Unstable System?

Support knowledgebase (wessels_failsafe)
Applies to

SuSE Linux: Versions since 7.3

Symptom:

The system seems to run unstably or it crashes (also during the installation).

Solution:

System Crashes During the Installation

Select the item Installation - Safe Settings from the installation menu. This menu option disables several functions in the kernel that might cause problems and which vary from version to version. For example, in version 7.3, the functions apic, dma, and apm are disabled (see also "The System Hangs During Installation or in Operation" (http://sdb.suse.de/en/sdb/html/wessels_noapic.html)). The functions apm, dma, and acpi are disabled in version 8.0. apic is disabled by default in SuSE Linux 8.0 because this option is known to cause substantial problems on many IDE systems. To activate APIC, select Installation - APIC Enabled.

Boot from the first CD-ROM or from the DVD and select the option Installation - Safe Settings with the arrow key. Observe how the option line on the lower screen changes and how entries are added. These settings can be modified, for example, with mem=XM. Replace X with the size of your main memory, e.g., mem=512M. The options you do not want to deactivate can also be deleted. Remember you are using an American keyboard layout when adding options.

Experience has also shown that some of the options in BIOS (ACPI, APIC, PNPOS) often lead to problems. To avoid malfunctions caused by these options, make sure that these are disabled (see also "Problems caused by the BIOS option "PnP OS"" (http://sdb.suse.de/en/sdb/html/intnull.html)). For more information, refer to your motherboard's documentation. More information about the BIOS options is available at http://www.bios-info.de

Instability or Crashes Caused by Faulty Hardware

A faulty main memory can also be the cause of an unstable system. If you want to test your RAM memory, select the entry MEMORY test from the start menu of your installation or from the first CD-ROM/DVD. It is advisable to run this test overnight then examine the result. If errors have been logged, set a new memory to test the system anew.

System Crashes After Installation

Even if the system often crashes after the installation, it is possible to start a failsafe mode in which the options specified above are disabled. To do this, select failsafe from the lilo start menu.

A further possibility to test the stability of your system is described in "Checking system stability" (http://sdb.suse.de/en/sdb/html/hmeyer_memtest-sig11.html).

To integrate additional options in lilo.conf to improve your system performance, proceed as follows.

Changing /etc/lilo.conf with YaST2

Log in as a normal user. Once the desktop is displayed, start YaST2 and open the dialog System -> Boot Loader Configuration.

  1. Click the entry linux under Sections.
  2. Click Edit.
  3. Now click Expert settings....
  4. Select the line with the expression append.
  5. Click Edit.
  6. Enter the desired options.
  7. Click OK.
  8. Click Next.
  9. Click Next again.
  10. Click Finish.
  11. Confirm with Yes.

Changing /etc/lilo.conf with a Text Editor

  1. Press CTRL+ALT+F1 to switch to the console

  2. Log in as root.

  3. Run mcedit /etc/lilo.conf. You can also use different editors, such as emacs, vi, pico, or joe, instead of mcedit.

    boot    = /dev/hda
    change-rules
    vga=normal
    reset
    read-only
    menu-scheme = Wg:kw:Wg:Wg
    linear
    prompt
    timeout = 80
    message = /boot/message
    
      image  = /boot/vmlinuz
      label  = linux
      root   = /dev/hda3
      initrd = /boot/initrd
      append = "vga=0x0317"
    
      image  = /boot/vmlinuz.suse
      label  = failsafe
      root   = /dev/hda3
      initrd = /boot/initrd.suse
      append = "ide=nodma apm=off acpi=off"
      optional
    
      image  = /boot/memtest.bin
      label  = memtest86
    
    
  4. Enter the options to add to /etc/lilo.conf in the lines append="... ". In the following example, the option mem=512M has been inserted into the first append line. After this modification, lilo.conf looks like this:

  5. 
    boot    = /dev/hda
    change-rules
    vga=normal
    reset
    read-only
    menu-scheme = Wg:kw:Wg:Wg
    linear
    prompt
    timeout = 80
    message = /boot/message
    
      image  = /boot/vmlinuz
      label  = linux
      root   = /dev/hda3
      initrd = /boot/initrd
      append = "vga=0x0317 mem=512M"
    
      image  = /boot/vmlinuz.suse
      label  = failsafe
      root   = /dev/hda3
      initrd = /boot/initrd.suse
      append = "ide=nodma apm=off acpi=off"
      optional
    
      image  = /boot/memtest.bin
      label  = memtest86
    
    

    Save the file with F2 and leave the editor with F10. Then execute the command

    
    lilo
    
    

    to save and apply the changes.


Keywords: CRASH, UNSTABLE, INSTALLATION, YAST2, SAFE SETTINGS, APIC, NOAPIC, 7.3, 8.0, 73, 80, OPTIONS, BIOS, SETTINGS

SDB-wessels_failsafe, Copyright SuSE Linux AG, Nürnberg, Germany - Version: 26. Apr 2002
SuSE Linux AG - Last generated: 13. Mai 2002 by ip (sdb_gen 1.40.0)