<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <meta content="text/html; charset=windows-1252" http-equiv="Content-Type"> </head> <body text="#000000" bgcolor="#ffffff"> On 03/31/2012 04:39 PM, Liam Proven wrote: <blockquote cite="mid:CAMTenCEqg6xcv8bohkwh9KBPprP5pUhBTGLMD4=e_wiY47f0Lg@mail.gmail.com" type="cite"> <pre wrap="">On 31 March 2012 18:53, Art Edwards <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:edwardsa@icantbelieveimdoingthis.com"><edwardsa@icantbelieveimdoingthis.com></a> wrote: </pre> <blockquote type="cite"> <pre wrap="">On 03/31/2012 03:00 AM, Liam Proven wrote: </pre> <blockquote type="cite"> <pre wrap="">On 31 March 2012 07:57, Art Edwards <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:edwardsa@icantbelieveimdoingthis.com"><edwardsa@icantbelieveimdoingthis.com></a> wrote: </pre> <blockquote type="cite"> <pre wrap="">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" </pre> </blockquote> <pre wrap="">Correct. </pre> <blockquote type="cite"> <pre wrap="">that is special hardware that allows a 32 bit processor to access a 64 bit address space. </pre> </blockquote> <pre wrap="">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. </pre> <blockquote type="cite"> <pre wrap=""> 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? </pre> </blockquote> <pre wrap="">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. </pre> </blockquote> <pre wrap="">Right. </pre> <blockquote type="cite"> <pre wrap="">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. </pre> </blockquote> <pre wrap="">I assume that the wipe does not have to include the home directory. </pre> </blockquote> <pre wrap=""> 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. </pre> <blockquote type="cite"> <blockquote type="cite"> <blockquote type="cite"> <pre wrap="">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. </pre> </blockquote> <pre wrap="">Sounds like hardware problems to me, I fear. Overheating is a common issue on portables. </pre> </blockquote> <pre wrap="">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. </pre> </blockquote> <pre wrap=""> 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. </pre> </blockquote> 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 <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/951709">https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/951709</a> from Jaime Alberto Silva and Joseph Salisbury. Thanks to both! My netbook is now fully functional. Art Edwards </body> </html>