[ Date Index ] [ Thread Index ] [ <= Previous by date / thread ] [ Next by date / thread => ]
Dear Sebastian, On Thu, 19 Sep 2024 21:25:18 +0100 Sebastian via list <list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > There's another thing that is interesting - I came to my computer just > before writing this email to discover it locked up again, and the > magic Alt-SysRq code for 'reboot' actually worked! So maybe it is not > completely irresponsive after all. Many decades of experience building my own computers suggests to me that this Alt-SysRq responsiveness points to your power supply to the hdd being marginal. Things to check are the output level of your power supply, whether you might have connected too many power hungry components such as big graphics cards, or are overclocking anything and so increasing the current requirement. Also of course check the power connection to the hdd is good. If your power supply is being intermittently asked to supply its peak current output, then the result will be that your operating system will for a brief moment lose communication with your hdd, and loses registration with the filing system and so become unresponsive to anything except functions coded in the linux kernel. The functions of your window manager are not coded in the kernel, and so cease to be responsive. So make sure that the peak total current requirement of your system is never anywhere near the peak power output of your power supply. Of course this might also point to a faulty power supply if you have applied Ohm's Law to your design and it still goes dead at times. Best wishes from an ancient computing engineer from the Sixties! Helen McCall -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG FAQ: https://www.dcglug.org.uk/faq/