freezing afer switching from graphical to console

freezing afer switching from graphical to console

[Michael Gruner]

Hi,

since 2.4.17 I have got a problem: trying to switch from graphical
screen to console or to stop my X-session my box freezes. The screen
gets black and nothing more happens. Pressing any keys or trying to
switch to another console the box does not do anything. Only o cold
restart brings the box up again.

Hardware is a MSI6126 with a 440bx chipset. The processor is a 400 MHZ
Celeron on a MS6905 ppga 370 to slot 1 cpu converter. In former times
there were 256MB RAM in there but I got a lot of segfaults during
compiling the kernel. So i removed 128MB and now compiling runs fine.
So I don't think it might be a hardware failure?!

Problems had be seen very often with kernel 2.4.18, now with 2.4.19-rc1
not as often as before. That means: it happens maybe 1 or 2 times a
week. The box is shutted down every day.

Are there any hints for solving this problem?

best regards,
 Michael
-- 
Windmuehlenweg 22 07907 Schleiz
mobil: +491628955029
e-Mail: Michael.Gruner@fh-hof.de


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Re: freezing afer switching from graphical to console

[Eric Altendorf]

On Monday 08 July 2002 22:38, Michael Gruner wrote:
> since 2.4.17 I have got a problem: trying to switch from graphical
> screen to console or to stop my X-session my box freezes. The
> screen gets black and nothing more happens. Pressing any keys or
> trying to switch to another console the box does not do anything.

I don't have this problem on 2.4.18, but I did on 2.5 kernels.  On my 
box, it had something to do with the display manager (kdmh).  When I 
boot to runlevel 3 and run startx manually (without kdm) I have no 
virtual console problems.  That's my workaround for now.

I don't know what causes the problem.  If anyone else has an idea to 
share, that'd be great.

viel glueck,

eric

-- 
"First they ignore you.  Then they laugh at you.
 Then they fight you.  And then you win."             -Gandhi

Re: freezing afer switching from graphical to console

[Eric Altendorf]

On Monday 08 July 2002 23:30, Eric Altendorf wrote:
> my box, it had something to do with the display manager (kdmh). 
                                                           ^^^^
Sorry, yes, that was a typo.  I meant kdm.

eric

Re: freezing afer switching from graphical to console

[Bernd Schubert]

Hi, 

we have seen it, too. Seems to be graphics card dependend (ati ones are not 
effected, but nvidia cards are ) and what powersaving mode is enabled in the 
BIOS (Suspend for the Monitor causes a lock up when switching from X to the 
console, but when using VSync/empty screen (or something like this) all works 
fine).

Bernd

On Tuesday 09 July 2002 07:38, Michael Gruner wrote:
> Hi,
>
> since 2.4.17 I have got a problem: trying to switch from graphical
> screen to console or to stop my X-session my box freezes. The screen
> gets black and nothing more happens. Pressing any keys or trying to
> switch to another console the box does not do anything. Only o cold
> restart brings the box up again.
>
> Hardware is a MSI6126 with a 440bx chipset. The processor is a 400 MHZ
> Celeron on a MS6905 ppga 370 to slot 1 cpu converter. In former times
> there were 256MB RAM in there but I got a lot of segfaults during
> compiling the kernel. So i removed 128MB and now compiling runs fine.
> So I don't think it might be a hardware failure?!
>
> Problems had be seen very often with kernel 2.4.18, now with 2.4.19-rc1
> not as often as before. That means: it happens maybe 1 or 2 times a
> week. The box is shutted down every day.
>
> Are there any hints for solving this problem?
>
> best regards,
>  Michael

Re: freezing afer switching from graphical to console

[Michael Gruner]

Hi,

ok, did it as you say: in the BIOS I switched to Vsync/blank screen.
Let's see what happens.

BTW: My graphics card isn't a nvidia as many of you suggested but an ATI
Rage pro (what did you wrote Bernd? ;-) ).

Another interesting thing I got back in mind today was: one day my XMMS
played a mp3 song and I switched to console (oooops...you know what
happend) but the song kept on playing in a loop that was some
milliseconds until I powered the box off. I don't know what to think
about that.

best regards,
 michael

Am Die, 2002-07-09 um 12.27 schrieb Bernd Schubert:
> Hi, 
> 
> we have seen it, too. Seems to be graphics card dependend (ati ones are not 
> effected, but nvidia cards are ) and what powersaving mode is enabled in the 
> BIOS (Suspend for the Monitor causes a lock up when switching from X to the 
> console, but when using VSync/empty screen (or something like this) all works 
> fine).
> 
> Bernd
> 
-- 
Windmuehlenweg 22 07907 Schleiz
mobil: +491628955029
e-Mail: Michael.Gruner@fh-hof.de


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Re: freezing afer switching from graphical to console

[Joseph Pingenot]

>From Michael Gruner on Tuesday, 09 July, 2002:
>Hi,
>ok, did it as you say: in the BIOS I switched to Vsync/blank screen.
>Let's see what happens.
>BTW: My graphics card isn't a nvidia as many of you suggested but an ATI
>Rage pro (what did you wrote Bernd? ;-) ).
>Another interesting thing I got back in mind today was: one day my XMMS
>played a mp3 song and I switched to console (oooops...you know what
>happend) but the song kept on playing in a loop that was some
>milliseconds until I powered the box off. I don't know what to think
>about that.

I've seen the same thing on my ATI XPert@Play (Rage Pro chipset).  At 
  2.4.17, it was a risky proposition to switch between X and a text VC.
  It's better in 2.4.18, although not much (I believe.  I may be wrong).
  I have happend upon a situation a number of times where, when switching
  from X to a text VC, the machine "locks up", but CTRL-F7 (the X VC) will
  get me back to a working X login screen (KDM), at least for a while.  If
  I keep trying to switch to a text VC (which never works), it eventually
  fully locks up, to the point where I have to pull the plug, since the on
  switch is non-responsive.  If I tell it to shut down, it gets *most* of
  the way through before carping out and locking up fully.
I don't *believe* I've seen this in 2.5.x, although I may be wrong.

-Joseph
-- 
Joseph======================================================jap3003@ksu.edu
"We're moving toward a world where all the capabilities of the Internet are
 reprocessed through a single filter, with Microsoft's business plan behind
 it."  Mozilla's Mitchell Baker, http://news.com.com/2100-1023-941926.html

how to debug it?

[Michael Gruner]

> >ok, did it as you say: in the BIOS I switched to Vsync/blank screen.
> >Let's see what happens.
> >BTW: My graphics card isn't a nvidia as many of you suggested but an ATI
> >Rage pro (what did you wrote Bernd? ;-) ).
> >Another interesting thing I got back in mind today was: one day my XMMS
> >played a mp3 song and I switched to console (oooops...you know what
> >happend) but the song kept on playing in a loop that was some
> >milliseconds until I powered the box off. I don't know what to think
> >about that.
> 
> I've seen the same thing on my ATI XPert@Play (Rage Pro chipset).  At 
>   2.4.17, it was a risky proposition to switch between X and a text VC.
>   It's better in 2.4.18, although not much (I believe.  I may be wrong).
>   I have happend upon a situation a number of times where, when switching
>   from X to a text VC, the machine "locks up", but CTRL-F7 (the X VC) will
>   get me back to a working X login screen (KDM), at least for a while.  If
>   I keep trying to switch to a text VC (which never works), it eventually
>   fully locks up, to the point where I have to pull the plug, since the on
>   switch is non-responsive.  If I tell it to shut down, it gets *most* of
>   the way through before carping out and locking up fully.
> I don't *believe* I've seen this in 2.5.x, although I may be wrong.
> 
Do you think it would be a good idea to get it out of the stable tree?
Or is it better to try to live with it and wait for getting 2.5 the
stable tree?

Is there a howto to get this debugged? Looking into /var/log/messages
there are no messages that could point out that bad thing.

michael

-- 
Windmuehlenweg 22 07907 Schleiz
mobil: +491628955029
e-Mail: Michael.Gruner@fh-hof.de


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