[Gllug] frustrated with Linux

[Ashley Evans]

As a quick side note you could try memtest86 to check the RAM, I had a
similar problem with random lock-ups that turned out to be RAM.
memtest86 and a patch to the linux kernel can work around faulty RAM by
forcing the bad cells in the RAM to not be used at all. I haven't
actually tried this because the RAM was under warranty but it could be a
good way to keep the old box running as a non-critical system.

hth

A. Evans

On Sun, 2003-03-02 at 00:17, Steve Nicholson wrote:
> Hi Guys 
> Thanks for all your replies, it's really great to get all your
> support. I'll reply here rather than to individual posts.  I spent this
> morning fsck'ing my box as it crashed again when I first started it up
> so going to bite the bullet and buy some faster hardware and try
> Mandrake 9.  I'll join the Mandrake club so I'm giving something back,
> might help keep them afloat as I read in Linux User they are in financial
> trouble. Hopefully I'm not backing a dead horse, I'll try out an install
> first to make sure it will be ok. I agree the software I'd chosen are
> more time consuming to learn but it was with the aim of more speed,
> hopefully a faster PC will help.
> 
> Yes I have thought of professional help, that's how I got started with
> Debian on the server.  Unfortunately at the moment I don't really have
> the money to spend on new hardware, need to pull finger out and get some
> more work in. I'm not really sure where the problem lies with the box,
> I've change motherboard and power supply, not sure if I change the RAM. 
> This morning twice while running fsck I got the following kernel panic. 
> 
> -------
> Unable to handle kernel paging request at virtual address 000010000 |
> 28%
> pinting eip:
> --list of stack, trace etc. <- didn't write it all down.
> Kernel panic : Attempted to kill the idle task!
> In idle task - not syncing.
> -------
> 
> First time I have seen this error, maybe it's the AMD 500 K2 that's
> giving problems, I did a google and found some AMD's give trouble.
> 
> I know there is work being done on the desktop to improve it's
> usability (for the server I've found Debian great it's just on my
> desktop I've been frustrated). I find it's the little things that cause
> the problems and I'm aware of the issues caused by proprietary systems
> which is why I don't want to support MS and hope that joining the
> Mandrake Club will help a little.  I'm also very aware that if I move
> back to the DarkSide I'll be bitching even more about not being able to
> do the things the way I want, which is why I really want to stick with
> Linux.  I do think Windows is a good choice for some and I do think it
> does provide a good service, I don't agree with their tactics or
> business practises so I choose not to support them. I set up a PC for a
> friend with winXP (needed it for his work) and bitched the whole time
> about the way things worked on it so I can't see me loving it either!
> 
> The consistency I'm looking for in apps is really keybindings. I know
> some I can change, then they all have different ways of changing them
> and some only seam to work for the session.  I also realise that in
> another five years this will all be academic because a lot of the
> applications are still really in their first development phase.  I have
> played with both KDE and Gnome, I just found them too slow and cluttered
> with a lot of the desktop taken up with panels etc, which is why I like
> ION. It's the same with anything new you try there is the learning
> time/curve to find out how it works, if it will do what you want and how
> to configure it so it works exactly like I want.  I'm sure either of KDE
> or Gnome can be configured as I want it's just putting time in to it and
> a faster PC would help:).
> 
> There is a couple of Linux SIP clients but it's the Windows one I'm
> after to put on my dads PC.  I know phone calls to NZ are cheap but it's
> the time difference which is the real issue and the fact that my dad is
> 82 and still thinks international calls are expensive so always wants to
> get off the phone as quick as possible.  I'm on ADSL and with yahoo IM
> it's easy to see when he pops on the net and have a quick voice chat, he
> will happily talk for ages even though it's crap compared with using the
> phone.  Anyway thanks for your ideas on this, I've found some stuff on
> Google that Yahoo IM and voice (well a faster clone) will work with Wine
> so I will have a play with that.  My reason for wanting SIP is for
> better quality, I agree that using the phone would be better.
> 
> Thanks again for your support, I'll post again on my feeling with new
> system.  Will post gain on hardware next.
> 
> Steve.
> P.S thanks for the milk and cookies:).


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