On Saturday 14 November 2015, Gene Heskett wrote:
> On Saturday 14 November 2015 17:01:47 Kate Draven wrote:
> > On Saturday 14 November 2015, Nick Koretsky wrote:
> > > On Sat, 14 Nov 2015 10:14:10 -0500
> > >
> > > Gene Heskett <gheskett@...> wrote:
> > > > Greetings;
> > > >
> > > > Twice in the last 2 weeks I have been forced to reboot the
> > > > machine, as it had a locked up, unkillable session of kmail
> > > > showing in htop.  I had hit the list reply button, only to be
> > > > greeted by the spinning dumbell mouse cursor, which would spin
> > > > forever.  The machine was NOT stuck in a loop someplace burning up
> > > > cpu's, nothing, not even kmail was showing any great cpu activity,
> > > > but the process itself was unkillable.
> > > >
> > > > This time I was attempting to teach Bret Busby how to construct a
> > > > sig separator, the \r-- \r sequence and it was one of his reply
> > > > messages I was reading & tried to reply to when it locked up.
> > > >
> > > > This reboot took around 30 minutes because /amandatapes-1T, a
> > > > terabyte drive, had not been fsck'd in 181 days, and fscking a
> > > > terabyte drive, even if no errors other than severe fragmentation
> > > > (62%) exist is a 30 to 45 minute process.  Amanda, the backup
> > > > program, /thinks/ the drive is a 30 tape, changer equiped library.
> > > > (except its 10,0000% more dependable that such a mechanical
> > > > monster would be, and 2% of the cost) I'd hate to think how long
> > > > it will take to do a 2 terabyte drive as there is now 4 of them
> > > > here at the Heskett mini-ranchette. Its difficult to buy anything
> > > > smaller.
> > > >
> > > > I deleted the last 4 messages from him from
> > > > ~/Mail/kubuntu-users/cur before I restarted kmail, knowing I'd be
> > > > going thru the same hung machine procedure if I didn't.  Last time
> > > > I made 3 reboots trying, and finally just cleaned out the folder
> > > > (a  different one) before trying a 4th reboot & kmail restart.
> > > > That, like this, complained about the index file being corrupted
> > > > on the launch of kmail but normal operation was able to be
> > > > resumed.
> > > >
> > > > Has anyone a clue just what gmail is doing now?  Or how to fix
> > > > kmail so it tolerates a message posted from their (IMNSHO) busted
> > > > webmail app?
> > > >
> > > > This is R14.0.0.2 I believe.  Last updated from Slavics? server a
> > > > day back.
> > > > Looks like I'll need to reboot again, I have a net caused ooops in
> > > > the log, and my local network is dead although I can ping yahell.
> > >
> > > Thats weird. Generally speaking the process cannot become unkillable
> > > due to error in a program itself, thats only happens if it stuck in
> > > the system call. So i suspect problems with disk/fs or maybe a
> > > faulty network card driver.
> >
> > That makes sense. I'd do an HD check with the maker's tool CD.
> > Make sure to run a SMART check as, silent HD hang ups are often
> > electronic rather than mechanical.
> >
> > If it's a desktop, swap out the nic.
>
> Nic is on the mobo, and works fine.  Smartctl is running and has no
> complaints.
>
> The local network problem turned out to be one of my cnc machines,
> crashed & wouldn't even post, until I played with rocking the Dimms
> around.  Been fine since.  I spent the afternoon carving Mahogany with
> it.

Carving with what a dimm chip?

Kate