Re: [2.4.17rc1] fatal problem: system time suddenly changes

Re: [2.4.17rc1] fatal problem: system time suddenly changes

[Marcelo Tosatti]

Andreas, 

I have no idea why this is happening.

Could you please 2.4.16 ?

On Tue, 18 Dec 2001, Andreas Hartmann wrote:

> Hello all,
> 
> I'm running kernel 2.4.17rc1 and I detected suddenly changes of
> systemtime. I saw it in KDE and tested it afterwards in a konsole. I
> repeated as fast as possible the date program as following:

[2.4.17rc1] fatal problem: system time suddenly changes

[Andreas Hartmann]

Hello all,

I'm running kernel 2.4.17rc1 and I detected suddenly changes of
systemtime. I saw it in KDE and tested it afterwards in a konsole. I
repeated as fast as possible the date program as following:

andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:29 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:30 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:30 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:30 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:31 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:31 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:31 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:32 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:32 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:32 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:33 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:33 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:33 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:33 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:34 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:34 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:34 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:35 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:35 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:35 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:35 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:36 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:36 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:36 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 09:24:11 CET 2001
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:37 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:38 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:38 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:38 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:38 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:39 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:39 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:39 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:40 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:40 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:40 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 09:24:15 CET 2001
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:41 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:41 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:41 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:42 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:42 CET 2001
andreas@athlon:~ > date
Tue Dec 18 08:12:42 CET 2001


This problem appears not directly after reboot but some time after
reboot. The time when it appears after reboot is different. I can't say
it's after 3 hours or 10 hours. It suddenly appears and doesn't
disappear. I have to reboot the system to get rid of the problem.

One effect of this problem is: The X-server begins to blink (the screen
[not the monitor itself!] is going off and on again).

Do you remember? I wrote the same problem ("blinking screen") some time
ago - now, I probably found the reason.
I couldn't reproduce this problem with none of the ac-patches!



My system:

512 MB RAM
AMD Athlon 800
no overclocking


lspci -v
00:00.0 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8371 [KX133] (rev 02)
          Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0
          Memory at d6000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=32M]
          Capabilities: [a0] AGP version 2.0

00:01.0 PCI bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8371 [PCI-PCI Bridge]
(prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
          Flags: bus master, 66Mhz, medium devsel, latency 0
          Bus: primary=00, secondary=01, subordinate=01, sec-latency=0
          I/O behind bridge: 0000c000-0000cfff
          Memory behind bridge: d4000000-d5ffffff
          Prefetchable memory behind bridge: d0000000-d3ffffff
          Capabilities: [80] Power Management version 2

00:07.0 ISA bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C686 [Apollo Super] (rev 22)
          Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C686/A PCI to ISA Bridge
          Flags: bus master, stepping, medium devsel, latency 0

00:07.1 IDE interface: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C586 IDE [Apollo] (rev
10) (prog-if 8a [Master SecP PriP])
          Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32
          I/O ports at d000 [size=16]
          Capabilities: [c0] Power Management version 2

00:07.2 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C586B USB (rev 10)
(prog-if 00 [UHCI])
          Subsystem: Unknown device 0925:1234
          Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 9
          I/O ports at d400 [size=32]
          Capabilities: [80] Power Management version 2

00:07.4 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C686 [Apollo Super ACPI]
(rev 30)
          Flags: medium devsel, IRQ 9
          Capabilities: [68] Power Management version 2

00:07.5 Multimedia audio controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C686
[Apollo Super AC97/Audio] (rev 20)
          Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc.: Unknown device 4511
          Flags: medium devsel, IRQ 7
          I/O ports at dc00 [size=256]
          I/O ports at e000 [size=4]
          I/O ports at e400 [size=4]
          Capabilities: [c0] Power Management version 2

00:08.0 Ethernet controller: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] SiS900
10/100 Ethernet (rev 02)
          Subsystem: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] SiS900 10/100
Ethernet Adapter
          Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 10
          I/O ports at e800 [size=256]
          Memory at d9000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
          Expansion ROM at <unassigned> [disabled] [size=128K]
          Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 1

00:09.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL-8139
(rev 10)
          Subsystem: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RT8139
          Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 11
          I/O ports at ec00 [size=256]
          Memory at d9001000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256]
          Expansion ROM at <unassigned> [disabled] [size=64K]

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Rage 128 PF
(prog-if 00 [VGA])
          Subsystem: ATI Technologies Inc: Unknown device 0008
          Flags: bus master, stepping, 66Mhz, medium devsel, latency 32,
IRQ 10
          Memory at d0000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=64M]
          I/O ports at c000 [size=256]
          Memory at d5000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
          Expansion ROM at <unassigned> [disabled] [size=128K]
          Capabilities: [50] AGP version 2.0
          Capabilities: [5c] Power Management version 2


lsmod
Module                  Size  Used by    Not tainted
via82cxxx_audio        18080   0  (autoclean)
r128                   90264   0  (autoclean)
ac97_codec              9696   0  (autoclean) [via82cxxx_audio]
8139too                12896   1  (autoclean)
sis900                 11492   1  (autoclean)
serial                 44064   1  (autoclean)
unix                   14020  91  (autoclean)


grep -v "not set" .config
#
# Automatically generated by make menuconfig: don't edit
#
CONFIG_X86=y
CONFIG_ISA=y
CONFIG_UID16=y

#
# Code maturity level options
#
CONFIG_EXPERIMENTAL=y

#
# Loadable module support
#
CONFIG_MODULES=y
CONFIG_MODVERSIONS=y
CONFIG_KMOD=y

#
# Processor type and features
#
CONFIG_MK7=y
CONFIG_X86_WP_WORKS_OK=y
CONFIG_X86_INVLPG=y
CONFIG_X86_CMPXCHG=y
CONFIG_X86_XADD=y
CONFIG_X86_BSWAP=y
CONFIG_X86_POPAD_OK=y
CONFIG_RWSEM_XCHGADD_ALGORITHM=y
CONFIG_X86_L1_CACHE_SHIFT=6
CONFIG_X86_TSC=y
CONFIG_X86_GOOD_APIC=y
CONFIG_X86_USE_3DNOW=y
CONFIG_X86_PGE=y
CONFIG_X86_USE_PPRO_CHECKSUM=y
CONFIG_NOHIGHMEM=y
CONFIG_MTRR=y
CONFIG_X86_UP_APIC=y
CONFIG_X86_UP_IOAPIC=y
CONFIG_X86_LOCAL_APIC=y
CONFIG_X86_IO_APIC=y

#
# General setup
#
CONFIG_NET=y
CONFIG_PCI=y
CONFIG_PCI_GOANY=y
CONFIG_PCI_BIOS=y
CONFIG_PCI_DIRECT=y
CONFIG_PCI_NAMES=y
CONFIG_SYSVIPC=y
CONFIG_SYSCTL=y
CONFIG_KCORE_ELF=y
CONFIG_BINFMT_ELF=y
CONFIG_PM=y
CONFIG_APM=m
CONFIG_APM_DO_ENABLE=y
CONFIG_APM_DISPLAY_BLANK=y
CONFIG_APM_RTC_IS_GMT=y

#
# Memory Technology Devices (MTD)
#

#
# Parallel port support
#
CONFIG_PARPORT=m
CONFIG_PARPORT_PC=m
CONFIG_PARPORT_PC_CML1=m
CONFIG_PARPORT_PC_FIFO=y
CONFIG_PARPORT_1284=y

#
# Plug and Play configuration
#

#
# Block devices
#
CONFIG_BLK_DEV_FD=m
CONFIG_BLK_DEV_LOOP=m

#
# Multi-device support (RAID and LVM)
#

#
# Networking options
#
CONFIG_PACKET=m
CONFIG_UNIX=m
CONFIG_INET=y
CONFIG_IP_MULTICAST=y

#
# QoS and/or fair queueing
#

#
# Telephony Support
#

#
# ATA/IDE/MFM/RLL support
#
CONFIG_IDE=y

#
# IDE, ATA and ATAPI Block devices
#
CONFIG_BLK_DEV_IDE=y
CONFIG_BLK_DEV_IDEDISK=y
CONFIG_IDEDISK_MULTI_MODE=y
CONFIG_BLK_DEV_IDESCSI=m
CONFIG_BLK_DEV_IDEPCI=y
CONFIG_IDEPCI_SHARE_IRQ=y
CONFIG_BLK_DEV_IDEDMA_PCI=y
CONFIG_BLK_DEV_ADMA=y
CONFIG_IDEDMA_PCI_AUTO=y
CONFIG_BLK_DEV_IDEDMA=y
CONFIG_BLK_DEV_VIA82CXXX=y
CONFIG_IDEDMA_AUTO=y
CONFIG_BLK_DEV_IDE_MODES=y

#
# SCSI support
#
CONFIG_SCSI=m
CONFIG_BLK_DEV_SR=m
CONFIG_SR_EXTRA_DEVS=2
CONFIG_CHR_DEV_SG=m
CONFIG_SCSI_DEBUG_QUEUES=y
CONFIG_SCSI_MULTI_LUN=y
CONFIG_SCSI_CONSTANTS=y

#
# SCSI low-level drivers
#

#
# Fusion MPT device support
#

#
# IEEE 1394 (FireWire) support (EXPERIMENTAL)
#

#
# I2O device support
#

#
# Network device support
#
CONFIG_NETDEVICES=y

#
# ARCnet devices
#
CONFIG_DUMMY=m

#
# Ethernet (10 or 100Mbit)
#
CONFIG_NET_ETHERNET=y
CONFIG_NET_PCI=y
CONFIG_EEPRO100=y
CONFIG_8139TOO=m
CONFIG_SIS900=m

#
# Ethernet (1000 Mbit)
#

#
# Wireless LAN (non-hamradio)
#

#
# Token Ring devices
#

#
# Wan interfaces
#

#
# Amateur Radio support
#

#
# IrDA (infrared) support
#

#
# ISDN subsystem
#

#
# Old CD-ROM drivers (not SCSI, not IDE)
#

#
# Input core support
#

#
# Character devices
#
CONFIG_VT=y
CONFIG_VT_CONSOLE=y
CONFIG_SERIAL=m
CONFIG_UNIX98_PTYS=y
CONFIG_UNIX98_PTY_COUNT=256
CONFIG_PRINTER=m

#
# I2C support
#
CONFIG_I2C=m
CONFIG_I2C_ALGOBIT=m
CONFIG_I2C_PHILIPSPAR=m
CONFIG_I2C_ELV=m
CONFIG_I2C_VELLEMAN=m
CONFIG_I2C_ALGOPCF=m
CONFIG_I2C_CHARDEV=m

#
# Mice
#

#
# Joysticks
#

#
# Watchdog Cards
#

#
# Ftape, the floppy tape device driver
#
CONFIG_AGP=m
CONFIG_AGP_VIA=y
CONFIG_DRM=y
CONFIG_DRM_R128=m

#
# Multimedia devices
#

#
# File systems
#
CONFIG_REISERFS_FS=y
CONFIG_FAT_FS=m
CONFIG_MSDOS_FS=m
CONFIG_UMSDOS_FS=m
CONFIG_VFAT_FS=m
CONFIG_TMPFS=y
CONFIG_ISO9660_FS=m
CONFIG_JOLIET=y
CONFIG_PROC_FS=y
CONFIG_DEVPTS_FS=y
CONFIG_EXT2_FS=m
CONFIG_UDF_FS=m
CONFIG_UDF_RW=y

#
# Network File Systems
#
CONFIG_NFS_FS=m
CONFIG_NFS_V3=y
CONFIG_SUNRPC=m
CONFIG_LOCKD=m
CONFIG_LOCKD_V4=y
CONFIG_SMB_FS=m

#
# Partition Types
#
CONFIG_MSDOS_PARTITION=y
CONFIG_SMB_NLS=y
CONFIG_NLS=y

#
# Native Language Support
#
CONFIG_NLS_DEFAULT="iso8859-1"
CONFIG_NLS_CODEPAGE_437=m
CONFIG_NLS_CODEPAGE_737=m
CONFIG_NLS_CODEPAGE_775=m
CONFIG_NLS_CODEPAGE_850=m
CONFIG_NLS_CODEPAGE_852=m
CONFIG_NLS_CODEPAGE_855=m
CONFIG_NLS_CODEPAGE_857=m
CONFIG_NLS_CODEPAGE_860=m
CONFIG_NLS_CODEPAGE_861=m
CONFIG_NLS_CODEPAGE_865=m
CONFIG_NLS_CODEPAGE_869=m
CONFIG_NLS_ISO8859_1=m
CONFIG_NLS_ISO8859_2=m
CONFIG_NLS_ISO8859_3=m
CONFIG_NLS_ISO8859_4=m
CONFIG_NLS_ISO8859_15=m

#
# Console drivers
#
CONFIG_VGA_CONSOLE=y
CONFIG_VIDEO_SELECT=y

#
# Frame-buffer support
#

#
# Sound
#
CONFIG_SOUND=y
CONFIG_SOUND_VIA82CXXX=m

#
# USB support
#

#
# USB Serial Converter support
#

#
# Bluetooth support
#

#
# Kernel hacking
#


ver_linux
Linux athlon 2.4.17-rc1 #2 Sam Dez 15 13:37:12 CET 2001 i686 unknown

Gnu C                  2.95.3
Gnu make               3.76.1
util-linux             2.11l
mount                  2.11l
modutils               2.4.12
e2fsprogs              1.19
reiserfsprogs          3.x.0j
PPP                    2.4.0b1
Linux C Library        2.2.4
Dynamic linker (ldd)   2.2.4
Procps                 2.0.2
Net-tools              1.56
Kbd                    0.96
Sh-utils               2.0g
Modules Loaded         via82cxxx_audio r128 ac97_codec 8139too sis900
serial unix


Regards,
Andreas Hartmann

Re: [2.4.17rc1] fatal problem: system time suddenly changes

[Andreas Hartmann]

Hello Marcelo,

thank you for your reply!


Marcelo Tosatti wrote:

> Andreas, 
> 
> I have no idea why this is happening.
> 
> Could you please 2.4.16 ?
> 


It's with all 2.4.x-kernels. The only ones working fine have been the 
ac-patches.

When running the ac-patches, I often got the following message in 
/var/log/messages. I put them as example here, that you can see, how 
often it appears:

Oct  7 10:36:04 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:36:04 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:36:10 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:36:10 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:36:20 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:36:20 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:36:41 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:36:41 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:37:45 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:37:45 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:38:02 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:38:02 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:45:54 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:45:54 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:46:02 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:46:02 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:46:04 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:46:04 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:46:05 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:46:05 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:46:13 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:46:13 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:46:20 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:46:20 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:46:27 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:46:27 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:46:28 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:46:28 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:46:35 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:46:35 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:46:41 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:46:41 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:46:43 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:46:43 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:46:59 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:46:59 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:47:04 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:47:04 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:47:10 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:47:10 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:47:12 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:47:12 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:47:33 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:47:33 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:47:34 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:47:34 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:47:36 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:47:36 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:47:40 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:47:40 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:47:41 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:47:41 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:47:45 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:47:45 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:48:03 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:48:03 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:48:09 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:48:09 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:48:10 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:48:10 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:48:11 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:48:11 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:48:30 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:48:30 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:48:32 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:48:32 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:48:34 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:48:34 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:48:36 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:48:36 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:48:38 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:48:38 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:48:41 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:48:41 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:48:43 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:48:43 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:48:48 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:48:48 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:48:50 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:48:50 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 10:48:56 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 10:48:56 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 11:05:45 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 11:05:45 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 11:06:15 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 11:06:15 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 11:06:17 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 11:06:17 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct  7 11:20:42 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct  7 11:20:42 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.
Oct 29 10:44:26 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: clock timer 
configuration lost - probably a VIA686a motherboard.
Oct 29 10:44:26 athlon kernel: probable hardware bug: restoring chip 
configuration.

> On Tue, 18 Dec 2001, Andreas Hartmann wrote:
> 
> 
>>Hello all,
>>
>>I'm running kernel 2.4.17rc1 and I detected suddenly changes of
>>systemtime. I saw it in KDE and tested it afterwards in a konsole. I
>>repeated as fast as possible the date program as following:
>>


Regards,
Andreas

Re: [2.4.17rc1] fatal problem: system time suddenly changes

[Andreas Hartmann]

Hello Wim,


Wim Coekaerts wrote:

> On Tue, Dec 18, 2001 at 07:17:09PM +0100, Andreas Hartmann wrote:
> 
>>Hello all,
>>
>>I'm running kernel 2.4.17rc1 and I detected suddenly changes of
>>systemtime. I saw it in KDE and tested it afterwards in a konsole. I
>>repeated as fast as possible the date program as following:
>>
>>This problem appears not directly after reboot but some time after
>>reboot. The time when it appears after reboot is different. I can't say
>>it's after 3 hours or 10 hours. It suddenly appears and doesn't
>>disappear. I have to reboot the system to get rid of the problem.
>>
> 
> Does it start shortly after or during heavy disk io ?
> 
> I have had this with a via chipset board as well, always occured with lots of disk io.
> 

Yes, it's a VIA board. I thought, it could be depending on disk io. But 
I have the problem without havy disk io, too.
Another thing I suspect is the memory usage: If the memory (only RAM) is 
used at about one hundred percent, it seems to be more likely.
On the other hand, I can force the problem by doing some restarts of X 
directly after rebooting (about ten or twenty times). The memory usage 
is at this moment very low.


Regards,
Andreas

Re: [2.4.17rc1] fatal problem: system time suddenly changes

[Andreas Hartmann]

Hello Ken,

Ken Brownfield wrote:

 > Are you seeing this in earlier kernels?  What about with "noapic"?


Yes, in all 2.4.x - vanilla kernels. But not in the ac-patches!

I tested it wit or without apic - the behaviour didn't change.


Regards,
Andreas

Re: [2.4.17rc1] fatal problem: system time suddenly changes

[Andreas Hartmann]

Jeronimo Pellegrini wrote:

> Hi.
> 
> That's a VIA timer bug. The patch that fixes it was inthe kernel some
> time ago, but was removed because the workaround was being triggered
> when it shouldn't, if I remember correctly.


Thank you! I applied the patch and did a first quick and dirty test. 
After 20 restarts of X I coludn't detect any problem :-).

I will do a long term test from now on in order to see, if the problem 
appears again.

Is there a chance to get this patch in in vanilla kernel (maybe with 
some changes), if it really fixes the VIA timer bug?

Regards,
Andreas

Re: [2.4.17rc1] fatal problem: system time suddenly changes

[Andreas Hartmann]

Hello all,

Jeronimo Pellegrini wrote:

> Hi.
> 
> That's a VIA timer bug. The patch that fixes it was inthe kernel some
> time ago, but was removed because the workaround was being triggered
> when it shouldn't, if I remember correctly.
> 
> Here:
> 
> 
> --- linux-2.4.15-pre3/arch/i386/kernel/time.c	Sun Nov 11 21:33:31 2001
> +++ linux-2.4.15-pre3-new/arch/i386/kernel/time.c	Mon Nov 12 14:04:20 2001
> @@ -501,6 +501,19 @@
>  
>  		count = inb_p(0x40);    /* read the latched count */
>  		count |= inb(0x40) << 8;
> +
> +	        /*
> +		 * When using some via chipsets (as the vt82c686a, for example)
> +		 * the system timer counter (i8253) should be reprogrammed in
> +		 * this case, otherwise it may be reset to a wrong value.
> +		 */
> +		if (count > LATCH-1) {
> +			outb_p(0x34, 0x43);
> +		        outb_p(LATCH & 0xff, 0x40);
> +			outb(LATCH >> 8, 0x40);
> +			count = LATCH - 1;
> +		}
> +
>  		spin_unlock(&i8253_lock);
>  
>  		count = ((LATCH-1) - count) * TICK_SIZE;
> 

I tested this patch with 2.4.17rc[1|2] - and I couldn't find any 
problem. The systemtime has always been correct.

Could you please apply this patch to the next kernelversion, maybe 
spezifically for the VIA - chipset or with some other needed changes as 
Jeronimo wrote?


Thanks,
Andreas Hartmann

Re: [2.4.17rc1] fatal problem: system time suddenly changes

[Alan Cox]

> > That's a VIA timer bug. The patch that fixes it was inthe kernel some
> > time ago, but was removed because the workaround was being triggered
> > when it shouldn't, if I remember correctly.

Its also not clear its the real truth. Fixing a latch handling case sorted
most stuff out, and there is a need for someone to fix the locking in some
other cases before assuming the workaround is correct - in fact it may
simply be masking the real locking error