Very Computer

by **jonez** » Tue, 05 Mar 2002 05:36:32

Hi all

I got a question about a recurring snag I've run into lately. I have an
Intel astor with two PII 450's that I loaded FreeBSD 4.0 into. I have the
monitor on an A-B switch so I can use another computer while I learn my way
around the *nix server.

The problem is that the BSD box will be frozen sometimes, when I switch
back to it. The three times it happened the switch was on the other box
for over an hour, and the BSD box had X windows running.

It seems really strange that a *nix server would completely lock up just
because the monitor is off, so I'm a little worried I might have a bigger
problem, maybe hardware. I really don't know, so I thought I would ask
you to see if anyone else has experienced this.

Anyone have any ideas???

Thanks

KJ

I choose the road less traveled............

.......now where the hell am I???

by **bsDm** » Tue, 05 Mar 2002 05:45:48

Do you change the keyboard & mouse when you change the monitor?

Reason I ask is that: When you switch away from Box1 to Box2 (say), if the
switch does not emulate the correct k/board & mouse signals to Box1, it may
have problems. Shouldn't happen under command line environment, but could
well do under X.

To test: Try unplugging the mouse from the BSD box, then plug it back in a
few minutes later. If the system appears "frozen" (ie. mouse not working)
then press CTRL-ALT-BACKSPACE to unload X. Then you know what the problem
is. If it all works fine after you plug the mouse in again, then you have a
completely different problem!

Cheers.

Quote:> Hi all

> I got a question about a recurring snag I've run into lately. I have an
> Intel astor with two PII 450's that I loaded FreeBSD 4.0 into. I have
the
> monitor on an A-B switch so I can use another computer while I learn my
way
> around the *nix server.

> The problem is that the BSD box will be frozen sometimes, when I switch
> back to it. The three times it happened the switch was on the other box
> for over an hour, and the BSD box had X windows running.

> It seems really strange that a *nix server would completely lock up just
> because the monitor is off, so I'm a little worried I might have a bigger
> problem, maybe hardware. I really don't know, so I thought I would ask
> you to see if anyone else has experienced this.

> Anyone have any ideas???

> Thanks

> KJ

> I choose the road less traveled............

> .......now where the hell am I???

by **jonez** » Tue, 05 Mar 2002 06:45:42

Quote:> Do you change the keyboard & mouse when you change the monitor?

No.

Each box has it's own keyboard and mouse, the monitor is the only
peripheral in the switch.

I'll try the 'CTRL-ALT-BACKSPACE' combination though.
CTRL-ALT-DELETE didn't shutdown the server and I ended up hard booting it,
hence my concern.

Thanks

KJ

by **Nick Hilliar** » Tue, 05 Mar 2002 07:26:24

> The problem is that the BSD box will be frozen sometimes, when I switch
> back to it. The three times it happened the switch was on the other box
> for over an hour, and the BSD box had X windows running.

For a start, disable both your sound driver and APM. These are generally the
first subsystems which cause serious problems with smp boxes.

Nick

by **bsDm** » Tue, 05 Mar 2002 08:06:12

hmmmm.... weird. Lets eliminate the simple stuff altogether & simply unplug
your monitor from the bsd box for a minute or so. Then plug it back in and
see what you get. Let me know the result.

> > Do you change the keyboard & mouse when you change the monitor?

> No.

> Each box has it's own keyboard and mouse, the monitor is the only
> peripheral in the switch.

> I'll try the 'CTRL-ALT-BACKSPACE' combination though.
> CTRL-ALT-DELETE didn't shutdown the server and I ended up hard booting it,
> hence my concern.

> Thanks

> KJ

by **Bill Vermilli** » Tue, 05 Mar 2002 09:45:11

>I got a question about a recurring snag I've run into lately. I
>have an Intel astor with two PII 450's that I loaded FreeBSD 4.0
>into. I have the monitor on an A-B switch so I can use another
>computer while I learn my way around the *nix server.
>The problem is that the BSD box will be frozen sometimes, when
>I switch back to it. The three times it happened the switch was
>on the other box for over an hour, and the BSD box had X windows
>running.
>It seems really strange that a *nix server would completely lock up
>just because the monitor is off, so I'm a little worried I might
>have a bigger problem, maybe hardware. I really don't know, so I
>thought I would ask you to see if anyone else has experienced this.

Yup - seen it before. Part is linked to motherboards. Some will
work find with el-cheap switches - others exhibit the exact same
symptoms you describe abover.

I moved to a decent KVM and never had a problem. Some reports
in this newsgroup indicate that Belkin switches can cause problems
like this too.

--

by **<a>** » Wed, 06 Mar 2002 03:26:49

I've been using a Belkin KVM switch for about 6 months now and have had no
problems with it. I am using one of Belkin OmniView SOHO series switches.
Never had a problem. I did see the behavior described when I was using
just an A-B switch. The console would lock up, but I could still log in
via ssh and restart the computer. When I used the AB switch and only
switched the monitor, I never had a problem. What is described by the
poster is strange. But like was suggested by someone else, just unplug the
monitor from the FreeBSD machine for a while and then plug it back in. If
it locks up then the switch is not your problem, but a good KVM may take
care of the problem for you.

Steve

> >I got a question about a recurring snag I've run into lately. I
> >have an Intel astor with two PII 450's that I loaded FreeBSD 4.0
> >into. I have the monitor on an A-B switch so I can use another
> >computer while I learn my way around the *nix server.

> >The problem is that the BSD box will be frozen sometimes, when
> >I switch back to it. The three times it happened the switch was
> >on the other box for over an hour, and the BSD box had X windows
> >running.

> >It seems really strange that a *nix server would completely lock up
> >just because the monitor is off, so I'm a little worried I might
> >have a bigger problem, maybe hardware. I really don't know, so I
> >thought I would ask you to see if anyone else has experienced this.

> Yup - seen it before. Part is linked to motherboards. Some will
> work find with el-cheap switches - others exhibit the exact same
> symptoms you describe abover.

> I moved to a decent KVM and never had a problem. Some reports
> in this newsgroup indicate that Belkin switches can cause problems
> like this too.

> --

by **J'm Sm't** » Sat, 09 Mar 2002 06:57:30

> I've been using a Belkin KVM switch for about 6 months now and have had no
> problems with it. I am using one of Belkin OmniView SOHO series switches.
> Never had a problem. I did see the behavior described when I was using
> just an A-B switch. The console would lock up, but I could still log in
> via ssh and restart the computer. When I used the AB switch and only
> switched the monitor, I never had a problem. What is described by the
> poster is strange. But like was suggested by someone else, just unplug the
> monitor from the FreeBSD machine for a while and then plug it back in. If
> it locks up then the switch is not your problem, but a good KVM may take
> care of the problem for you.

> Steve

While I realize that this doesn't add all that much to the conversation,
I think
it is worth noting that we've been using two El-Cheapo monitor [only]
switches to switch 5 servers between on [also El-Cheapo] monitor. One
of the servers [an old HP LH Pro], is running FreeBSD 4.5 Release and
another is an old P133 running FBSD 4.2, and neither has problems with
switching.
--
J'm

To Reply Direct, Remove Clothes.
...-.-

by **David Malo** » Sun, 10 Mar 2002 05:47:36

>I got a question about a recurring snag I've run into lately. I have an
>Intel astor with two PII 450's that I loaded FreeBSD 4.0 into. I have the
>monitor on an A-B switch so I can use another computer while I learn my way
>around the *nix server.
>The problem is that the BSD box will be frozen sometimes, when I switch
>back to it. The three times it happened the switch was on the other box
>for over an hour, and the BSD box had X windows running.

I'm guessing here, but if you upgraded the kernel you were using
but accidently left an old screen saver module around then you
might bee seeing a lockup when the kernel starts the screen saver
module.

David.

Very Computer

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