diagnosing a reacurring system freeze

[Kevin Kinsey]

Kris Kennaway wrote:
> On Thu, Feb 15, 2007 at 05:02:27PM -0600, Derek Ragona wrote:
>> Hard to tell if it is your dc0 ethernet adapter or a swap issue.  I would 
>> try a different ethernet controller and see what happens as that is a cheap 
>> experiment.
> 
> Yeah, I missed the swap message - when your system is swapping then
> performance will definitely be terrible.
>

And when it's *out* of swap space, it'll be even worse.  The OP has two 
problems, both of which could be significant.  Out of swap is, for certain.


> In fact now I see that I've already given this advice to the original
> poster on two previous occasions (November and January).  I guess he
> chooses not to believe it.
> 
> Kris

Kris: if so, his loss.

Ross: add more swap space, and perhaps your system will behave a tad 
better.  There's an article in the manual; see also swapon(8) and 
/etc/fstab.

Re: watchdog timeouts, see dc(4).  If you are on a ISP that has some 
performance problems (mine seems that way), that could be it.  Also, 
check your other network equipment; if you have any way, for example, to 
test with a different switch/hub/router, and to try different settings 
for the adapter (duplex/half, etc.), it might be worth a try.

Or, you could always change your ethernet card (unless we're talking 
about laptops here).

My $0.02 (at a lower exchange rate than Kris's),

Kevin Kinsey
-- 
Emersons' Law of Contrariness:
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	what we can.  Having found them, we shall then hate them
	for it.