Computer locking up after several days' uptime

[Steve Flynn]

On Mon, Sep 29, 2008 at 9:14 AM, Nils Kassube <kassube at gmx.net> wrote:
> Dotan Cohen wrote:
>> How could I get to the syslog
>> and dmesg logs if the machine hangs? Wouldn't they be overwritten on
>> next boot? (I'm on a very flakey stealing-the-neighbor's-wireless
>> connection as we are 'vacationing' at the mother-in-laws for the new
>> year. The answer may therefore be a quick google away but that will
>> have to wait until Thursday :) )
>
> The answer is even closer, you can find it in "/var/log" but as always you
> have to know where to look :)
>
> Some smart people obviously anticipated that problem and therefore the
> files are preserved as e.g. "/var/log/dmesg.0". However, you may have no
> luck after all if the machine is really dead because then nothing will
> write the logs to the disk after the lockup.

The SysRQ keystrokes may be of help here to flush all logs and attempt
to unmount filesystems cleanly. See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_SysRq_key

-- 
Steve
When one person suffers from a delusion it is insanity. When many
people suffer from a delusion it is called religion.

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