[mythtv-users] Track down unstable hardware?
Brian Wood
beww at beww.org
Thu Feb 12 01:16:00 UTC 2009
On Wednesday 11 February 2009 17:42:37 jarpublic at gmail.com wrote:
>
> At this point I am getting off topic for this list. It is certainly some
> hardware failure. When it fails I can't get it to reboot. When I try to
> boot from a live CD I get the same kernel panic. However, I would hate get
> rid of the whole system, just because I am too ignorant to track down
> exactly which pieced of hardware is failing. Does anybody know a good linux
> list that may be able to help me track down which bit of hardware is going
> bad? It is especially challenging because if I let the system sit for a
> while it will boot up an work fine for some some indeterminate amount of
> time. I have used lm-sensors to track temps and nothing seems to be hot,
> all of the fans are running, and I have checked all of the drives for bad
> blocks. I don't know what else to do at this point. I don't want to bother
> the list anymore but does somebody know the right group to bother about
> troubleshooting linux hardware?
A machine that always works after being off for a while probably has some sort
of thermal problem. Sensors are seldom helpful, as this could be on just
about anything, chips, resistors, or even solder connections.
You might try cooling various components with freeze-spray, that sometimes
helps identify this sort of trouble. Remember that if the problem is on a
chip die or the like it will take several seconds at least before things
start to work after you spray it. Don't be impatient, or you will have
sprayed lots of components and not know which one it was if it starts
working.
Otherwise, unless you have a lab full of test gear, the only practical
troubleshooting method is substitution, replace things one by one with known
good replacements until you find the problem.
I'd suspect the PSU first, but YMMV.
--
beww
beww at beww.org
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