Hello
I am a new user, and new to this list too, although I was here a couple of years back too.
I am running Red Hat 9.0 on my home PC, and the installation (which was a simple straightforward home selection from the install choice menu) has some troubling behaviour - namely the computer hangs from time to time. The hardware is an old Compaq Celeron, with 128 MB. It lacks a reset button, and in fact lacks an off switch. When the machine hangs I have no choice but to pull the plug from the mains. It has an On switch, but pressing this twice will not restart the machine. In fact, once the switch is pressed on, it no longer has any function. When the machine hangs I lose control of both the mouse and the keyboard. This happens at least once a week (the machine is usually on).
So far so good - or not so good.
When it reboots, it goes through a file system integrity check routine, which always reaches around 99% and then stops, asking me to use Ctrl-D to reboot again, which I do. It then completes the integrity check rapidly and restarts properly. On two occasions (including right now) this has gone awry.
Right now, although it allows me to start up under the registered login identities (including root) the GUI has been disturbed, with the standard icons and the wallpaper missing. I logged in as root and found the files missing from the /home/[username] folder were visible, but greyed out. The Find command says the files do not exist.
What is worse is that the downloaded mail (no longer on the mail server) is also apparently gone, and the Mozilla identity destroyed.
This happened once before, just after I had tediously completed updating the Address Book (transferred from my other laptop). I am seriously dismayed at the thought of having to do it once more, plus of course not being able to retrieve those mails, one or two of which are critical.
Can anyone guide me on a) how to prevent it hanging in the first place and b) how to recover the missing identities/files (actually since the identity login and passwords work, apparently the system is partially aware of the users, but their files are now unreachable (even the ones whose filenames I can see greyed out), including the desktop wallpaper selection.
If this is a problem already discussed here, please just point me to the thread, or else do mail me directly if you have a way forward.
Afternoon Vickram,
Vickram Crishna said:
Hello
If this is a problem already discussed here, please just point me to the thread, or else do mail me directly if you have a way forward.
[snip]
Doesn't matter. Tell us if there is any specific task that makes the machine come to a crawl/freeze. I would be the last person to suggest a re-install but in your case since you have had significant reboots from a dead/frozen state it would be better to try out a complete re-install.
Instead of trying Red Hat can i suggest Debian. Lets accept that your machine isn't one of the mean number crunching monsters you would see in the market. My thought of you trying debian was cause i know even if it barfs on your hardware configuration....it would do that with grace.
PN: Ensure you do some minimum performance/system tweaking once you are done with an Install of Gnu/Linux for superior performance.
Trevor
-- Vickram
Vickram Crishna wrote:
Hello
I am a new user, and new to this list too, although I was here a couple of years back too.
I am running Red Hat 9.0 on my home PC, and the installation (which was a simple straightforward home selection from the install choice menu) has some troubling behaviour - namely the computer hangs from time to time. The hardware is an old Compaq Celeron, with 128 MB. It lacks a reset button, and in fact lacks an off switch. When the machine hangs I have no choice but to pull the plug from the mains. It has an On switch, but pressing this twice will not restart the machine. In fact, once the switch is pressed on, it no longer has any function. When the machine hangs I lose control of both the mouse and the keyboard. This happens at least once a week (the machine is usually on).
What kernel version and filesystems are being used? Have you checked if the harddrive has any problems? Did you check if your hard drive has any problems? What filesystem are you using? Did you tried alternative file system? Have you tried removing memory intensive applications, say instead of running KDE try flwm or something lighter?
For recoving files search for TCT tools. It has grave-robber, unrm and lazarus tools which can help you, but before using these tools donot rebuild filesystem.
HTH. -Krishna.
Evening Vikram,
The below mention file corruption problem can be 'ucase of memory or disk problem. Either binaries / files getting corrupt in ram or on disk. 'cause As u have already tried running fsck. Which points out to disk failure. but to be little more sure we need to do little exercise. We need to run the memtest86 on the system. Which is available on following url: http://www.memtest.org/
Its mostly the disk problem, but still we will be clear once the memtest86 is run on the system. It will clearify whether the files / binaries are getting corrupted in ram or disk.
Hope this answers ur queries.
--- Vickram Crishna vvcrishna@radiophony.com wrote:
Hello
I am a new user, and new to this list too, although I was here a couple of years back too.
I am running Red Hat 9.0 on my home PC, and the installation (which was a simple straightforward home selection from the install choice menu) has some troubling behaviour - namely the computer hangs from time to time. The hardware is an old Compaq Celeron, with 128 MB. It lacks a reset button, and in fact lacks an off switch. When the machine hangs I have no choice but to pull the plug from the mains. It has an On switch, but pressing this twice will not restart the machine. In fact, once the switch is pressed on, it no longer has any function. When the machine hangs I lose control of both the mouse and the keyboard. This happens at least once a week (the machine is usually on).
So far so good - or not so good.
When it reboots, it goes through a file system integrity check routine, which always reaches around 99% and then stops, asking me to use Ctrl-D to reboot again, which I do. It then completes the integrity check rapidly and restarts properly. On two occasions (including right now) this has gone awry.
Right now, although it allows me to start up under the registered login identities (including root) the GUI has been disturbed, with the standard icons and the wallpaper missing. I logged in as root and found the files missing from the /home/[username] folder were visible, but greyed out. The Find command says the files do not exist.
What is worse is that the downloaded mail (no longer on the mail server) is also apparently gone, and the Mozilla identity destroyed.
This happened once before, just after I had tediously completed updating the Address Book (transferred from my other laptop). I am seriously dismayed at the thought of having to do it once more, plus of course not being able to retrieve those mails, one or two of which are critical.
Can anyone guide me on a) how to prevent it hanging in the first place and b) how to recover the missing identities/files (actually since the identity login and passwords work, apparently the system is partially aware of the users, but their files are now unreachable (even the ones whose filenames I can see greyed out), including the desktop wallpaper selection.
If this is a problem already discussed here, please just point me to the thread, or else do mail me directly if you have a way forward. -- Vickram
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On Wednesday 14 April 2004 14:02, Vickram Crishna wrote:
Hello
I am a new user, and new to this list too, although I was here a couple of years back too.
I am running Red Hat 9.0 on my home PC, and the installation (which was a simple straightforward home selection from the install choice menu) has some troubling behaviour - namely the computer hangs from time to time. The hardware is an old Compaq Celeron, with 128 MB. It lacks a reset button, and in fact lacks an off switch.
It is well known that lack of power and reset switch is a major cause of maniac depression and suicidal tendencies when using some OSes. But it can also produce the same effect when using GNU/Linux. Since Psychotherapy software is not what it should be, Please get a technician to FIX the reset switch.
When the machine hangs I have no choice but to pull the plug from the mains. It has an On switch, but pressing this twice will not restart the machine. In fact, once the switch is pressed on, it no longer has any function. When the machine hangs I lose control of both the mouse and the keyboard. This happens at least once a week (the machine is usually on).
Check the bios settings. Your system may be programmed to "powersave" , without startup "on any key". Also keeping the power switch pressed for several seconds shuts down the machine. After which it wont turn on with the same switch - switch off /on mains. Ingenous security feature. On several machines it is the internal battery which is the cause of this behaviour.
So far so good - or not so good.
Use the reiserfs file system. It is very robust and has worked extremely well for me. No fs corruption even with repeated power cycling without umount.
Right now, although it allows me to start up under the registered login identities (including root) the GUI has been disturbed, with the standard icons and the wallpaper missing. I logged in as root and found the files missing from the /home/[username] folder were visible, but greyed out. The Find command says the files do not exist.
Check lost & found.
Compaq pressario had numerous hardware problems. Please google. Afaik idedma was a problem.
And by the way, if u use a commercial distro, use the ones which have support, and utilise the support. Otherwise stick to Debian stable.
-
Aji Issac -
Animesh Singh -
jtd -
Krishna Dagli -
Trevor Warren -
Vickram Crishna