Re: larry

[Mr Mike <mike@ejecta.net>]

On Friday 25 February 2005 08:15 pm, David Pastern wrote:
> On Fri, 2005-02-25 at 19:56 -0600, Mr Mike wrote:
> > On Friday 25 February 2005 07:03 pm, Jean-David wrote:
> > > --- Macskasi Csaba <bitumen@tuxworld.homelinux.org>
> > >
> > > wrote:
> > > > On Friday 25 February 2005 02.36, Lawrence Vaughan
> > > >
> > > > wrote:
> > > > > i am getting crashes and freezing up what can i do
> > > >
> > > > .
> > > >
> > > > "rm -rf /" is what you are searching for. aaghhh...
> > >
> > > u shuddn t listen to this guy
> >
> > well....  if he can't provide any more information than 'my system hangs
> > and crahes' after being asked to provide more info,  then this could be
> > the solution to all his problems...
>
> That's an incredibly rude response.  A few helpful guiding comments to
> the user was all that was needed.
>
> Macskasi:
>
> What kernel are you running?  Try:
>
> uname -a
>
> from the command line.
>
> What applications are you running?  Try checking (again, from a command
> line):
>
> top
>
> this will list the currently running processes in real time, how much
> ram/cpu they are using etc.
>
> also:
>
> ps aux
>
> will showing the running list of processes.
>
> How much ram do you have? Try:
>
> cat /proc/meminfo
>
> For starters...just to see if something is freezing etc.  You may have a
> cron job for apache or postgresql running in the background without
> realising it.  Of course, it could be a system that's been borked (ie
> ruined) due to incomplete apt updates, missing packages, dependency
> issues etc.  Or it could be a hardware issue - cpu, ram or hard drive.
>
> I'd suggest (if needed) checking that your hard drive has dma turned on.
> You can check via (as root):
>
> hdparm /dev/hd*
>
> where * is whatever hard drive your using, ie /dev/hda.  If your hard
> drive uses dma, then it should be turned on, and should show a line
> like:
>
> using_dma    =  1 (on)
>
> You may want to apt-get this package to test the ram:
>
> memtest86
>
> and run tests on the ram.  Faulty ram can cause this sort of problem as
> well.
>
> Do you have another operating system on this drive?  If so, does it also
> run unstable or crash (ignore the usual Windows behave here lol).  A
> improperly cooled cpu can overheat and cause random crashes and
> freezes.
>
> As others have posted, you haven't given a lot of information, which
> makes diagnosing things rather hard.
>
> Dave
>
> PS You could always hop over to www.libranet.com and try Libranet ;-)
>
>
> Proud Libranet GNU/Linux user
> Libranet The TOP Libranet distribution
> http://www.libranet.com/
> Download your free trial of Libranet 2.8.1 today!


I went back and read the whole thread again and determined I must have missed 
the one where he did respond with more information...  Given that new 
perspective, I hereby issue a full and complete apology for being a rude and 
crude dumbass.

With that said, I must admit that imho users switching to linux take on an 
obligation to RTFM and man <apps>, read help files, and lets not forget 
Google <this problem>...  before bringing problems to support groups like 
this...  The message I learned early in my linux life was linux users will 
always help other linux users so long as they have tried to help themsleves 
first...  

This guy I've been friends with the longest here in Houston got into linux 
full time just about the same time I did.  To this day he still can't/won't 
use the cli, edit a config file or look at a man page.  I finally told him to 
either start learning at least some 'basic' linux or stop asking me for help.  
He hasn't asked for any help since then and I haven't asked if he is having 
any problems.  If we talk about linux at all, it's always very light and more 
about when/if/how/etc linux will or won't fair in the desktop world of 
general PC users.  When/if he finally decides to jump out of KDE to a 
terminal window and start learning a little linux I'll gladly start helping 
again...

Again, let me say I'm sorry if I ruffled any feathers...  

-- 
Cheers: Mike

.. Now, a little humor compliments of Linux Fortune...

A man usually falls in love with a woman who asks the kinds of questions
he is able to answer.
  -- Ronald Colman