memtest option on boot

[sherifkadry]

When I start opensuse and get my boot options I do not have the memtest option, how can I run a memtest or change grub to make the option available?

Thanks.

[caf4926]

Running this is not necessary except in very special circumstances. Just use the Install media if you really must do this.

[techwiz03]

Originally Posted by sherifkadry

When I start opensuse and get my boot options I do not have the memtest option, how can I run a memtest or change grub to make the option available?

Thanks.

while should not need to run a memory test at each boot, if you think there is a problem with memory and want to check it after Linux has started, you can install memtest86+ to diagnose memory troubles. If your system won't start, do as previous post and use your live CD.

sherifkadry wrote:
> When I start opensuse and get my boot options I do not have the memtest
> option, how can I run a memtest or change grub to make the option

boot from the install media..
this frees all memory for testing..

remember it will take many hours to fully test 16 GB (i use 12 hours
for a SHORT test of 1 GB....that is, one pass is *not* enough, not
nearly enough..)

--
palladium
Have a lot of fun..

[Akoellh]

Actually it does make sense to have the memtest available in your GRUB menu when booting from HD instead of always having to search for your openSUSE CD/DVD.

I also don't see the necessity to boot from CD in order to free memory, if you boot from CD there will also be some memory used by the respective bootloader (isolinux AFAIK).

But the real reason for me answering here is the fact, that it is an interesting and also very easy task to accomplish.

A) Grab your openSUSE CD/DVD and search for the file "memtest", I found it in the "boot/i386/loader"

B) As root, copy the file to your /boot directory

C) As root, backup your menu.lst and edit it with a text editor of your choice.

- Copy your main boot entry to the end of the file without the "initrd"-line (won't be needed)

- Change the first two lines accordingly, giving it a unique name and Title (I called it Memory test)

- Change the "kernel"-line by replacing anything starting from "vmlinuz- ........." with "memtest"

- Save the file

You're done, on next reboot you will have an extra entry running memtest.

Akoellh wrote:
> Actually it does make sense to have the memtest available in your GRUB
> menu when booting from HD instead of always having to search for your
> openSUSE CD/DVD.

i agree..just (for me) a LOT easier to say what i said, than _try_ to
tell how to add memtest to the boot menu....

on the other hand it is a lot easier to do it from grub than _try_ to
find the install media (mine _lives_ on to of the machine...always...i
can see it: openSUSE 10.3, double sided DVD, came with the December
2007 Linux Magazine, a little over two years ago..)

hey, what about posting your how-to the how-to forum, and/or the SDB ??

--
palladium
Have a lot of fun..

[Akoellh]

Originally Posted by palladium

hey, what about posting your how-to the how-to forum, and/or the SDB ??

In order to have some more information actually nearly nobody is reading?

I don't think so.

P.S.

I "created" this howto by searching google on how Debian/Ubuntu handle their memtest-entries in Grub (it is default there IIRC) and it was 2 minutes of "work" to find the binary on the DVD and modify the menu.lst accordingly.

So the basic information was already there, actually searching for it solved the issue.

[Chrysantine]

There's no need for hacking anything, if you install the memtest86+ package in 11.0, 11.1 or 11.2 it will automatically add the necessary line to grub.

su -c "zypper in memtest86+"

Reboot and behold the new memtest.

[Akoellh]

D.A.M.N., I searched for memtest and didn't find anything, because this was my first idea.

But after having a look into root's .bash_history, the reason is obvious:

zypper se -s memtets

Head => Desk


(OTOH, now the "HowTo" is completely obsolete, no matter where to "publish" it.)

> (OTOH, now the "HowTo" is completely obsolete, no matter where to
> "publish" it.)

cool!

--
palladium
Have a lot of fun..