not with freenas as it is absolutely hardware. I have tested with all of the sticks installed and with one at a time. When all of the sticks are installed, BIOS show a total of 2752 MB of RAM. If any of the sticks are installed alone in any of the four slots, BIOS then shows 960 MB instead of the 1024 one would expect. Quickly subtracting 960 from 1024 gets 64 MB missing. Hmmm, perhaps an address lead or data lead on the MB is open. This I can understand, but using any finagling factors I can think of, I can't get close to the missing total of 1344 MB (4096-2752). The freenas system runs quite well with the available memory but I was wondering if anyone could help me understand this problem. Thank you for reading this and i hope you are having a great day. Robert ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Hardware sensors on FreeBSD
I was wondering if anyone knew of better software for FreeBSD for monitoring hardware sensors like CPU temp and fan speeds. I'm using an athlon II x4 and the amdtemp driver seems like it's 20C below what it really is but does change. I've tried using mbmon and it detects the it87 chip but it never updates. It's as if whatever temps it finds at boot are what it'll always show, and the fan speed listed is a quarter of what it really is. I tried stress linux to test lmsensors to make sure it wasn't a motherboard issue and lmsensors works relatively fine. The voltages are junk but temperature seems accurate and varies with the load. I've yet to see any update about the openbsd sensors framework, and I imagine the patch is so old it won't apply cleanly. Is there a better method to monitor system health under FreeBSD or am I stuck with decade old software and a kernel driver that's off by 20C? ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Hardware Recovery Company
Hi Polytropon cc list, I wrote: > > > > You could look at man fsdb > > > > FreeBSD offers a lot of versatile diagnostic and rescue > > tools, and surely fsdb is one of them. Others, provided > > by the base system, are "fetch -rR " and also > > recoverdisk. > > > > In the ports collection you'll find tools like ddrescue, > > dd_rescue, ffs2recov, magicrescue, testdisk, scan_ffs, > > recoverjpeg, foremost and photorec. And finally there is > > The Sleuth Kit (with its tools fls, dls, ils and autopsy). > > Could you please submit a send-pr to add that useful list to man > fsdb ? (If you dont want to i would, but as you obviously know > this area better ... :-) I saw no answer to this & none in archive beyond this http://docs.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?201105211952.p4LJqHcX091659 So I searched, & sent a send-pr Polytropon, 2 tools you mentioned I couldnt find, if you or others have info please add to http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/query-pr.cgi?pr=157351 Thanks Cheers, Julian -- Julian Stacey, BSD Unix Linux C Sys Eng Consultants Munich http://berklix.com Mail plain text; Not quoted-printable, Not HTML, Not base 64. Reply below text sections not at top, to avoid breaking cumulative context. ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"