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    #1

    Random segfaults - hardware problem?

    I've been having problems from the very beginning with the new system I built. Firefox 3, Amarok, Opera, Emacs and a few other programs randomly segfault. Also, my kdm session is sometimes spontaneously destroyed.

    Sometimes, the system stays up without a glitch for hours, but when the crashes start, they just keep coming. Rebooting sometimes helps.

    I've used the exact same configuration on a laptop for hours without a single crash, so I suspect the problem is hardware-related.

    My system specs:

    Abit IP35 Pro
    Intel Core 2 Q6600
    Dual Western Digital AAKS 500GB
    2GB DDR2 800 MHz

    I've run memtest for hours without problems, and tried changing my hd mode between AHCI and IDE to no avail. I also can't reliably reproduce the problem.

    How should I go about troubleshooting this? How can I get crash reports so I could identify the source?
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    #2
    Re: Random segfaults - hardware problem?

    Stick the Live CD in and run:
    Code:
    fsck
    in an alt->f2 terminal.

    Might be a problem with the HD or not but lets at least exclude it.

    [mad]Berry
    Check out my website with Kubuntu how to's:  madberry.org
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      #3
      Re: Random segfaults - hardware problem?

      Originally posted by madberry
      Stick the Live CD in and run:
      Code:
      fsck
      in an alt->f2 terminal.

      Might be a problem with the HD or not but lets at least exclude it.
      Oh yeah, I forgot to mention I've done that, too, and found nothing.

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        #4
        Re: Random segfaults - hardware problem?

        I suspect faulty memory. Segfaults can indicate this. I would suggest running memtest overnight sometime.
        txWingMan
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          #5
          Re: Random segfaults - hardware problem?

          You haven't told us what version of KDE you are using. If it's KDE 4.0.xx that might also be a contributor. But, as txWingMan said, segfaults (segmentation faults) are almost always a result of mangled memory management. While bad RAM is the first suspect, bad program management (at the memory usage level) can also cause the faults.
          Windows no longer obstructs my view.
          Using Kubuntu Linux since March 23, 2007.
          "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data." - Sherlock Holmes​
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            #6
            Re: Random segfaults - hardware problem?

            Originally posted by txWingMan
            I suspect faulty memory. Segfaults can indicate this. I would suggest running memtest overnight sometime.
            I'll try that again tonight.

            Originally posted by Snowhog
            You haven't told us what version of KDE you are using. If it's KDE 4.0.xx that might also be a contributor. But, as txWingMan said, segfaults (segmentation faults) are almost always a result of mangled memory management. While bad RAM is the first suspect, bad program management (at the memory usage level) can also cause the faults.
            I'm using Hardy with KDE 3.5.9. Where should I look if I the RAM turns out to be okay (though I can never really be sure about that, can I )?
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              #7
              Re: Random segfaults - hardware problem?

              Originally posted by Mystiko
              I'm using Hardy with KDE 3.5.9. Where should I look if I the RAM turns out to be okay (though I can never really be sure about that, can I )?
              If running memtest overnight doesn't report anything, then you should consider the following:

              1) if you have more than one RAM chip, say two, identify the chip in slot0 as A and the other in slot1 as B, then switch them around. If your segfaults decrease, then chip A should be suspected. If segfaults increase, then chip B should be suspected.

              2) if the above yields no significant results (no perceptible difference), then you might have an overheating cpu problem. If you are running a desktop, open the case to increase airflow and see if segfaults decrease.
              Windows no longer obstructs my view.
              Using Kubuntu Linux since March 23, 2007.
              "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data." - Sherlock Holmes​
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                #8
                Re: Random segfaults - hardware problem?

                Originally posted by Snowhog
                If running memtest overnight doesn't report anything, then you should consider the following:

                1) if you have more than one RAM chip, say two, identify the chip in slot0 as A and the other in slot1 as B, then switch them around. If your segfaults decrease, then chip A should be suspected. If segfaults increase, then chip B should be suspected.

                2) if the above yields no significant results (no perceptible difference), then you might have an overheating cpu problem. If you are running a desktop, open the case to increase airflow and see if segfaults decrease.
                No reports from multiple overnight memtests.

                1) Switched RAM chips and ran with a single chip (either A or B) with no results.

                2) I do have a passively-cooled GeForce 8600, which is normally too hot to touch (nvidia-settings reports a core temp of about 70 C), but increasing fan power (which significantly dropped the temperature) did not help the crashes either. CPU temps are pretty low, since the CPU is not overclocked and I'm using an efficient cooler. Also, the crashes don't usually increase with extended usage: firefox can crash many times during the first 15 minutes of the morning. On the other hand, I've sometimes managed to work on the computer for hours without a single crash.


                Any other ideas? It seems that all programs crashing (firefox 3, opera, amarok, emacs, kdm?) use the hard disk. E.g. konsole never crashes even though an instance is always running. The hard disks (I have two, no RAID), have passed all tests, however.

                Could this be a compatibility issue with the IP35 pro motherboard? I've updated the bios to the newest version, which did not help either.
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                  #9
                  Re: Random segfaults - hardware problem?

                  Check ALL cables.
                  See if they are all connected properly....and, in the right places.
                  Then, double-check them, again.
                  To be certain they are connected properly.
                  You built it....maybe a computer technician will spot 'where' you went wrong?
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