Upgraded to max memory Arch won't boot

fm2606 · 2017-06-30 19:11:24

Hi! First time posting on the forum but I have been using Arch Linux for about the past 2 years. To date I have been able to find all my answers to my problems from old posts on this forum or just Googling the problem. I have installed Arch on a couple of different laptops, it is on my current desktop and I installed it successfully on a server I bought a few weeks ago. Let me say I love Arch and the ability to configure it the way I want and install what I want.

The issue is with my server. I bought a HP Proliant dl385 G6 with 12 cores and 12 GB of memory. I had 0 issues installing Arch on the server, had some minor issues getting a static IP address set up (operator error!). I have been successfully running Arch and everything I want on the server since I bought it. It is connected to my home network and I can access it from my desktop. It runs Apache HTTP, Apache Spark, Python, MariaDB, Postgres, and that is about it.

The DL385 G6 can support up to 128 GB (16 x 8 GB sticks) of ram so I bought the max amount from eBay. It arrived today. I installed the ram, boot up, POST recognizes all of the RAM but then Arch hangs at "loading initial ramdisk". I removed the "new" used ram and reinstalled the 12 GB (12 x 1 GB sticks) and it boot up fine.

I then installed 64 GB of the ram I just purchased and Arch booted up just fine, logged in etc. Thinking I had a faulty stick I started adding memory (in pairs) to try and isolate it. I tried 80 GB and it hung up again at "loading initial ramdisk". 96 GB same thing. Really not thinking it is a faulty stick(s) since POST does a memory test after each new configuration and recognizes the amount I install.

I am at a loss and can't find anything close to the issue I am having. Anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks

Curt

kgtuning · 2017-06-30 19:48:22

hmm.. can you eliminate different ram slots too? Maybe you have a few slots that are bad. Just a thought. Have you tried memtest also?

Trilby · 2017-06-30 20:18:40

You aren't running an i686 install are you? I'd think a i686 system would probably just ignore the excess memory, not show symptoms like this, but only being a problem over 64GB is suspicious.

fm2606 · 2017-06-30 20:52:17

kgtuning...the POST runs a memory test an there are no issues or errors and I haven't done a memtest. Right now I am running with 64 GB no problems.

Trilby ... I ran uname -a and it shows x86_64 . To be exact the output is: 4.11.3-1 ARCH #1 SMP PREEMPT Sun May 28 10:40:17 CEST 2017 x86_64 GNU/Linux

A couple things I noticed when the POST memory test is run is:
a) It displays which slots are occupied and which are open
b) The test is only run the 1st time it detects a change in memory configuration
b) At the bottom of the screen there is a progress bar with 3 numbers. The first number is the amount of ram it tested and changes as the test is performed./ the 2nd number is the amount available and the 3rd is the amount configured
What is odd about b) is that the 2nd number is always 64 GB and the 3rd number is the amount that I installed. So if I installed 128 GB it shows 128 GB, if I install 96 GB it displays 96 GB. I would think that available should equal the amount configured.

After the memory test but still in POST it displays the total amount I have installed.

Thank you both for your replies

kgtuning · 2017-06-30 21:24:57

Definitely odd... Oh I test ram for many hours to test for errors or bad modules. It may seem excessive but its because I overclock to the highest possible clock speeds. I'll follow along to learn.

fm2606 · 2017-07-06 13:03:01

Well unfortunately I couldn't find a fix for this. I put mem=128G in the grub boot parameters but it didn't work. I ran Arch from a Live CD, it booted up fine and running

free -m

showed all 128G of memory was available. I did a fresh install of Arch and it still hung up at loading initial ramdisk.

So unfortunately I went with CentOS 7 for the server. Arch will still be my go to OS for my desktops and laptops.

Thanks

Curt

Trilby · 2017-07-06 16:51:44

In case you plan on trying again, you may want to consider other boot loaders, given that the iso worked. I've not checked recently, but I suspect the iso uses syslinux or systemd boot (for bios/uefi mode respectively) and does not use grub.

seth · 2017-07-07 06:52:23

Seen and ruled out https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/GRUB#Boot_freezes ?

Arch Linux

#1 2017-06-30 19:11:24

Upgraded to max memory Arch won't boot

#2 2017-06-30 19:48:22

Re: Upgraded to max memory Arch won't boot

#3 2017-06-30 20:18:40

Re: Upgraded to max memory Arch won't boot

#4 2017-06-30 20:52:17

Re: Upgraded to max memory Arch won't boot

#5 2017-06-30 21:24:57

Re: Upgraded to max memory Arch won't boot

#6 2017-07-06 13:03:01

Re: Upgraded to max memory Arch won't boot

#7 2017-07-06 16:51:44

Re: Upgraded to max memory Arch won't boot

#8 2017-07-07 06:52:23

Re: Upgraded to max memory Arch won't boot

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