openbox on older computer ?

[Hootiegibbon]

Muppet,

memtest86 is in the repo install it nativly and it will appear as a boot option then reboot into that option

if it is a bad memory address (and i see nothing to support it in the dmesg) then that would increase the chances of an issue (especially as you have a memory based swap drive - ZRAM active)

Jase

[melodie]

Hi,

To test without Zram module, you just need to edit the file /etc/rc.d/rc.local. The part related to Zram is very visible. You might even have the orginal one backed up. Look with this command:

Code: [Select]

$ ls -l /etc/rc.d/rc.local*
(with the '*' following the filename "rc.local")

Once the modification done, you can turn the zram off with the following command, as root:

Code: [Select]

# swapoff /dev/zram0
It will be effective at once, and after reboot as well provided the original rc.local file is restored.

[Muppet]

Hi,

To test without Zram module, you just need to edit the file /etc/rc.d/rc.local. The part related to Zram is very visible. You might even have the orginal one backed up. Look with this command:

Code: [Select]

$ ls -l /etc/rc.d/rc.local*
(with the '*' following the filename "rc.local")

Once the modification done, you can turn the zram off with the following command, as root:

Code: [Select]

# swapoff /dev/zram0

It will be effective at once, and after reboot as well provided the original rc.local file is restored.

Hi Melodie,

to test i should edit the file /ect/rc.d/rc.local. i have found the files r.local, r.local original and rc.local zram

what should i edit in these files or can i turn the zram off by the command as root as suggested and do a reboot of the computer and make the choice for the memtest+86 in the grub that is now available after i have installed this program from synaptic ?

Willem

[melodie]

Hi,

rc.local.original is the default version in PCLinuxOS, the file rc.local is a modified version, and the rc.local.zram is the same as rc.local : just I added it incase some day an update wipes out the one which is modified.

I have no other choice at the moment to implement it in PCLinuxOS, in a way that is suitable for most cases of figure, and make it easy to go for the users.

Here is what it looks like:

default PCLinuxOS rc.local:

#!/bin/sh
#
### BEGIN INIT INFO
# Provides: rc.local
# X-Mandriva-Compat-Mode
# Default-Start: 2 3 4 5
# Short-Description: Local initialization script
# Description: This script will be executed *after* all the other init scripts.
#              You can put your own initialization stuff in here if you don't
#              want to do the full Sys V style init stuff.
### END INIT INFO

touch /var/lock/subsys/local

modprobe snd-usb-audio

# Fix linkage to cdrom/dvd and permissons since udev is screwed
ln -s /dev/sr0 /dev/dvd > /dev/null 2>&1
ln -s /dev/sr0 /dev/cdrom > /dev/null 2>&1
chmod 777 /dev/sr0 > /dev/null 2>&1
chown root:root /dev/sr0 > /dev/null 2>&1
chmod 777 /dev/sr1 > /dev/null 2>&1
chown root:root /dev/sr1 > /dev/null 2>&1

. /etc/init.d/functions

The one I modified contains this additionally, at the end:

Code: [Select]

######### ZRAM SWAP ##########

# set to "on" to activate.
ZRAM_SWAP="on"

# If you have several swap devices (or partitions), you may prefer to have
# a higher priority for zram_swap.
ZRAM_SWAP_PRIORITY=30

# Maybe you could use some extra args while loading zram module.
ZRAM_EXTRA_ARGS=""

######## NOTHING TO CHANGE BELOW THIS ##########
if [ $ZRAM_SWAP = "on" ]; then
modprobe zram $ZRAM_EXTRA_ARGS

if grep -wq /dev/zram0 /proc/swaps; then
# Normally, this shouldn't be executed if you don't play with rc.local.
gprintf "Unloading and reseting zram swap device\n"
swapoff /dev/zram0
echo 1 > /sys/block/zram0/reset
fi

gprintf "Sizing zram swap device\n"

FREE_MEM=`free -t -m | egrep Mem | awk {'print $2'}`
# Swap size = 25% of free memory;
ZRAM_SWAP_SIZE=$(($FREE_MEM/4))

echo $(($ZRAM_SWAP_SIZE * 1024 * 1024)) > /sys/block/zram0/disksize

gprintf "Activating zram swap device\n"
mkswap /dev/zram0
swapon -p $ZRAM_SWAP_PRIORITY /dev/zram0
success;echo
fi
######### /ZRAM SWAP ##########


It has been defined after the informations from the Compache project wiki, where the zram kernel module comes from.

You can deactivate it just by renaming the files:

as root:

Code: [Select]

# mv  /etc/rc.local  /etc/rc.local-Backup

Code: [Select]

# cp /etc/rc.local.original /etc/rc.local
The first command renames the file, the second command copies it to the name "rc.local".

Then deactivate it with the "swapoff /dev/zram0" command (as root again)

[Muppet]

Hi Melodie,

while trying the commands as root i got the following message;


# mv  /etc/rc.local  /etc/rc.local-Backup
# cp /etc/rc.local.original /etc/rc.local
cp: cannot stat `/etc/rc.local.original': No such file or directory

am i doing something wrong here perhaps ?

Willem

[djohnston]

# mv  /etc/rc.local  /etc/rc.local-Backup
# cp /etc/rc.local.original /etc/rc.local

Muppet,

I guess she got in a hurry. She left out part of the directory path. But first, do:

mv /etc/rc.local-Backup /etc/rc.local

to change the link back to what it should be. Then do:

mv  /etc/rc.d/rc.local  /etc/rc.d/rc.local-Backup
cp /etc/rc.d/rc.local.original /etc/rc.d/rc.local

[Muppet]

# mv  /etc/rc.local  /etc/rc.local-Backup
# cp /etc/rc.local.original /etc/rc.local

Muppet,

I guess she got in a hurry. She left out part of the directory path. But first, do:

mv /etc/rc.local-Backup /etc/rc.local

to change the link back to what it should be. Then do:

mv  /etc/rc.d/rc.local  /etc/rc.d/rc.local-Backup
cp /etc/rc.d/rc.local.original /etc/rc.d/rc.local

Hello Djohnston,

i have done the suggested commands as root in terminal. than i exit openbox for reboot and in the grub  i choose mem86+. is this procedure ok or should i stay in openbox to see how it goes now the zram is off ?

Willem

[Yankee]

Hello Djohnston,

i have done the suggested commands as root in terminal. than i exit openbox for reboot and in the grub  i choose mem86+. is this procedure ok or should i stay in openbox to see how it goes now the zram is off ?

Hi Muppet et al,

If you do the memtest it will take close to an hour, for one pass, choosing it from the
start boot menu.   You probably would want to do it at sometime.

FF

[melodie]

Hi,

Sorry for the hurried instructions and thanks to djohnston.

You should do a full test with memtest to see how the memory is seen by memtest, and keep passing by to see if it shows errors (when they come, they appear in red).

[Muppet]

Hi,

Sorry for the hurried instructions and thanks to djohnston.

You should do a full test with memtest to see how the memory is seen by memtest, and keep passing by to see if it shows errors (when they come, they appear in red).

Hi Melodie,

no need for excuses. while typing so many info for me it is possible these things happen.

today did the memtest and there were no errors and the test was passed.

i will check how the cable inside is mounted tomorrow.

what still wonders me is why there are 4 usbports dected. this machine has only 2 ( in those days it was getting started to become a standard) and it is mounted on the motherbord. not possible to have it disconnected with a cable unfortunate.

i have added in the bootkernel the 'lapic' command.

also i noticed that when i was reading info from sites on the web and using the cursor it sometimes stalls for 3-4 seconds and after that i can continue............

i think i have found another biosversion. released in 2003 or so and is the latest that was released in my opinion. i have to check it further and have to study how i should perform a safe flash because as i understand it this is something very critical to do.

regards,

Willem

[melodie]

Yes, flashing the BIOS is likely to get your machine UNuseable. Don't do it unless you have another machine you can use, and the possibility to upgrade the hardware. And don't forget your old Windows : manage to have a backup of any datas, so that you can transfer any personal datas to a new machine if needed.

So far I didn't have problems with flashing BIOS for my machines, but I didn't have just one machine, and I have an expert at home to assist me each time I need.

Once I assisted to a case which was an old machine with an old BIOS, the newer BIOS made it worse than the older, and when trying to revert back it didn't help : it was useless to revert back, and any available version for this one motherboard had been worse than the other. The machine belonged to an association, so we helped them get another Mobo from a retail store, to solve the problem, because the machine in fact was dead.

So be careful with that, and be sure you won't get in a situation worse than it is now.

Courage ! We are with you !

Mélodie

[Muppet]

Hi,

well Muppet performed a successfull a biosupdate. pfff........wet hands went it was done and my system still worked !

have done a new bonsai install after the bios was updated.

but no champagne......already had my first stall.

i have added the 'lapic' command in the bootkernel. this message is now ok in the var/log/messages

still there are many usbhubs detected. no change in that unfortunately
message to upgrade the bios or use force_addr=0xaddr is still there, but i saw after googling that also other distos has this, but where it stands for or what i should do to clear this message i do not know at this point.

i have performed the copy commands for the rc.local files as suggested earlier and after that the command
swapoff /dev/zram0 to turn this off for testing.

is there a command that i can check that the zram is really turned off after i performed the command as above mentioned ?

see how this goes now. will keep testing

Willem

[Muppet]

hello Hootiegibbon,

the output for lscpu is;


lscpu
Architecture:          i686
CPU(s):                1
Thread(s) per core:    1
Core(s) per socket:    1
CPU socket(s):         1
Vendor ID:             GenuineIntel
CPU family:            6
Model:                 8
Stepping:              1
CPU MHz:               666.585

gives this the information you are looking for ?

regards,

Willem

[melodie]

i have performed the copy commands for the rc.local files as suggested earlier and after that the command
swapoff /dev/zram0 to turn this off for testing.

is there a command that i can check that the zram is really turned off after i performed the command as above mentioned ?

Sure,
you can type:

cat /proc/swaps

ie:

$ cat /proc/swaps
Filename            Type      Size   Used   Priority
/dev/sda7                               partition   1019900   0   -1
/dev/zram0                              partition   254972   0   30

I deactivate:

[joyce@hulotte ~]$ su
Password:
[root@hulotte joyce]# swapoff /dev/zram0
[root@hulotte joyce]# cat /proc/swaps
Filename            Type      Size   Used   Priority
/dev/sda7                               partition   1019900   0   -1
[root@hulotte joyce]#

Could you paste to pastebin the full output of the dmesg command, next time you will be back after a reboot just following a freeze ? (as user or as root, never mind)

And did you think again about the older kernels to try ?

[Muppet]

Hi Melodie,

i just had another freeze, the output on pastebin is;

http://pastebin.com/xpr48gZm

i was so enthusiastic today. it was going really well.

my output for cat/proc/swaps is;

cat /proc/swaps
Filename            Type      Size   Used   Priority
/dev/sdb5                         partition   3020184     0      -1

after your instructions it is not currently in file  /etc/rc.d/rc.local

i had the impression today that it was more stable, anyway till now that is......

i also found info and solution for the message in /var/log/messages that was saying

via686a base adress not set do biosupgrade or use force_addr=0xaddr

this message has to do something with socalled lm-sensors. info can been seen here;

http://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/hwmon/via686a

http://www.lm-sensors.org/wiki/FAQ/Chapter3
see beginning of line 24

i could solve this by doing; cat/proc/ioports
to see what adress was not in use and mostly this is 6000-607f and that was also in my case

than i did doing; modprobe -r via686a && modprobe via686a force_addr=0x6000
and after that adding a line in;

/ect/modprobe.d/snd-options; options via686a force_addr=0x6000

now that was it and you can see in the var/log/messages  now that sensors for via686a or enabled

other distros are having the same error messages time to time it seems and sometime it is cleared with an update or a new version of the distro.

i will first wait if you can find anything in the current dsmeg and see how it further goes today and tomorrow.

regards,

Willem