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    New to 9.10 and lots of problems...

    My old system (Mandriva 2005 LE) had a hardware failure, so I decided it was a great time to move to Kubuntu 9.10, built from scratch on all new (to linux) hardware.

    Background: I'm a Sr. Systems Administrator, in the business of contract Linux server administration, but even after all these years, I still consider myself a beginner on the Linux Desktop. However I haven't used MSWindows in years and I've never used Mac OS. My laptop runs the Ubuntu Netbook Remix, and I have no problems with it.

    I didn't just restore my old home directory; I understand the dangers. I moved files I needed (but no configurations at all) and I imported my Kmail email directories into my new Kmail installation. The only configuration I moved verbatim were my Kalarm files.

    Old hardware was (I'm going from memory here) 1GB of memory, a 3Ghz Intel P4.

    New hardware is 2GB of memory, AMD Athlon 64 x2 Dual Core Processor 4600+. It's just an office desktop and I figured this would be enough, but maybe I'm wrong. I can't find where I'm supposed to set up my video hardware, but a check for drivers says no proprietary drivers are found on the system.

    At least twice a day my session has been closing on me, no matter what I'm doing, and even when top shows I've got plenty of memory left.

    One problem I've noticed: KAlarm open alarms show up on the task manager panel (I think that's what it's called) even when I'm on a different desktop.

    Sometimes when I start up Kontact (I run kmail from inside Kontact) kmail takes up to an hour or more before it becomes responsive enough to use, and if I click on a folder on the left side, then the folder contents starts scrolling uncontrollably.

    I do have over 6GB of email in the various folders, all imported by kmail.

    And when I don't run kmail, the system doesn't crash.

    Anyone else notice any similar problems?

    Jeff

    #2
    Re: New to 9.10 and lots of problems...

    Sounds like aside from a few configuration issues, your main problem is kmail. I would suggest filing a bug report on it - maybe you'll find others with a similar problem and a workaround, and at least it can be fixed (in theory - I haven't had much luck reporting KDE bugs lately). I've never had 6GB of email - I'm just not that popular! But it seems like it should be able to handle it. You could also try running kmail directly instead of through Kontact. Also, try starting it from a shell with "kmail &" and see if there are any unusual messages. You might also want to monitor CPU/RAM usage with htop (apt-get install htop), a command line program. Further, check and see if your system partition is running out of free space, df -h /dev/sda1 IOW try to get an idea of what's going on as kmail is running. Also, try removing an email subfolder (with kmail not running), one at a time, to see if one particular mail folder is triggering the problem.

    I'm not familiar with KAlarm, but since that is the configuration you moved verbatim, maybe try a fresh configuration. If you were coming from KDE3 then using the old config in KDE4 might be causing problems.

    As for the video, if you go into Settings|Hardware Drivers, that should search for a driver that is compatible with your video card. Either that or search for instructions for your particular model.

    That hardware should be plenty.
    Check out my blog for useful scripts and tips... http://igurublog.wordpress.com

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      #3
      Re: New to 9.10 and lots of problems...

      Originally posted by IgnorantGuru
      Sounds like aside from a few configuration issues, your main problem is kmail. I would suggest filing a bug report on it - maybe you'll find others with a similar problem and a workaround, and at least it can be fixed (in theory - I haven't had much luck reporting KDE bugs lately).
      I thought of filing a bug report, but after reading about your experience and others, I decided it was probbly a waste of time. After reading your arch threads and your PMs to me, I think I may go in the direction you've gone in; I need Kmail and Kalarm, and I like Kontact, but I don't have to use it. But first I will try one more time.
      I've never had 6GB of email - I'm just not that popular!
      Oh it's not popularity ; It's business email going back to 2005, (and in some cases earlier). Some years ago when Avi Friedman, creator of the mailing list called simply list, used by ISPs since ISPs existed (that was '95, when the Internet became commercial), found he needed a copy of his complete archive, I had it for him. I guess you could call me a pack rat.

      But I've decided I don't need to keep all that email, and I'm starting to pull a lot of it out.

      But since I've committed to the new hardware (the system I'm using now is a repurposed Windows system) I'm moving forward on that first.
      But it seems like it should be able to handle it.
      I would have thought so.
      You could also try running kmail directly instead of through Kontact. Also, try starting it from a shell with "kmail &" and see if there are any unusual messages.
      I've tried that; nothing unusual, nothing different .
      You might also want to monitor CPU/RAM usage with htop (apt-get install htop), a command line program. Further, check and see if your system partition is running out of free space, df -h /dev/sda1 IOW try to get an idea of what's going on as kmail is running.
      Been there, tried that. I'm a server admin, and these are things server admins think of hopefully as much as you do, but I appreciate your help and that we're so far on the same page. All the more reason for me to want to try following your lead to Arch if that's what it takes.
      Also, try removing an email subfolder (with kmail not running), one at a time, to see if one particular mail folder is triggering the problem.
      I didn't think of that, I'll try that if problems still exist after the move. I did break up one humungus sent-mail folder into yearly ones, but that didn't seem to help.
      I'm not familiar with KAlarm, but since that is the configuration you moved verbatim, maybe try a fresh configuration. If you were coming from KDE3 then using the old config in KDE4 might be causing problems.
      I'll do that on the new system; there are well over a hundred alarms, so it'll take a while, but I'll do it anyway.
      As for the video, if you go into Settings|Hardware Drivers, that should search for a driver that is compatible with your video card. Either that or search for instructions for your particular model.
      Not worried on the old system for now, but I'll use your suggestion on the new one.

      I'm working about three more hours now, should have the new box up by then. Then off to meet a friend of 33 years for lunch; she's driving through the area on the way from Phoenix to Sacramento (we met when we both bought original TRS-80 model 1s at the same store in San Francisco, a long time ago).

      Then back to configuration.

      Anyone else with any input? It would be really appreciated.

      Jeff

      Comment


        #4
        Re: New to 9.10 and lots of problems...

        I use kalarm as part of my normal application suite, because I have great cause for alarm I am using the KDE4 version, and IIRC, my templates came over from KDE3 without memorable difficulties (but that was over a year ago). I find that even when no alarms are scheduled, the little red alarm clock shows up in (what I think is called) the system tray on all desktops. The reason is that the system tray is on the kicker panel and that remains constant regardless of what you've done to or on your desktops. The kalarm icon reminds me that kalarm is still sopping up a couple of bytes of RAM. It's like Amarok in that it won't go away unless you really, REALLY want it to. So, if it bothers you, right click on the icon and left click "quit", or left click it and type ctl-Q.

        BTW, I wrote some SW for the trash80, back in the day.

        Comment


          #5
          Re: New to 9.10 and lots of problems...

          Originally posted by nobaloney
          I thought of filing a bug report, but after reading about your experience and others, I decided it was probbly a waste of time.
          Sometimes it is worth it because in searching or reporting the bugs you bump into other people with similar problems and get a clue to a workaround. And occassionally you find a maintainer who is on the ball and will correct it or at least give you some feedback - it tends to vary by package and maintainer.

          eg
          http://osdir.com/ml/kdepim-bugs/2009-09/msg00480.html

          I was a Commodore person myself (at least until my Apple //e came to me - WOW 64K!). But I was friends with a TRS-80 person and I forgave him, so I won't hold it against you.
          Check out my blog for useful scripts and tips... http://igurublog.wordpress.com

          Comment

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