stability problems

[Michel]

Hey,

ok instead of complaining I'll hope I can finally make my Xserver/nvidia stable. I think it's the nvidia-driver.. but it copuld be something else.

I have some stuff about changing irq, dropping agp, .... but I hope you can notice something that I can do with the following info..:

in short: have an k7vza ECS motherboard with VT8363, .. chipsets. My nvidia-card has his own irq (=11). Since I read something about weak drive strength of via chipsets (but was on another motherboard I believe), I dropped agp from 4x to 2x.

Still have Xserver freezes about every 2 days.
I browse a lot, but think this occurs mostly when I'm browsing the internet and while loading or scrolling my Xserver just freezes. I can only move my mousepointer. Ohh, I'm using Mandrake 9.1 with 2.4.21-kernel. I compiled the nvidia-drivers against the kernel-sources. ( I esperience teh lockups in different window-managers if that gives some extra info)

So, for some proc-info:

-----------
cat /proc/pci:


PCI devices found:
Bus 0, device 0, function 0:
Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8363/8365 [KT133/KM133] (rev 2).
Master Capable. Latency=32.
Prefetchable 32 bit memory at 0xd8000000 [0xdbffffff].
Bus 0, device 1, function 0:
PCI bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8363/8365 [KT133/KM133 AGP] (rev 0).
Master Capable. No bursts. Min Gnt=12.
Bus 0, device 7, function 0:
ISA bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C686 [Apollo Super South] (rev 64).
Bus 0, device 7, function 1:
IDE interface: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C586B PIPC Bus Master IDE (rev 6).
Master Capable. Latency=32.
I/O at 0xd000 [0xd00f].
Bus 0, device 7, function 2:
USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB (rev 22).
IRQ 9.
Master Capable. Latency=32.
I/O at 0xd400 [0xd41f].
Bus 0, device 7, function 3:
USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB (#2) (rev 22).
IRQ 9.
Master Capable. Latency=32.
I/O at 0xd800 [0xd81f].
Bus 0, device 7, function 4:
Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C686 [Apollo Super ACPI] (rev 64).
IRQ 11.
Bus 0, device 7, function 5:
Multimedia audio controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C686 AC97 Audio Controller (rev 80).
IRQ 10.
I/O at 0xdc00 [0xdcff].
I/O at 0xe000 [0xe003].
I/O at 0xe400 [0xe403].
Bus 0, device 10, function 0:
Communication controller: PCI device 14f1:1085 (Conexant) (rev 8).
IRQ 5.
Master Capable. Latency=32.
Non-prefetchable 32 bit memory at 0xde000000 [0xde00ffff].
I/O at 0xec00 [0xec07].
Bus 1, device 0, function 0:
VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation NV11 [GeForce2 MX] (rev 161).
IRQ 11.
Master Capable. Latency=248. Min Gnt=5.Max Lat=1.
Non-prefetchable 32 bit memory at 0xdc000000 [0xdcffffff].
Prefetchable 32 bit memory at 0xd0000000 [0xd7ffffff].

-------------------
cat /proc/driver/nvidia/agp/status

Status: Enabled
Driver: AGPGART
AGP Rate: 2x
Fast Writes: Disabled
SBA: Disabled

------------

cat /proc/driver/nvidia/agp/host-bridge

Host Bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8363/8365 [KT133/KM133]
Fast Writes: Not Supported
SBA: Supported
AGP Rates: 4x 2x 1x
Registers: 0x1f000207:0x00000102

---------------
cat /proc/driver/nvidia/agp/card

Fast Writes: Supported
SBA: Not Supported
AGP Rates: 4x 2x 1x
Registers: 0x1f000017:0x1f000102

--->btw card and hostbridge have opposite values of Fast Writes and SBA..SO I can't use those options at all???or can I???
---------------
cat /proc/drivers/nvidia/cards/0

Model: GeForce2 MX/MX 400
IRQ: 11
Video BIOS: 03.11.00.18.00
Card Type: AGP

------------

Well I hope this gives you enough info. I hope someone can give me some recommendations.

Thanks

[leonbrooks]

Still have Xserver freezes about every 2 days.

I browse a lot, but think this occurs mostly when I'm browsing the internet and while loading or scrolling my Xserver just freezes. I can only move my mousepointer. Ohh, I'm using Mandrake 9.1 with 2.4.21-kernel. I compiled the nvidia-drivers against the kernel-sources. ( I esperience teh lockups in different window-managers if that gives some extra info)

No solution for you but I have a similar problem with Mandrake 9.2 on nForce using either the "commercial" precompiled Mandrake RPMs or the ones from the NVidia site. It locks up any time but particularly while graphics are busy (e.g. 3D screensavers) and sometimes locks up so badly that even the ATX "off" button doesn't work.

[rednuht]

Although I found that disabling AGP (NvAgp "0") 'seemed' to help stability (9 days running without lockup, instead of the normal 2-3) it still locked up in exactly the same way, could telnet in and see the X process using 95%+ cpu

I have turned all AGP up to max in rebelion and I still get 2-3 days with locking, I wish I could digger deeper .....

[Anthaus]

I used to have a similar problem, and then I tried the NVIDIA AGP driver. So far so good.

[Psychobudgie]

I would be very interested in hearing any possible solutions to this as I have exactly the same problem. Runs fine for 2-3 days then locks up, normally in the browser or while switching apps.

Tried everything I can think of with no success and have now reverted back to the default nv driver.

[leonbrooks]

I would be very interested in hearing any possible solutions to this as I have exactly the same problem. Runs fine for 2-3 days then locks up, normally in the browser or while switching apps.

Adding mem=nopentium to the boot command line approximately doubles the stability for both of my machines. That might be a clue about what's going on.

I've tried switching AGP drivers (including to "off"), various BIOS settings, all kinds of stuff to no avail. None of which should be necessary anyway. )-:

Gunna try an ATI card next time.

[mdk_mike]

I am having the same problem. (GeForce FX5200, Athlon processor) When you talk about adding "mem=nopentium" to the boot command line, what exactly do you mean by boot command line...? I'm pretty bummed by this because the nv driver just doesn't cut it for U2K3...

[leonbrooks]

When you talk about adding "mem=nopentium" to the boot command line, what exactly do you mean by boot command line...?

Within the "append=" string; for example, my Mandrake 9.2 LILO config file /etc/lilo.conf has this line in the default kernel's stanza (and yes, I've tried it without ACPI or any of the suspend stuff):

append="devfs=mount hdc=ide-scsi acpi=ht resume=/dev/hda5 splash=silent mem=nopentium"

The hdc= group protects a CD-burner from the IDE code, and the splash= modifies kernel loggin to suit Mandrake's bootsplash system.