System freeze after 20 mins...

Clive45 · June 9, 2010, 4:59pm

Hi everyone - I am a convert to OpenSUSE having recently ditched Windows. I really like the latest version of OpenSUSE but keep experiencing this annoying system freeze every 20 minutes or so. I get absolutely no response from the keyboard, although I do have the mouse working. However the end result is ALWAYS a cold boot

I am running SUSE on a spare machine as follows:

DELL Optiplex GX270 standard machine with integrated peripheral devices etc.
Chipsets are all up to date and the hard drive is performing without fault.
1.25 Gb Ram

Any help please?
Thank you.

caf4926 · June 9, 2010, 5:10pm

Keep a terminal open running** top**
See what it says at the freeze

DenverD · June 9, 2010, 5:36pm

Clive45 wrote:
> the latest version of OpenSUSE

which version do you ask about?
and, what Desktop Environment?
do this http://tinyurl.com/yajm2aq before install attempt?

> experiencing this annoying system freeze every 20 minutes or so. I get
> absolutely no response from the keyboard, although I do have the mouse
> working.

what happens if you immediately stop using the keyboard as soon as you
see it is “frozen” and then wait 30 minutes before trying it again…

see, i’d say that if you can move the mouse the system is NOT
frozen…maybe the keyboard is not being serviced by the CPU/system,
but the system is not frozen…

what is going on during this “freeze” time? that is, is the hard drive
light flickering showing the hard drive is in use? is there a torrent
running? etc etc etc…

and, you say you do have “the mouse working”, can you click to open or
close applications, or just move it around? when you move it over a
(say) icon do you get the info pop-up?

have you looked in /var/log/messages around the time of the ‘freeze’
to see if there are any errors or warnings which may give hints on the
problem?

if you turn off desktop effects does it still ‘freeze’?

if you start the machine and then start NO applications, does it still
‘freeze’ in 20 minutes?

> However the end result is ALWAYS a cold boot

what do you mean by that? how are you shutting down the system when it
is ‘frozen’?

> I am running SUSE on a spare machine as follows:
>
> DELL Optiplex GX270 standard machine with integrated peripheral devices
> etc.

hmmmm…check the hardware compatibility list:

“32-bit. Everything worked, BUT box freezes repeatably (ping-able but
nothing else). MemtestX86+ ran several hours. Same box flawless with
SuSE 9.3 Professional. HT off.”
cite: http://en.opensuse.org/HCL/Desktops/Dell

and this: http://tinyurl.com/2vbmf8b

> Chipsets are all up to date and the hard drive is performing without
> fault.

how do you know that…have you run fsck? have you turned on
S.M.A.R.T. or what?

> 1.25 Gb Ram

that is a really different amount of RAM…how many sticks of what
size are you using to get that total? and, does the motherboard
documentation approve of your loading plan?

have you run memtest for at least 12 hours?

> Any help please?

have you opened top (before trouble starts) and leave it in view so
you can see (maybe) what is going on when the ‘freeze’ happens?

did this freeze after 20 minutes begin in the very first hour after
openSUSE was installed? or did it come days later?

Clive45 · June 11, 2010, 3:05pm

Hi - thanks for the extended reply. Through your help I may have sorted this problem. Running SUSE for 3 days constantly without any further problems.

DenverD · June 11, 2010, 4:22pm

Clive45 wrote:
> Hi - thanks for the extended reply. Through your help I may have sorted
> this problem. Running SUSE for 3 days constantly without any further
> problems.

welcome and congrats, BUT please tell us what you did to eliminate the
‘freeze’…

that might be very helpful to the next person who has your
symptoms…thanks!