Random kernel freeze on sid.

[Pål Dahle <pal.dahle@nr.no>]

Hi.

I have a Dell D600 laptop which is running up-to-date sid under various
2.6.X kernels. Since June 5th my machine has started to freeze:

- Sometimes the machine freezes in cycles, that is, the machine freezes 
  for a few milliseconds, then runs fine for 2 seconds, freezes again,
  and so on, until it eventually locks up completely.

- Ctrl+alt+Del does not work. I have to use power button to reboot :-(

- I cannot log into the machine via ssh, so it's not just X that is frozen.

- Sometimes it freezes even during bootup.

- Freezes for all kernels I have (2.6.1, 2.6.3, and 2.6.7).
   
This problem started all of a sudden when I had been running kernel 2.6.3
without problems since April. I have a vague idea that my problems are 
related to an upgrade of either the "ifupdown" package or some other 
networking package as the network connection sometimes fails to come up.
This did never happen before the kernel freezes started.


Hints are appreciated.

Pål