k7-smp kernel help

Sun Jun 18 04:14:50 UTC 2006

Nope, no overclocking.  Temps are running at around 39 degrees (I have a huge 92 mm Zalman fan on this thing, along with Arctic Silver 5 thermal paste).  Temps aren't a problem.  I can run this machine for hours in either Windows x64 bit edition or the 386 kernel in Ubuntu with no issues.  It's just when I try to jump to a new kernel.  So that's why I am positive it is a software issue somewhere.  And yeah, I ran 2 memory tests and they both came up clean as well.

----- Original Message -----
From: Scott Kitterman <ubuntu at kitterman.com>
Date: Saturday, June 17, 2006 10:56 pm
Subject: Re: k7-smp kernel help

> On Sat, 17 Jun 2006 22:14:18 -0400 Kenny 
> <kenneth.l.armstrong at us.army.mil> 
> wrote:
> >Kenny wrote:
> >> Matthew Kuiken wrote:
> >>> Kenny wrote:
> >>>> OK, I have been at this for about 6 hours now.
> >>>>
> >>>> I have an AMD X2 4400+ dual core processor. I have been 
> trying to 
> >>>> use the k7-smp kernel so that I can actually use both of my 
> cores. I 
> >>>> went into synaptic package manager, and of course it 
> automatically 
> >>>> chooses all of the latest pieces needed, including the 
> appropriate 
> >>>> restricted modules (I have 2 7800GTX's in SLI mode, so I need 
> the 
> >>>> Nvidia drivers).
> >>>>
> >>>> It all downloads and installs fine (the kernel that it 
> defaults to 
> >>>> download is 2.6.15.25-k7). But after about 2-5 minutes of use 
> after 
> >>>> I boot into this kernel and log in, my entire computer locks 
> up. 
> >>>> Mouse doesn't move, keyboard shortcuts don't respond. I have 
> to 
> >>>> manually reboot with the power button. Reminds me of the days 
> of 
> >>>> Windows 3.1.
> >>>>
> >>>> So I thought that I would step it back and get the previous 
> kernel 
> >>>> (2.6.15-23-k7). But when I try to download it, synaptic wants 
> to 
> >>>> automatically put all of the latest software with it that 
> depend on 
> >>>> the newer kernel. I couldn't get it to cooperate, so I 
> figured, what 
> >>>> the hell, I'll try it.
> >>>>
> >>>> I reboot, choose the older kernel, and after the Ubuntu 
> loading 
> >>>> screen, I get the X failure screen telling me that it 
> couldn't start 
> >>>> X. I figured that this was because the restricted modules 
> wanted to 
> >>>> work with the newer kernel and not this one.
> >>>>
> >>>> So I reboot again, this time to the newer k7 kernel (2.6.15-
> 25-k7) 
> >>>> only to find that after the Ubuntu loading screen, nothing 
> gets sent 
> >>>> to my monitor. My LCD power light goes orange dictating that 
> it is 
> >>>> no longer recieving a signal from my video cards.
> >>>>
> >>>> The only way I can work in Ubuntu is to use the latest 386 
> kernel, 
> >>>> and that sucks because I'm running on only half of my 
> physical cpu 
> >>>> hardware.
> >>>>
> >>>> Is there a better way to do this? I've tried the sudo apt-
> get, but 
> >>>> it does the same exact thing as synaptic, getting all of the 
> latest 
> >>>> stuff, not letting me have anything older.
> >>>>
> >>>> Suggestions?
> >>>>
> >>>> Kenny
> >>>>
> >>> You may want to try the 686 kernel.  It also has SMP enabled.  
> It may 
> >>> not be as optimized for your processor, but it should still 
> allow you 
> >>> to use both.  Hopefully it will be a bit more stable.
> >>>
> >>> HTH,
> >>> -Matt
> >>>
> >>>
> >> Thanks, I gave it a shot but unfortunately it was even less 
> stable 
> >> than the k7 version.  What's up with dual core in Linux?
> >>
> >Wow, I'm even more sad than before.  Just for grins and giggles I 
> tried 
> >the regular k7 kernel, and it locked up as well but I was able to 
> move 
> >the mouse.  It appears that I may have something else going on 
> here.  
> >The only kernel that I can use that doesn't cause a lockup is the 
> >regular 386 one.  Where do I begin to try and figure out what's 
> wrong?>
> If I were in your position, I'd be thinking about the potential 
> for 
> hardware issues.
> 
> Are you overclocking at all?
> 
> If you boot to your BIOS settings, can you check CPU temps?  Are 
> the 
> reasonable for K7 (I wouldn't know)?
> 
> I'm particularly wondering about CPU thermal issues.  IIRC, AMD 
> CPUs freeze 
> when they overheat.  I'd also iimagine they run cooler on one core 
> instead 
> of two.
> 
> The earlier suggestion about running a memory test was a good one, 
> I think.
> 
> I'm running the latest SMP kernel on dual Pentium IIIs, so I don't 
> think 
> it's fundamentally broken.
> 
> Scott K
> 
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