Which kernel is best for AMD C60?

[Art Edwards]

On 03/31/2012 04:39 PM, Liam Proven wrote:
> On 31 March 2012 18:53, Art Edwards
> <edwardsa at icantbelieveimdoingthis.com> wrote:
>> On 03/31/2012 03:00 AM, Liam Proven wrote:
>>> On 31 March 2012 07:57, Art Edwards
>>> <edwardsa at icantbelieveimdoingthis.com> wrote:
>>>> I have installed oneiric on an Acer Aspire 1 with amd dual core c60
>>>> processor. The kernel chosen automatically during install is a -pae
>>>> version. I thought that pae was "physical address extension"
>>> Correct.
>>>
>>>> that is
>>>> special hardware that allows a 32 bit processor to access a 64 bit
>>>> address space.
>>> Wrong.
>>>
>>> PAE allows a 32-bit kernel to access more than 4GB of RAM by paging
>>> small amounts of the RAM above 4GB into the memory area below 4GB. It
>>> does not use any 64-bit technology, features or anything. It is
>>> analagous to LIM-spec expanded RAM in MS-DOS.
>>>
>>>>  When I look on the web for information about the
>>>> processor, the spec's say it is a 64 bit processor. So, did the
>>>> installer choose the correct kernel?
>>> The installer cannot choose between kernels - unlike on Mac OS X,
>>> Linux uses a whole different system for 32-bit or 64-bit operation.
>>> The 64-bit version is a different download and all the programs are
>>> compiled for 64-bit operation. If you're booting off a 32-bit CD, then
>>> all the available kernels and all the binaries on that CD are compiled
>>> for 32-bit.
>> Right.
>>> The only way to change between 64-bit and 32-bit on any Linux distro
>>> is to wipe and reinstall - or dual-boot between the two.
>> I assume that the wipe does not have to include the home directory.
> Correct. If you put /home on its own partition, then you can share a
> single home directory - i.e. the same user account - between 32-bit
> and 64-bit versions, I believe.
>
>>>> I'm having major stability issues--
>>>> the system often freezes on the login screen, requiring a hard shutoff
>>>> and reboot. I'm wondering if this is a symptom of the wrong kernel.
>>> Sounds like hardware problems to me, I fear. Overheating is a common
>>> issue on portables.
>> Actually, this happens immediately on startup. Also, W7 is running fine
>> on the machine. I now have the choice or installing natty or oneiric. My
>> son's Aspire One is running very happily on natty, with none of the
>> stability issues I'm finding with oneiric. I'll post my experience with
>> natty here.
> Oh! My, that's strange. Probably not hardware, then - although CPU
> throttling works differently on Windows and Linux, so it's not
> /entirely/ out of the question.
>
> Definitely might be worth trying a few variants, then.
>
So, the C60 /is/ a 64 bit processor. Furthermore, after doing a little
bit more searching, I found a true solution to the instability problem.

1. Create the file /etc/modprobe.d/ath9k.conf

Insert a single line:

options ath9k nohwcrypt=1

2. Specifically for the Aspire One 722, in the BIOS, you have to promote
the Network boot to the top of the boot priority list.

These two steps came from

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/951709

from Jaime Alberto Silva and Joseph Salisbury.

Thanks to both! My netbook is now fully functional.

Art Edwards
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