by One of the machines we are using in a network is having problems
with Linux... On other machines Linux has not given us a problem..
However, on this machine, strange, bizarre crashes occur fairly regularly.
Usually during long, arduous compiles. I've been in and out that
machine checking for address and interrupt conflicts or anything that
might cause it to crash. The only difference I can see is that is a
Cyrix 486DLC processor vs. an Intel. A math coprocessor is also present.
It has 2 VESA local bus slots with a VESA IDE card, a 3COM 503 ethernet
adaptor, USRobotics Sporster 14.4, SoundBlaster, Trident SVGA adaptor,
and a MicroSoft serial mouse. We are running Slackware dist. Linux pl14.
The errors that it yields are quite bizarre, as i have said. When it does
lock, half the time it just locks with no outward message. Occasionally,
the kernel spits out some crazy paging fault error, but most of the time
(as it crashes usually while doing a heavy duty compile) GCC reports
an internal compiler error. Of course when this happens the compile
can be restarted (after REBOOT of course) and it will continue where it
left off, with no problems until the next crash. It doesn't crash
in DOS.. (well anymore than any other computer crashes in DOS :) )
On any of the Intel, non-local bus machines I have YET to have Linux
crash on me for any reason, save one. One of the machines has an
Always IN-2000 adapter and that driver does not handle swapping
correctly (thus I don't use one)..
I have ONE other guess that I haven't tried yet. And that has to do
with the compilation of the kernel.. There is an option for 486
optimizations. Is it necessary to DISABLE this for Cyrix's? I realize
they are not TRUE 486's and perhaps this is causing the problem? D'ya
think? ANy help or insight would be appreciated... Just drop me a
note.. Thanks
-Mike