[mythtv-users] Trashed file system after "Video frame buffering failed too many times"

[f-myth-users at media.mit.edu]

    > Date: Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:33:43 -0500
    > From: "Michael T. Dean" <mtdean at thirdcontact.com>

    > On 02/05/2010 05:49 AM, The GUIGuy wrote:
    > > I'm running mythbuntu 9.10 (0.22), Assume combined front/backend.
    > >
    > >
    > > A couple of weeks ago "Video frame buffering failed too many times"
    > > errors started to pop up. Logs complained that files couldn't be
    > > written because the FS was read only. On a reboot I had to fsck
    > > /dev/sda1. A number of files finished up being trashed so I suspected
    > > the HDD was on its way out.
    > >
    > > I replaced the HDD (new) and did a fresh install. All was well until a
    > > few days ago. Same "Video frame buffering failed too many times". Logs
    > > again suggested something was very sick on the HDD. Tried to reboot
    > > and it tells me it couldn't because the file system was read only!!??
    > >
    > > I held the  big button down for a few seconds. On the boot had to do
    > > the fsck /dev/sda1 again. The feed back wasn't good lots of "corrupted
    > > file" messages.
    > >
    > > Another HDD, another clean install, another week, same problem started
    > > again tonight.
    > >
    > > Is there something in MythTV that could be trashing the file system?

    > More likely the logs are growing too large and filling the file system,
    > so files get corrupted.

Filling up your filesystem wouldn't cause the OS to remount it read-only.

I suspect hardware here.  Either bad RAM, bad disk cabling, bad power
supply, bad north/southbridge, or (the least likely) successive bad drives.

It's possible that it's thermal, or it's possible that you have a RAM
flako that only manifests after enough activity.

Results of memtest86+ failing would be illustrative.  If it doesn't
fail, you know nothing.  Do any other logs show issues?  Any kernel
oopses?  CPU temps?  smartcom output?

I strongly suspect that the "video frame buffering" messagse are
-because- something went wrong with the disk or datapaths to it,
hence delaying writes; if the disk is hitting bad sectors and
having to remap them, that could certainly delay it.  And bad
cabling and other malfunctions can also cause what look like
disk errors, leading to delays and the OS deciding to remount ro.

If it gets worse over time, check (a) PS caps or (b) whether a
heatsink somewhere on the CPU or *bridge is starting to fall off.