Booting and Sudden Freezing

  • tinivole
Posted: Thu, 09/20/2007 - 01:30
Hi all, 64Studio is a brilliant system when it gets started and I can work for hours on end with unlimited creativity and workflow. Its just on the inbetween days when booting it up for the first time in somewhat a day or two it suddenly freezes some 30 seconds after I logon, no matter what I'm doing, be it loading up JACK, or signing in to 64Studio to write this letter. And it will continually do this. Today so far as I've had to reboot some 14 times. And its very frustrating indeed. It's up and running now, I've just about managed to upgrade completely to 2.6.22 kernel and completely removed all 2.6.21 kernel specific packages (alsa modules, linux headers, etc.) It's started working again, though it may be something completely unrelated. I'll write again if the problem still persists, I'm hastedly turning it off in an hour. Also, on boot up, when its configuring my console screen and fonts, there are two lots of rapid screen flickering between blackness and 64Studio logo thats, well, eye hurting, nausiating and starting to make me feel very epileptic indeed. Yes, I can look away, but I'd rather fixed the problem, than work around it (I'm currently hitting F2, it eases the contrast between bright and dark). Anyways, any help on the matter will be appreciated. Thank-you Iain
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Finally

  • Thomas
  • 11/07/07
  • Thu, 11/15/2007 - 14:30
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I threw out the Foxconn WinFast 760GXK8MC-RS Motherboard and use ASROCK K8 NF6G-VSTA now - no more freezes :-)

Wow, Thanks...

  • tinivole
  • 08/22/07
  • Fri, 11/09/2007 - 10:13
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Thank-you ever so much, I've just started 64studio on hardware for the first time in a few weeks (been using Qemu under windows, which has been cool cos I've been recording to 64Studio with my Line6 Toneport UX2, amazing stuff!) Anyway, so far so good! ;D I'll have to give it a few days before I'm thoroughly convinced, but again, thank-you kind gentleman. Regards Iain

another solution

  • Thomas
  • 11/07/07
  • Wed, 11/07/2007 - 19:41
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modify the file /etc/network/interfaces and comment _everything_ except the loopback interface. Only those lines should be left active: auto lo iface lo inet loopback that seems to fix the freezing problem as well, and you can keep the network-manager and dhcbd. here this works well so far found that here: http://technowizah.com/2007/02/debian-how-to-managing-networks-with.html there seems to be an issue with the eth(x) hotplug option

Freezing is probably because of network-manager and dhcdbd!

  • Thomas
  • 11/07/07
  • Wed, 11/07/2007 - 15:56
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look for "dhcdbd" in /var/log/messages you will probably have some errors and if so: remove from synaptic packages: "network-manager" and "dhcbd", make sure to keep a dhcp client,then restart to reconnect, I struggled 4 days now with those freezes, removed NC, soundcard, fiddled with the bios and so on with no avail, then the moment I removed those 2 packets and restartet, all works stable now, no more freezes, also internet much faster i use motorola cable modem, Sis NC on board, Foxconn 760GXK8MC-RS, 64studio etch 64 native, no wlan here... HTH, Tom

New Light to an old matter...

  • tinivole
  • 08/22/07
  • Thu, 09/27/2007 - 01:04
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Hello again, I've been battling out the system for the past week and have concluded that there must be a second hand in this problem too... For some bizarre reason the 2.6.** (21 AND 22) Linux Multimedia Kernel just doesn't gel with the Madwifi 2,6.** Multimedia Drivers... They somehow get it wrong without realising in the startup "handshaking" protocols. So when the Kernel gives the MadWifi drivers a job, it chokes and freezes indefinately... And if thats bad enough...upon reboot and removal of the Madwifi Modules, the "Performance Gluttons" stay and continue to clog up the system kernel until a complete re-format and re-install of the operating system is in order. I'm still learning C++/Java (And I'm only covering the OpenAL/Audio and LADSPA Programming side). So wouldn't have a clue where to look in the kernel and madwifi source to see if this may be true If anyone can confirm this that would be great... Or anyone out there with an Atheros Wireless Driver and using MadWifi would you please comment on your experience using it. Thank-you Iain

Oh Well...

  • tinivole
  • 08/22/07
  • Thu, 09/20/2007 - 21:12
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The system is up and running now... I'm currently installing/uninstall madwifi periodically (After I boot and before I shutdown), and its keeping its flow. Strange things happen when the drivers are loaded up at boot-time, or, so it seems. Also note that this was happening in the stable release of 64Studio too, hence why I upgraded to the new testing release to see for any improvements/fixes in the issue. ...As for priority, I can restart the computer now, check if it turns up in Services (which it should) right-clicking and going into properties should display a "run level", "status" and "priority" for it. Now just need to figure out what each run level means and whether or not it is required... Thanks for your help anyway, I know its difficult when you can't see what's happening. Iain

Hogging of Hardware

  • Quentin Harley
  • 05/24/07
  • Thu, 09/20/2007 - 19:27
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It seems the WiFi modules may be performance gluttons then. I wonder... can you set the priority for the WiFi a bit lower? I am just guessing here, as I have a nice big old Tower of a 64studio production PC setup, with good old trusty wires running from my main switch to the audition area.

Flickering

  • Quentin Harley
  • 05/24/07
  • Thu, 09/20/2007 - 05:22
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Yes, I have the flickers as well, ever since the beginning. I never thought anything of it, because it happens in a hardware initiation sequence, and the mode changes cause the flicker. To tell the truth I don't even notice it anymore, except if it fails to happen (like when a forced disk checkup happens) I immediately press to see whats cooking... So, you have upgraded fully to 64studio testing? What kind of hardware do you have? Cheers,

Hardware

  • tinivole
  • 08/22/07
  • Thu, 09/20/2007 - 16:24
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To Describe my hardware in OTT fashion :D Foxconn WinFast 760GXK8MC-RSH Motherboard AMD Sempron 2800+ Processor (Socket 754, 64bit Architechture) SiS760GX Graphics Chip, SiS964 Audio Chip, 512MB RAM (x2), 80GB + 320GB Hard Drive, Zoom G2.1u External SoundCard, M-Audio Uno MIDI Cable, DVD/RW Drive, Netgear WPN311 PCI Wireless Card, Atheros Chip. I've reinstalled 64Studio, it seemed the only way to get back on track. Though the more and more frequent the freezes were, it seemed more and more like the Wireless/MadWifi had a crucial role in it. As in the computer would hold steady for 15 minutes, then just freeze at first moment on sending out information through the internet. ie: logging in to forums, using search engines, etc. I've only just installed the MadWifi Modules to write this message, but its been a good system all morning without it. Just looking up Ubuntu to see what they use for wireless devices, from experience it works perfect. And as for the flickering page, I've made a 3D like, moodier/darker silent-1024x768.jpg splash, so when flickering it goes easier on my eyes. But it only seems to show when shutting down. here is the picture for reference, http://bayimg.com/BaHMHAabb I've put it in /etc/bootsplash/themes/current/images and /64studio/images what next? Iain

To elaborate on freezing...

  • tinivole
  • 08/22/07
  • Thu, 09/20/2007 - 01:36
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Sorry, just to elaborate on the word "Freezing". I mean all apps and the desktop just stop functioning, dead, not even the start menu shows hints of moving, and hardware-wise, apart the powering the fans, the computer doesn't seem to be told to do much else. PS/2 mouse still moves, but everything else is as still as night. Thanks again.