Ubuntu getting locked up

[Liam Proven]

On Mon, Mar 22, 2010 at 12:57 AM, Chuck Kuecker <ckuecker at ckent.org> wrote:
> Liam Proven wrote:
>> On Sat, Mar 20, 2010 at 11:28 AM, Chuck Kuecker <ckuecker at ckent.org> wrote:
>>
>>> Hello,
>>>
>>> I have a strange thing going on with my system. Three times now, Ubuntu
>>> has gotten locked up somehow such that I cannot open a terminal window
>>> or restart or reboot the system. I cannot stop the X-windows either. I
>>> am running Ubuntu 9.10 with all the latest updates.
>>>
> <snip>
>
>>> Freescale for their embedded processor running Linux.
>>>
>>> Chuck Kuecker
>>>
>>
>> You've not told us anything about your machine's hardware, but this
>> sounds like a possible hardware problem to me.
>>
>> I'd suggest:
>>
>> Step 1
>>
>> Open the machine up & give it a thorough clean, ideally with a
>> compressed-air spray or something similar. "Airduster" these are
>> sometimes called.
>>
>> I suggest paying special attention to the graphics card & processor
>> heatsink & fan. If you know how, carefully remove the heatsinks & fans
>> from both the CPU and the GPU & give them a thorough clean. Your
>> problems sound a little like they might be caused by overheating to
>> me.
>>
>> Step 2
>>
>> When reassembling, get and apply some fresh TIM
>> (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_interface_material) when
>> refitting them, making sure to remove all trace of the old stuff.
>>
>> Step 3
>>
>> When it's all back together, boot from an Ubuntu CD and run memtest86.
>> I suggest you leave it going for a few hours or overnight.
>>
>>
> I built this box out of an old Windows machine - Pentium III, 1000 MHz.
> I've got 1.5Gb RAM, two 500 Gb hard drives, and a 250 Gb drive. I
> cleaned it out thoroughly when I put it together.
>
> All the heatsinks are properly greased and tight. Nothing seems to be
> running excessively hot.
>
> The video card is a ATI Radeon X800XL that my son bought for his gaming.
> It seems to work OK. No obvious errors show up in the logs.
>
> I ran the memory test - no problems seen.
>
> If it happens again, I will post the errors I see.
>
> Chuck Kuecker

Well, that sounds pretty thorough, I must admit!

But from your other post, it sounds like you may have sorted it..? If
so, good stuff & well done.


-- 
Liam Proven • Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/liamproven
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