From owner-freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG Sun Aug 10 23:31:58 2003 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id D678F37B401 for ; Sun, 10 Aug 2003 23:31:58 -0700 (PDT) Received: from smtp.omnis.com (smtp.omnis.com [216.239.128.26]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 66BA843FA3 for ; Sun, 10 Aug 2003 23:31:58 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from wes@softweyr.com) Received: from softweyr.homeunix.net (66-91-236-204.san.rr.com [66.91.236.204]) by smtp-relay.omnis.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 65C069BE8C; Sun, 10 Aug 2003 23:31:57 -0700 (PDT) From: Wes Peters Organization: Softweyr To: Doug White , Daniela Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2003 23:31:57 -0700 User-Agent: KMail/1.5.2 References: <200308102227.51564.dgw@liwest.at> <200308110040.56138.dgw@liwest.at> <20030810155414.V69012@carver.gumbysoft.com> In-Reply-To: <20030810155414.V69012@carver.gumbysoft.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline Message-Id: <200308102331.57313.wes@softweyr.com> cc: stable@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Strange things going on with 4.8 X-BeenThere: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: Production branch of FreeBSD source code List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2003 06:31:59 -0000 On Sunday 10 August 2003 03:55 pm, Doug White wrote: > On Mon, 11 Aug 2003, Daniela wrote: > > > How did you test the memory? Generally short of using a hardware > > > SIMM tester its very difficult to identify bad modules. memtest86 > > > run over the period of several hours can sometimes work. > > > > > > BIOS "tests" don't count. > > > > I used sysutils/memtest from the ports, and let it run over night. > > BTW, is there some kind of "operating system" that boots off a floppy > > and just tests the memory? That would be useful because memtest can't > > test all the memory. > > Yes, memtest86. its a boot floppy image. > > > What other diagnostic software could I use? > > Well the problem with testing memory with software is that its not > necessarily possible to hammer it hard enough to trigger the problem. > If you can reproduce it easily you might try cycling out one dimm and > then trying to crash it. If removing a dimm fixes it then you probably > took out the bad one. In fact, many people in the FreeBSD community feel the best memory test of all is to 'make world' several times. I have experienced this myself only once, but after returning the SIMM module to the vendor he verified it was bad using a hardware tester. The replacement SIMM has been in for 5 months now and the machine has been marvelously stable, as I expect from FreeBSD. > Also of course check your heatsink is operating correctly. Yes. I use cases from Antec that have a fan-driven plenum over the CPU socket and have no problems with heat dissipation, except the small room the computers are in is often uncomfortably warm through the day. Sigh. Whatever happened to peltier effect CPU coolers? -- Where am I, and what am I doing in this handbasket? Wes Peters wes@softweyr.com