[H-GEN] running windows?

[Paul Gearon]

[ Humbug *General* list - semi-serious discussions about Humbug and
Unix-related topics. ]

On Wed, 6 Oct 1999, Martin Pool wrote:
> IIRC, that message can be caused by corruption in the kernel's own
> memory-allocation scheme (kmalloc, vmalloc, and so on.)  Typically it means
> that something in the kernel has written past the beginning or end of an
> array, or used memory after it was freed, or any of the other amusements
> invented by Messrs Kernighan and Ritchie.  
> 
> So, my first check would be that the kernel and modules I was using are
> reasonably stable.  Eliminating unnecessary modules would be a good start.
> If that all seems reasonable, then I would suspect flaky hardware.

Well after trying lots of different options I became reasonably
convinced
that the machine only hung when the ethernet was enabled (either as a
module or compiled in).  I had been successfully using ethernet a few
weeks ago, only I've done 2 things since then:  included IP Masq; moved
onto pgcs 2.98.something.

I noticed that Alan Cox mentioned a few bugs were in the 2.2.12 SMP
kernel, and that he also said that egcs 2.98.x shouldn't be used to
build
a 2.2.12ac# kernel for production purposes.  I wasn't really sure if I
was
coming up with problems in the kernel or the compiler.  I suspect the
kernel, since most of the reported problems were for the patched
versions
of 2.2.12 and showed up as errors in the make process.

Since I didn't really NEED IP Masq I took it out (I'm using Squid
instead
- don't need all the other services).  I also went back to my original
egcs.  Anyway it now seems stable (running for 2 days).

If I get the inclination I might try compiling IP Masq back in and
seeing
if it's still stable.  If not then I can go back to the latest pgcs
(maybe).  If it is stable then I know it was the compiler and I get IP
Masq back  :o)  In the meantime I'm enjoying the stability, so I'm not
really in a hurry to go experimenting with the kernel.  I'll probably
just
wait until 2.2.13 (any day now) and look at it then.

Oh the joys of SMP  :o)

-- 
Regards,
Paul

Paul Gearon
gearon at computer.org

Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum
immane
mittam.
(Translation from latin: "I have a catapult. Give me all the money, or I
will
fling an enormous rock at your head.")

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