How to test RAM?

[Ed Cogburn <ecogburn@greene.xtn.net>]

john@dhh.gt.org wrote:
> 
> Ed Cogburn writes:
> > I don't see anything similar in Win95.
> 
> That tends to point toward memory.  Different OS's have very different
> memory usage patterns, and a bit that usually ends up storing user data
> in one may get part of a kernel data structure in another.
> 
> > In fact, IIRC, I've never seen the 'General protection/failure' message
> > from any other software.
> 
> It is a kernel bug for any user program to be able to cause a GP.
> 
> > ...if it were a hardware problem, I'd be seeing other Linux software
> > (unrelated to dselect/apt/dpkg) having similar and frequent problems,...
> 
> I always know it's past time to clean my air filter when gnus crashes.  It
> is not unusual for some software to be particularly sensitive to certain
> hardware problems.  Usage patterns again.
> 
> > ...but its clear to me that its not a hardware problem, even though I
> > understand that you don't believe me, and you are not the only one to
> > tell me its not Debian software thats causing the problem.
> 
> We aren't just being defensive.  Many of us have had quite a bit of
> experience with diverse software and hardware, much of it buggy.  Your
> problem smells like hardware.
> --
> John Hasler
> john@dhh.gt.org (John Hasler)
> Dancing Horse Hill
> Elmwood, WI


	Yea, I did sound a little shrill there didn't I, John.  Well, the logic
still escapes me (a hardware/memory problem that only shows up when
running just *one* program, dselect/apt, but is *random* and *transient*
when running that software?), but I'll go along with this.  So, how can
I check my RAM?
	There was, a long time ago, a thread in debian-user about testing RAM. 
Does anyone remember this?  Does anybody know of a Win95/DOS/Linux
program (freely available) that does a thorough test of RAM?


-- 
Ed C.