Bug#597429: [radeon] firefox often crashes whole system

[Jonathan Nieder <jrnieder@gmail.com>]

spamfang wrote:

> No, once i start with radeon.modeset=0 the problem does not occur. 
> drm.modeset=0 i did not try, but i guess its the same
> as radeon.modeset=0. So only with activated KMS the crash is
> reproducible.

"drm.modeset" was just a typo on my part.

[...]
> Negative, Captain! I need to open LARGE pictures with Iceweasel to
> produce the crash.

Thanks.

[...]
> What do i have to type in the kernel line to use fbdev? Normally i
> start with radeon.modeset=0 to prevent the bug.

You'd log in in "recovery mode" so X doesn't get started, but with
modesetting enabled.

Then write a minimal /etc/X11/xorg.conf, as described at [1]:

	Section "Device"
	    Identifier "Testing"
	    Driver     "fbdev"
	EndSection

And start X with "startx".

[...]
> Yes, the frozen mouse is the key symptom. In later kernel versions
> (i.e. 2.6.35 and higher) the mouse will not get frozen, but instead
> Iceweasel itself. But yet the system will not freeze, no matter how
> hard i try.

Ah, when Iceweasel or the system is frozen, is the system out of
memory (e.g., does "top" indicate so, and is there a noise of swapping
to disk)?

[...]
> me 2. lets get that bug squashed :)

Thanks for the quick feedback.  I'll chew on these logs and get back
to you.

Regards,
Jonathan