oS 11.3 freezes randomly on atom/intel 945

**SimonHeimbach** · 30-Jul-2010, 05:34

Hello altogether,

I just upgraded my system from oS 11.2 to oS 11.3 on Thursday. I've chosen the network-CD and booted from an USB-pen-drive, as my netbook doesn't have a CD-drive.

I new experience that my computer freezes obviously randomly. It's not just a programme crashing, but the whole computer just halts. Nothings working anymore - mouse is not moving, keyboard doesn't respond, I can't even switch to another tty.

I tried to remember what I was doing right before the crashes. Once I used the new netbook-desktop of KDE and had typed for an application in that "cool" new desktop. The desktop wend "blank" (the application folders disappeared and I was waiting till the results were shown) and then the computer froze. Just right now I used Okular, selected some text and opened the context-menu when the computer died, the other time I closed the Yakuake with F12 and the computer didn't respond just right before the window was minimized at the top and last but not least I had that "Expose"-like window arrangement opened and clicked at the black background when everything hang up.

What could be the reason for it? oS 11.2 worked perfectly - I hadn't had any crash during 5 months of intense use. I suspected the new graphics driver, but I can't find any reported bug about the Intel 945 GMA* or anything about the new KDE 4.4.4 on atom processors.

I have added the output of "/usr/sbin/hwinfo --gfxcard" at the end of this post. Are there any other information you need? Can I actually help somehow?

Many thanks in advance!
Simon

Code:

08: PCI 02.0: 0300 VGA compatible controller (VGA)              
  [Created at pci.318]
  Unique ID: _Znp.h2UmIxANX76
  SysFS ID: /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:02.0
  SysFS BusID: 0000:00:02.0
  Hardware Class: graphics card
  Model: "Intel 945 GME"
  Vendor: pci 0x8086 "Intel Corporation"
  Device: pci 0x27ae "945 GME"
  SubVendor: pci 0x1043 "ASUSTeK Computer Inc."
  SubDevice: pci 0x8340 
  Revision: 0x03
  Driver: "i915"
  Driver Modules: "drm"
  Memory Range: 0xf7e00000-0xf7e7ffff (rw,non-prefetchable)
  I/O Ports: 0xdc00-0xdc07 (rw)
  Memory Range: 0xd0000000-0xdfffffff (ro,non-prefetchable)
  Memory Range: 0xf7dc0000-0xf7dfffff (rw,non-prefetchable)
  IRQ: 16 (37396 events)
  I/O Ports: 0x3c0-0x3df (rw)
  Module Alias: "pci:v00008086d000027AEsv00001043sd00008340bc03sc00i00"
  Driver Info #0:
    XFree86 v4 Server Module: intel
  Driver Info #1:
    XFree86 v4 Server Module: intel
    3D Support: yes
    Extensions: dri
  Config Status: cfg=new, avail=yes, need=no, active=unknown

09: PCI 02.1: 0380 Display controller
  [Created at pci.318]
  Unique ID: ruGf.ZmLftePh3I8
  SysFS ID: /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:02.1
  SysFS BusID: 0000:00:02.1
  Hardware Class: graphics card
  Model: "Intel Mobile 945GM/GMS/GME, 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller"
  Vendor: pci 0x8086 "Intel Corporation"
  Device: pci 0x27a6 "Mobile 945GM/GMS/GME, 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller"
  SubVendor: pci 0x1043 "ASUSTeK Computer Inc."
  SubDevice: pci 0x8340 
  Revision: 0x03
  Memory Range: 0xf7e80000-0xf7efffff (rw,non-prefetchable)
  Module Alias: "pci:v00008086d000027A6sv00001043sd00008340bc03sc80i00"
  Config Status: cfg=new, avail=yes, need=no, active=unknown

Primary display adapter: #8

**Xelva** · 30-Jul-2010, 06:12

This irritating issue has been reported in other threads, and is a currently assigned task
see https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=615649

I have a Dell with the same card as you, and a few days ago, I implemented one solution proposed by Alex. I had only one freeze since that date.

**Caleb_IX** · 30-Jul-2010, 17:03

I have the same problem om my two netbooks (Atom N270, N280). I hope this ugly bug will by fixed soon. I posted it to bugzilla. I m forced to use openSUSE 11.2 to this day...i can't work on a system which has a crash everyday...

**deano_ferrari** · 30-Jul-2010, 17:22

Did you try upgrading Xorg packages and configuring as suggested in the bug report? It might be worth a shot.

Well, there is the solution for kernel 2.6.34:
1. Add X11 repo
(Index of /repositories/X11:/XOrg/openSUSE_11.3) and update
Mesa, libdrm and xorg-x11-driver-video-intel-legacy
2. Edit /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/50-device.conf:
Section "Device"
Identifier "Default Device"
Driver "intellegacy"
EndSection
3. Reboot and enjoy legacy driver stability

**Xelva** · 31-Jul-2010, 02:27

In fact, this solution allows to significantly reduce the number of freezes.
Yesterday, I got a new one. So far the bug reported in Bugzilla is not fixed.

**Caleb_IX** · 31-Jul-2010, 05:07

The only solution is to stay with 11.2 and wait for update or a new version. I never had so serious system stability problems like with 11.3. Its like using 'milestone 3". I hope it will be better in future...