unexplainable freeze

[Therinai]

Hello everybody.
I've got a problem with kubuntu 10.10, kernel 2.6.35
Sometimes it freeze with not a lack of reason.
This problem never occoured before with the previous releases, also i'm sure it never accours with the 10.10 in the first 2 months of utilizations.
But now it appens, usualy after 2 or 3 hours of utilizations.
To be sure it is not an hardware issue i've tested it widely, using windows, with a lot of stress tests.
Anyway under kubuntu i just use firefox and writer (open office 3.2), so it is nothing hard for the hardwarre.
The freeze occurs occasionaly.
Yesterday i've reinstalled kubuntu 10.10, at installation completed i've done all the available updates and so used the pc just to browse the web (firefox) and to read some document (writer), but the problem it is still present.
Before reinstalling i also tried to deactivate some integrated peripherals (on the motherboard) not necessary (parallel port) and i've removed a firewire controller, but with no good result.

the configuration includes:

cpu: intel E6550
motherboard: p5kpl-vm (integrated graphic disabled)
ram: 2gb ddr2 800mhz
vga: nvidia 8600gt pci express
system hdd: western digital raptor 74gb 10.000 rpm 8mb cache
hdd2: maxtor 320gb
psu: corsair hx450w
optical: dvd rw+/- R DL
wifi: dlink w650 pci card

[jeremy1701]

Re: unexplainable freeze

Are you using Desktop Effects? I have a problem with "Present Windows" and "Thumbnails" freezing my screen. Try disabling them if they are enabled.

[Therinai]

Re: unexplainable freeze

mmm... ok i'm trying with it. Never thought about desktop effects, i hope is an issue regarding it

edit: disalbled all the desktop effects, i wll see if it freeze again. Anyway i've noticed that the freezes occours even if the pc is doing nothing, if i leave it alone with nothing to do after some times it freeze.

[oblivion]

Re: unexplainable freeze

Hello everybody.
I've got a problem with kubuntu 10.10, kernel 2.6.35
Sometimes it freeze with not a lack of reason.
This problem never occoured before with the previous releases, also i'm sure it never accours with the 10.10 in the first 2 months of utilizations.
But now it appens, usualy after 2 or 3 hours of utilizations.
To be sure it is not an hardware issue i've tested it widely, using windows, with a lot of stress tests.
Anyway under kubuntu i just use firefox and writer (open office 3.2), so it is nothing hard for the hardwarre.
The freeze occurs occasionaly.
Yesterday i've reinstalled kubuntu 10.10, at installation completed i've done all the available updates and so used the pc just to browse the web (firefox) and to read some document (writer), but the problem it is still present.
Before reinstalling i also tried to deactivate some integrated peripherals (on the motherboard) not necessary (parallel port) and i've removed a firewire controller, but with no good result.

the configuration includes:

cpu: intel E6550
motherboard: p5kpl-vm (integrated graphic disabled)
ram: 2gb ddr2 800mhz
vga: nvidia 8600gt pci express
system hdd: western digital raptor 74gb 10.000 rpm 8mb cache
hdd2: maxtor 320gb
psu: corsair hx450w
optical: dvd rw+/- R DL
wifi: dlink w650 pci card

Hi,

Are you using KDE 4.5.x? I had encountered similar random lockups/freezes on Kubuntu 10.10 with KDE 4.5, and I know that there is a problem with Kpackagekit + update notifier which leads some systems/configurations to complete freeze. If other solutions won't work, try disabling update notifer service completely see what happens. In my case, it solved the lockup problems with KDE 4.5.

Ps. You can always use Konsole + "apt-get upgrade" command to upgrade/update.
Regards.

[Therinai]

Re: unexplainable freeze

Hi,

Are you using KDE 4.5.x? I had encountered similar random lockups/freezes on Kubuntu 10.10 with KDE 4.5, and I know that there is a problem with Kpackagekit + update notifier which leads some systems/configurations to complete freeze. If other solutions won't work, try disabling update notifer service completely see what happens. In my case, it solved the lockup problems with KDE 4.5.

Ps. You can always use Konsole + "apt-get upgrade" command to upgrade/update.
Regards.

Yeah, i'm using KDE 4.5.x! Ok i'm gonna try to disable it, thanks for the advice everybody

[exploder]

Re: unexplainable freeze

Are you using the proprietary NVidea drivers? The reason I ask is because if I run the open source drivers my system freezes at random.

[Therinai]

Re: unexplainable freeze

Are you using the proprietary NVidea drivers? The reason I ask is because if I run the open source drivers my system freezes at random.

Yes i am using the last proprietary nvidia drivers. As i always did in the past.

Anyway i'm sure that at the beginning this release used to works fine on my configuration, so this take me to think that the problem is caused from an update, or some updates... and if this will releave as the truth the only thing i can do is to forget about kubuntu 10.10 and then rollback to 10.04 or move to another distro, ubunutu maybe. But i want to avoid this way. I like kubuntu and i want to keep on working on it

ps: **** i cannot even get back to kubuntu 10.04, cause it do not recognize my raptor, never understood why. I have to undrstand what's wrong with this 10.10!

[dibl]

Re: unexplainable freeze

When you experience "freezing", one thing to try is to run "top" in a Konsole window, and then put that window down in the corner of your desktop where you can keep an eye on it. When the freeze happens, you want to immediately check top and see what process is using all the CPU resources. For example, strigi has been known to do this.

[Therinai]

Re: unexplainable freeze

When you experience "freezing", one thing to try is to run "top" in a Konsole window, and then put that window down in the corner of your desktop where you can keep an eye on it. When the freeze happens, you want to immediately check top and see what process is using all the CPU resources. For example, strigi has been known to do this.

Got it! Never known about this command (i am a noob :P )
Now the top command is working and i will leave the konsole always visible, so if the baby will freeze i will see his last cpu activity.

[Therinai]

Re: unexplainable freeze

Good morning guys. Maverick meerkat in running 13 hours without freezing.
Very good!
So the problem could be related realy to the desktop efects or to kpackage.
I will leave it working a litle more and after i will proceed to exclude one of the factors

[Therinai]

Re: unexplainable freeze

It freeze again!
Mmm... any other known software-related issue that could freeze the sistem?

[Snowhog]

Re: unexplainable freeze

Run a 'simple' test. Reboot and don't launch Firefox. If you have it set to autostart, close it completely after you are on your desktop. Use any other GUI browser. If you don't experience another 'freeze' then you can very likely rule in FF as the culprit. Firefox is known to have a memory leak (it's been getting better, but it still leaks memory), and that can cause the freeze you are experiencing.

[Chopstick]

Re: unexplainable freeze

Hi,
does this problem still persist? 'cause I have the same problem: random freeze-ups, happening for a couple of weeks now. I upgraded to 10.10 about two month ago, and at first everything was fine, no freeze-ups (and I never had that before either).
Interestingly it only happens on my laptop, and not on my desktop. The laptop has an older ATI card (open-source driver) and the desktop an nVidia (proprietary driver). Both are have the 64bit installation.

As Therinai stated, it happens randomly, even sometimes when the computer is left unattended for a while or only plays music. However, most of the time I have a browser window open; I'm also using Firefox.
And most often when a freeze-up occurs I'm browsing a website that uses some form of Flash, like youtube (I have Shockwave Flash 10.2 d161). For 64bit systems the Flash plug-in has always been a source of problems, so that may be the culprit, but I don't know for sure... and I also use 64bit flash on my desktop and it does not happen...

Has anyone found a solution yet?

Chopstick