[NTLUG:Discuss] Redhat9 - hostid doesn't work

[Darin W. Smith]

On Tue, 2003-07-15 at 19:16, Steve Baker wrote:
> Chris Cox wrote:
> 
> > Nvidia (I have a Ti4600) has a problem with the framebuffer stuff
> > if you have 1GB or more of system memory... weird... but I'm not
> > the only one who has noticed this... I just disable the graphical
> > boot up stuff.  I haven't noticed a problem with less memory
> > though.
> 
> We have lots of 2Gb RAM PC's at work that have nVidia GeForce 4 ti4600's
> and none of them are exhibiting any problems that we don't also see
> on machines with 512Mb.
> 
> What exactly is the nature of the problem you see?
> 

I'll chime in here, since I just got through confirming that turning off
the framebuffer fixes it for me.

With my GeForce4 MX 440 and 1.5GB RAM (kernel compiled with VESA
framebuffer support and with 4GB highmem option), running with any of
the Nvidia drivers causes me to run out of kernel virtual addresses
(vmalloc fails).  The net effect is that random processes fail to be
created because the kernel can't allocate what it needs just to create
the process.  Also, anything like a webcam or TV card--something that
allocates sizable amounts of memory--will fail to alloc their memory.

Dropping to 512MB RAM makes the problem disappear.

I fought this for a year, even involving Nvidia sending me instrumented
patches for their drivers looking for memory leaks, and I finally gave
up since I didn't have the time to mess with it (waiting 4 days for them
to get back to me after each data-gathering quest I went on).  Then
Chris posted about the framebuffer interaction a while back and I
encountered some Mandrake-specific screwups that delayed me trying it,
but I got past that tonight and am happily running in TwinView mode,
able to use my TV tuner card, able to play Quake, etc. with no failed
processes or failed vmallocs in my syslog.  Quite the happy camper, for
now.

-- 
D!  (Darin W. Smith)
AIM: JediGrover
Gig 'em Ags!

Don't understand geek?  Try: http://www.ebb.org/ungeek/
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