Arch Linux

amranu

Member

Registered: 2008-09-25

Posts: 94

Major stability problems

So I recently installed Arch on my XPS M1330, set it up with Gnome and installed a few programs.

I migrated from Debian and shared my home partition with it, no conflicts.

However, I am having a few problems causing Arch to crash decently often.

If left alone for over an hour or two unused, the entire computer (not just X) freezes, and if the display is asleep it won't wake etc, it has been everytime this has happened so I haven't been able to check any abnormalities on screen, this has happened 3 or 4 times.

Openoffice tends to shut down compiz completely after running for a little while(need to reload it), and doesn't even work properly under metacity (blank unresponsive window) it also likes to freeze the entire computer quite similar to the above.

Gdm can be slow to register the keyboard when halfway through typing the password, kinda annoying and once went completely unresponsive to accepting the password (just froze with the password entered in there, unable to backspace it away, mouse still moved though)

None of the above problems seem to cause kernel panics, so anyone got any ideas?

makz

Member

Registered: 2004-12-07

Posts: 27

Re: Major stability problems

Do you have an intel video card? The latest X.org driver broke a lot of things. Use the old i810 or the VESA driver, switch to the new intel driver only when you need it, for example to play games or stuff like that.

amranu

Member

Registered: 2008-09-25

Posts: 94

Re: Major stability problems

Nah, nvidia. The openoffice problem has seemed to have been fixed, and I haven't had a chance to check if the idle problem still happens yet

nielsb

Member

From: Harrogate, UK

Registered: 2008-07-07

Posts: 32

Website

Re: Major stability problems

If left alone for over an hour or two unused, the entire computer (not just X) freezes, and if the display is asleep it won't wake etc, it has been everytime this has happened so I haven't been able to check any abnormalities on screen, this has happened 3 or 4 times.

Are you by any chance running XScreensaver? I had the same problem as you when I had XScreensaver enabled.

Niels

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MacBook4.1 - Arch64 - OpenBox WM

Pudge

Arch Linux f@h Team Member

Registered: 2006-01-23

Posts: 300

Re: Major stability problems

Try adding "noapic" to your kernel line in /boot/grub/menu.lst , such as:

kernel /vmlinuz26 root=/dev/disk/by-uuid/dfd48f73-96d2-49f7-8125-f08d33865689 ro noapic quiet

Pudge

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Folding STATS

amranu

Member

Registered: 2008-09-25

Posts: 94

Re: Major stability problems

Alright, trying that out. Thanks

@nielsb no, I don't have that installed.

Ok, on to another problem now, does anyone know what could stop keyboard inputs from being read after a session is started? Whenever this happens everything works except keyboard events and trying to reboot properly doesn't work so I have to force shutdown.

Last edited by amranu (2008-09-28 14:30:38)

Neverth

Member

From: Finland - Land of taxes

Registered: 2006-05-16

Posts: 45

Website

Re: Major stability problems

if you tell xmodmap to load a nonexisting file, itll make your kb into a paperwight in X, should still work in consoles.

Thats one i know.

Btw, using evdev? it caused lockups on me long ago.

Last edited by Neverth (2008-09-28 19:48:23)

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Flying is Trying is Dying

amranu

Member

Registered: 2008-09-25

Posts: 94

Re: Major stability problems

evdev? Nope.

edit: well, addding noapic helped. Now instead of everything freezing for no apparent reason, it kernel panics.

Last edited by amranu (2008-09-29 01:05:35)