Re: cvs update on large binary file causes server reboot

[Todd Denniston]

Harald Dunkel wrote:
> 
> Adam Kramer wrote:
> > I'm using X86 Gentoo Linux with a gentoo linux kernel 2.6.10. CVS
> > 1.11.19 is installed from sources.
> >
> > I commited in an approx. 14Mb Microsoft word doc as a binary file, which
> > went just fine.
> > But when I go to update the file in other cvs working directories, it
> > does not update and the server where cvs resides completely shuts down
> > and boots up again.
> > Has anyone seen behaviour like this with large binary files?
> >
> 
> This is either a hardware problem (e.g. defect RAM), or a bug in
> your kernel. No user space process (like the CVS server) should
> be able to crash the complete machine.
> 
> I would suggest to install a newer kernel version first. The most
> recent one is 2.6.12.5, AFAIK. Building the kernel is also a
> good test for defect memory.
> 
> If you still can reproduce the problem with the new kernel, then
> I would suggest to ask this question on the Linux Kernel Mailing
> List (http://lkml.org/).
> 
> Good luck

Before you contact lkml it might be a good idea to run memtest86 [1] first
and thus lower the likelihood it is a hardware problem that only you can
solve.  I can't really help you run it because I have only seen other people
using it ...  to really good effect.

http://forums.fedoraforum.org/archive/index.php/t-445.html
(above link does not seem to finish loading, so from the google cache)
http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:p7urx9yaG8wJ:forums.fedoraforum.org/archive/index.php/t-445.html+fedora+memtest&hl=en&lr=&strip=1



[1] IIRC memtest86 comes on the fedora install disks, and it may come with
gentoo as well.
http://www.gentoo-portage.com/sys-apps/memtest86
-- 
Todd Denniston
Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC Crane) 
Harnessing the Power of Technology for the Warfighter