Well, sometimes startx reboots my computer. Other times is does nothing except slow it to a halt for a while. Sometimes is locks up.
I am using init level 3. At the command line, everything looks fine, and I can do whatever commands I want.
When I type startx, then things go down the tubes.
What doesn't happen: X never starts No error messages get posted to dmesg no log is generated in /var/log/xorg.0.log
What DOES happen: on a good run, I get the error message: /usr.../startx: fork: resource temporarily unavailable on a bad run the computer either locks up or reboots, or I get a parade of notices that the comp is "out of memory, shutting down process xxxxxx". running top -u tmiller -b>/tmp/top.log in another console generates a huge file. After deleting the process entry lines (all end in startx, except the bash line), I get results like this:
top - 22:27:23 up 3 min, 2 users, load average: 0.03, 0.07, 0.03 Tasks: 66 total, 1 running, 65 sleeping, 0 stopped, 0 zombie Cpu(s): 0.0% us, 0.0% sy, 0.0% ni, 100.0% id, 0.0% wa, 0.0% hi, 0.0% si Mem: 1024380k total, 178112k used, 846268k free, 14720k buffers Swap: 8385848k total, 0k used, 8385848k free, 97316k cached
PID USER PR NI VIRT RES SHR S %CPU %MEM TIME+ COMMAND
4517 tmiller 21 0 53976 1604 1188 S 0.0 0.2 0:00.00 bash
top - 22:27:26 up 3 min, 2 users, load average: 0.03, 0.07, 0.03 Tasks: 367 total, 5 running, 362 sleeping, 0 stopped, 0 zombie Cpu(s): 3.3% us, 7.3% sy, 0.0% ni, 88.7% id, 0.7% wa, 0.0% hi, 0.0% si Mem: 1024380k total, 251008k used, 773372k free, 14736k buffers Swap: 8385848k total, 0k used, 8385848k free, 97320k cached
top - 22:27:29 up 3 min, 2 users, load average: 0.51, 0.17, 0.06 Tasks: 3389 total, 3 running, 3386 sleeping, 0 stopped, 0 zombie Cpu(s): 35.8% us, 64.2% sy, 0.0% ni, 0.0% id, 0.0% wa, 0.0% hi, 0.0% si Mem: 1024380k total, 985600k used, 38780k free, 14740k buffers Swap: 8385848k total, 0k used, 8385848k free, 97368k cached
************************************************************************ eventually peaking out at:
top - 22:28:15 up 4 min, 3 users, load average: 2.54, 0.74, 0.26 Tasks: 7696 total, 2 running, 7693 sleeping, 0 stopped, 0 zombie Cpu(s): 10.5% us, 45.2% sy, 0.0% ni, 0.0% id, 43.8% wa, 0.0% hi, 0.6% si Mem: 1024380k total, 896720k used, 127660k free, 264k buffers Swap: 8385848k total, 1035964k used, 7349884k free, 10372k cached
*************************************************************************** with the PID numbers peaking at 12551, tasks at 7696, swap at 1-1.4GB used. The situation then tapers back down to "nominal" with the end looking like this:
top - 22:30:04 up 6 min, 3 users, load average: 1698.55, 626.56, 224.72 Tasks: 3756 total, 1 running, 3755 sleeping, 0 stopped, 0 zombie Cpu(s): 2.8% us, 6.6% sy, 0.0% ni, 0.0% id, 90.3% wa, 0.0% hi, 0.3% si Mem: 1024380k total, 863720k used, 160660k free, 340k buffers Swap: 8385848k total, 562008k used, 7823840k free, 27528k cached
top - 22:30:07 up 6 min, 3 users, load average: 1698.55, 626.56, 224.72 Tasks: 2468 total, 2 running, 2466 sleeping, 0 stopped, 0 zombie Cpu(s): 4.5% us, 10.6% sy, 0.0% ni, 0.0% id, 84.6% wa, 0.0% hi, 0.3% si Mem: 1024380k total, 579792k used, 444588k free, 496k buffers Swap: 8385848k total, 376544k used, 8009304k free, 28348k cached
top - 22:30:10 up 6 min, 3 users, load average: 1562.61, 616.17, 223.52 Tasks: 1962 total, 2 running, 1960 sleeping, 0 stopped, 0 zombie Cpu(s): 2.9% us, 7.7% sy, 0.0% ni, 0.0% id, 88.7% wa, 0.0% hi, 0.6% si Mem: 1024380k total, 481056k used, 543324k free, 496k buffers Swap: 8385848k total, 305012k used, 8080836k free, 28728k cached
top - 22:30:13 up 6 min, 3 users, load average: 1437.56, 605.96, 222.32 Tasks: 1371 total, 2 running, 1369 sleeping, 0 stopped, 0 zombie Cpu(s): 2.0% us, 7.5% sy, 0.0% ni, 0.0% id, 89.9% wa, 0.0% hi, 0.7% si Mem: 1024380k total, 362136k used, 662244k free, 504k buffers Swap: 8385848k total, 221904k used, 8163944k free, 29028k cached
top - 22:30:16 up 6 min, 3 users, load average: 1437.56, 605.96, 222.32 Tasks: 862 total, 2 running, 860 sleeping, 0 stopped, 0 zombie Cpu(s): 1.7% us, 5.6% sy, 0.0% ni, 0.0% id, 92.1% wa, 0.0% hi, 0.7% si Mem: 1024380k total, 260440k used, 763940k free, 512k buffers Swap: 8385848k total, 149960k used, 8235888k free, 29232k cached
top - 22:30:19 up 6 min, 3 users, load average: 1322.52, 595.92, 221.14 Tasks: 68 total, 1 running, 67 sleeping, 0 stopped, 0 zombie Cpu(s): 1.3% us, 6.6% sy, 0.0% ni, 4.6% id, 86.8% wa, 0.0% hi, 0.7% si Mem: 1024380k total, 87280k used, 937100k free, 524k buffers Swap: 8385848k total, 35956k used, 8349892k free, 29356k cached
This was done with the xorg.conf file deleted, so it isn't caused by that.
Hardware: AMD 3500+ x86_64 proc 1GB ram 8GB swap 3 x 160GB SATA drives nvidia nForce4 chipset on Gigabyte MB Gigabyte nvidia GeForce 6200 video card firewall is separate ipcop box to ADSL
Software: Centos 4.4, fully updated started as a bare install (uncheck everything except KDE at software choice screen), then added only things I really want/need vmware server (free version) wine
I had just spent a couple of days getting the install "tweaked" in preparation to moving to it as my "workhorse" workstation environment. I had tweaked my dual monitor setup (a 21" landscape screen next to a 17" portrait screen took a lot of false starts to get xorg.conf right), gotten vmware working, and was still wondering where the fonts went for my wine install. It was working pretty well, and I was looking forward to using it, and when I rebooted, I have this mess.
I have spent hours looking on the Internet looking for similar symptoms, to no avail.
"#rpm --validate --all>grep X" sqwauked about some missing *.so files, but showed nothing corrupted.
I am wide open to solutions or instructions on where to look for diagnosis information as to what is wrong.
Waiting for direction in Indiana Ted Miller
On Mon, 2006-11-27 at 00:19 -0500, Ted Miller wrote:
Well, sometimes startx reboots my computer. Other times is does nothing except slow it to a halt for a while. Sometimes is locks up.
I am using init level 3. At the command line, everything looks fine, and I can do whatever commands I want.
When I type startx, then things go down the tubes.
What doesn't happen: X never starts No error messages get posted to dmesg no log is generated in /var/log/xorg.0.log
What DOES happen: on a good run, I get the error message: /usr.../startx: fork: resource temporarily unavailable on a bad run the computer either locks up or reboots, or I get a parade of notices that the comp is "out of memory, shutting down process xxxxxx". running top -u tmiller -b>/tmp/top.log in another console generates a huge file. After deleting the process entry lines (all end in startx, except the bash line), I get results like this:
top - 22:27:23 up 3 min, 2 users, load average: 0.03, 0.07, 0.03 Tasks: 66 total, 1 running, 65 sleeping, 0 stopped, 0 zombie Cpu(s): 0.0% us, 0.0% sy, 0.0% ni, 100.0% id, 0.0% wa, 0.0% hi, 0.0% si Mem: 1024380k total, 178112k used, 846268k free, 14720k buffers Swap: 8385848k total, 0k used, 8385848k free, 97316k cached
PID USER PR NI VIRT RES SHR S %CPU %MEM TIME+ COMMAND
4517 tmiller 21 0 53976 1604 1188 S 0.0 0.2 0:00.00 bash
top - 22:27:26 up 3 min, 2 users, load average: 0.03, 0.07, 0.03 Tasks: 367 total, 5 running, 362 sleeping, 0 stopped, 0 zombie Cpu(s): 3.3% us, 7.3% sy, 0.0% ni, 88.7% id, 0.7% wa, 0.0% hi, 0.0% si Mem: 1024380k total, 251008k used, 773372k free, 14736k buffers Swap: 8385848k total, 0k used, 8385848k free, 97320k cached
top - 22:27:29 up 3 min, 2 users, load average: 0.51, 0.17, 0.06 Tasks: 3389 total, 3 running, 3386 sleeping, 0 stopped, 0 zombie Cpu(s): 35.8% us, 64.2% sy, 0.0% ni, 0.0% id, 0.0% wa, 0.0% hi, 0.0% si Mem: 1024380k total, 985600k used, 38780k free, 14740k buffers Swap: 8385848k total, 0k used, 8385848k free, 97368k cached
eventually peaking out at:
top - 22:28:15 up 4 min, 3 users, load average: 2.54, 0.74, 0.26 Tasks: 7696 total, 2 running, 7693 sleeping, 0 stopped, 0 zombie Cpu(s): 10.5% us, 45.2% sy, 0.0% ni, 0.0% id, 43.8% wa, 0.0% hi, 0.6% si Mem: 1024380k total, 896720k used, 127660k free, 264k buffers Swap: 8385848k total, 1035964k used, 7349884k free, 10372k cached
with the PID numbers peaking at 12551, tasks at 7696, swap at 1-1.4GB used. The situation then tapers back down to "nominal" with the end looking like this:
top - 22:30:04 up 6 min, 3 users, load average: 1698.55, 626.56, 224.72 Tasks: 3756 total, 1 running, 3755 sleeping, 0 stopped, 0 zombie Cpu(s): 2.8% us, 6.6% sy, 0.0% ni, 0.0% id, 90.3% wa, 0.0% hi, 0.3% si Mem: 1024380k total, 863720k used, 160660k free, 340k buffers Swap: 8385848k total, 562008k used, 7823840k free, 27528k cached
top - 22:30:07 up 6 min, 3 users, load average: 1698.55, 626.56, 224.72 Tasks: 2468 total, 2 running, 2466 sleeping, 0 stopped, 0 zombie Cpu(s): 4.5% us, 10.6% sy, 0.0% ni, 0.0% id, 84.6% wa, 0.0% hi, 0.3% si Mem: 1024380k total, 579792k used, 444588k free, 496k buffers Swap: 8385848k total, 376544k used, 8009304k free, 28348k cached
top - 22:30:10 up 6 min, 3 users, load average: 1562.61, 616.17, 223.52 Tasks: 1962 total, 2 running, 1960 sleeping, 0 stopped, 0 zombie Cpu(s): 2.9% us, 7.7% sy, 0.0% ni, 0.0% id, 88.7% wa, 0.0% hi, 0.6% si Mem: 1024380k total, 481056k used, 543324k free, 496k buffers Swap: 8385848k total, 305012k used, 8080836k free, 28728k cached
top - 22:30:13 up 6 min, 3 users, load average: 1437.56, 605.96, 222.32 Tasks: 1371 total, 2 running, 1369 sleeping, 0 stopped, 0 zombie Cpu(s): 2.0% us, 7.5% sy, 0.0% ni, 0.0% id, 89.9% wa, 0.0% hi, 0.7% si Mem: 1024380k total, 362136k used, 662244k free, 504k buffers Swap: 8385848k total, 221904k used, 8163944k free, 29028k cached
top - 22:30:16 up 6 min, 3 users, load average: 1437.56, 605.96, 222.32 Tasks: 862 total, 2 running, 860 sleeping, 0 stopped, 0 zombie Cpu(s): 1.7% us, 5.6% sy, 0.0% ni, 0.0% id, 92.1% wa, 0.0% hi, 0.7% si Mem: 1024380k total, 260440k used, 763940k free, 512k buffers Swap: 8385848k total, 149960k used, 8235888k free, 29232k cached
top - 22:30:19 up 6 min, 3 users, load average: 1322.52, 595.92, 221.14 Tasks: 68 total, 1 running, 67 sleeping, 0 stopped, 0 zombie Cpu(s): 1.3% us, 6.6% sy, 0.0% ni, 4.6% id, 86.8% wa, 0.0% hi, 0.7% si Mem: 1024380k total, 87280k used, 937100k free, 524k buffers Swap: 8385848k total, 35956k used, 8349892k free, 29356k cached
This was done with the xorg.conf file deleted, so it isn't caused by that.
Hardware: AMD 3500+ x86_64 proc 1GB ram 8GB swap 3 x 160GB SATA drives nvidia nForce4 chipset on Gigabyte MB Gigabyte nvidia GeForce 6200 video card firewall is separate ipcop box to ADSL
Software: Centos 4.4, fully updated started as a bare install (uncheck everything except KDE at software choice screen), then added only things I really want/need vmware server (free version) wine
I had just spent a couple of days getting the install "tweaked" in preparation to moving to it as my "workhorse" workstation environment. I had tweaked my dual monitor setup (a 21" landscape screen next to a 17" portrait screen took a lot of false starts to get xorg.conf right), gotten vmware working, and was still wondering where the fonts went for my wine install. It was working pretty well, and I was looking forward to using it, and when I rebooted, I have this mess.
I have spent hours looking on the Internet looking for similar symptoms, to no avail.
"#rpm --validate --all>grep X" sqwauked about some missing *.so files, but showed nothing corrupted.
I am wide open to solutions or instructions on where to look for diagnosis information as to what is wrong.
While connected to the Internet, I would start out with the command:
yum groupinstall "X Window System" "KDE (K Desktop Environment)"
See if that wants to add any packages.
You didn't say if you installed the i386 distro of the x86_64 distro. If you have 1GB ram and want this as a workstation, I would recommend the i386 distro as Shockwave (and other plugins for firefox), openoffice.org, etc. are only available as i386 programs.
Operating i386 and x86_64 programs on an x86_64 machine can be hard and confusing (with duplicate packages of each arch required to be installed, etc.)
That is where i would start, and go from there.
Thanks, Johnny Hughes
Well, sometimes startx reboots my computer. Other times is does nothing except slow it to a halt for a while. Sometimes is locks up.
I am using init level 3. At the command line, everything looks fine, and I can do whatever commands I want.
When I type startx, then things go down the tubes.
What doesn't happen: X never starts No error messages get posted to dmesg no log is generated in /var/log/xorg.0.log
What DOES happen: on a good run, I get the error message: /usr.../startx: fork: resource temporarily unavailable on a bad run the computer either locks up or reboots, or I get a parade of notices that the comp is "out of memory, shutting down process xxxxxx". running top -u tmiller -b>/tmp/top.log in another console generates a huge file. After deleting the process entry lines (all end in startx, except the bash line), I get results like this:
[snip]
eventually peaking out at:
top - 22:28:15 up 4 min, 3 users, load average: 2.54, 0.74, 0.26 Tasks: 7696 total, 2 running, 7693 sleeping, 0 stopped, 0 zombie Cpu(s): 10.5% us, 45.2% sy, 0.0% ni, 0.0% id, 43.8% wa, 0.0% hi, 0.6% si Mem: 1024380k total, 896720k used, 127660k free, 264k buffers Swap: 8385848k total, 1035964k used, 7349884k free, 10372k cached
[snip]
This was done with the xorg.conf file deleted, so it isn't caused by that.
Hardware: AMD 3500+ x86_64 proc 1GB ram 8GB swap 3 x 160GB SATA drives nvidia nForce4 chipset on Gigabyte MB Gigabyte nvidia GeForce 6200 video card firewall is separate ipcop box to ADSL
Software: Centos 4.4, fully updated started as a bare install (uncheck everything except KDE at software choice screen), then added only things I really want/need vmware server (free version) wine
I had just spent a couple of days getting the install "tweaked" in preparation to moving to it as my "workhorse" workstation environment. I had tweaked my dual monitor setup (a 21" landscape screen next to a 17" portrait screen took a lot of false starts to get xorg.conf right), gotten vmware working, and was still wondering where the fonts went for my wine install. It was working pretty well, and I was looking forward to using it, and when I rebooted, I have this mess.
[snip]
"#rpm --validate --all>grep X" sqwauked about some missing *.so files, but showed nothing corrupted.
Johnny Hughes was kind enough to suggest:
While connected to the Internet, I would start out with the command:
yum groupinstall "X Window System" "KDE (K Desktop Environment)"
Tried that with no change. I did find out how to avoid waiting the whole process out, though. Starting "#top -u me" in tty1, I went to tty2 and logged in with my user name. I noted the PID of my new bash shell. I then went to tty2 and typed "#startx". No screens of stuff scrolling by in tty2, so back to tty1, where it was obvious it was going wild. Did a "k -> 5471 -> 'Enter'", but that didn't do anything. But "k -> 5471 -> 'Enter' -> 9 'Enter'" stopped the sorcerer's apprentice in his tracks. A great time saver, and keeps me from having to recover from a possible lockup or reboot.
[snip]
You didn't say if you installed the i386 distro of the x86_64 distro.
I have let most of that be dependency driven. Anything I wanted to install wanted to install a library, I let it go ahead. Don't know if that was a problem or not. I also discovered the yum.log file (does it ever rotate?), and could send you what I installed since the last successful "#startx" was executed, and what I installed just before that, if that would be helpful.
If you have 1GB ram and want this as a workstation, I would recommend the i386 distro as Shockwave (and other plugins for firefox), openoffice.org, etc. are only available as i386 programs.
Operating i386 and x86_64 programs on an x86_64 machine can be hard and confusing (with duplicate packages of each arch required to be installed, etc.)
I am aware of the dual libraries, and the need to look at which distro is involved, but I do not know if the yum/rpm dependencies always keep that straight, or if I need to get more actively involved (always install the i386 version of any library I have in x86_64?)
That is where i would start, and go from there.
I started, so any more "go" instructions will be appreciated. I am off to work, so will not be back at this for 10 hours or more.
Ted Miller Indiana
Well, sometimes startx reboots my computer. Other times is does nothing except slow it to a halt for a while. Sometimes is locks up.
[snip]
When I type startx, then things go down the tubes.
What doesn't happen: X never starts No error messages get posted to dmesg no log is generated in /var/log/xorg.0.log
What DOES happen: on a good run, I get the error message: /usr.../startx: fork: resource temporarily unavailable on a bad run the computer either locks up or reboots, or I get a parade of notices that the comp is "out of memory, shutting down process xxxxxx". running top -u tmiller -b>/tmp/top.log in another console generates a huge file. After deleting the process entry lines (all end in startx, except the bash line), I get results like this:
[snip]
top - 22:28:15 up 4 min, 3 users, load average: 2.54, 0.74, 0.26 Tasks: 7696 total, 2 running, 7693 sleeping, 0 stopped, 0 zombie Cpu(s): 10.5% us, 45.2% sy, 0.0% ni, 0.0% id, 43.8% wa, 0.0% hi, 0.6% si Mem: 1024380k total, 896720k used, 127660k free, 264k buffers Swap: 8385848k total, 1035964k used, 7349884k free, 10372k cached
with the PID numbers peaking at 12551, tasks at 7696, swap at 1-1.4GB used.
[snip]
This was done with the xorg.conf file deleted, so it isn't caused by that.
Hardware: AMD 3500+ x86_64 proc 1GB ram 8GB swap 3 x 160GB SATA drives nvidia nForce4 chipset on Gigabyte MB Gigabyte nvidia GeForce 6200 video card firewall is separate ipcop box to ADSL
Software: Centos 4.4, fully updated started as a bare install (uncheck everything except KDE at software choice screen), then added only things I really want/need vmware server (free version) wine
I had just spent a couple of days getting the install "tweaked" in preparation to moving to it as my "workhorse" workstation environment. I had tweaked my dual monitor setup (a 21" landscape screen next to a 17" portrait screen took a lot of false starts to get xorg.conf right), gotten vmware working, and was still wondering where the fonts went for my wine install. It was working pretty well, and I was looking forward to using it, and when I rebooted, I have this mess.
[snip]
One more piece of information that is probably irrelevant:
I have another couple of installs on this computer (Mandriva 2006 [my daily workhorse that I am trying to replace] and Centos 4.3 [unbooted in some weeks]). All share the same /home partition. I have been trying to figure out how to separate the effects of the two distros on each other, as far as entries in /tmiller/home/.* being made by one distro and seen by the other distro. However, since this also happens when running as #root, I don't think this is an issue (/root is not shared). I will have some questions about this later, after I get startx to boot.
Ted in Indiana
Ted Miller <ted-miller@...> writes:
Well, sometimes startx reboots my computer. Other times is does nothing except slow it to a halt for a while. Sometimes is locks up.
I am using init level 3. At the command line, everything looks fine, and I can do whatever commands I want.
When I type startx, then things go down the tubes.
I had something similar (but not exactly) a few years ago on RH4.
Seemed as if sendmail was going mad, so I just disabled sendmail and all was well - except for wondering why it went wrong at all ...
Regards, MikeW
On 11/26/06, Ted Miller ted-miller@att.net wrote:
What DOES happen: on a good run, I get the error message: /usr.../startx: fork: resource temporarily unavailable
My guess would be that, somewhere in /etc/profile or /etc/profile.d/*, or some similar startup file associated with your shell, is a command that starts either another shell, or another X session, or some similar thing. When you run "startx" it runs a shell, which runs that command, which runs another shell, and so on until you have no more available processes and/or RAM.
I suspect it's in /etc/profile et al. rather than a file in your home directory because you say it happens no matter which user starts X.
Bart Schaefer wrote:
On 11/26/06, Ted Miller ted-miller@att.net wrote:
What DOES happen: on a good run, I get the error message: /usr.../startx: fork: resource temporarily unavailable
My guess would be that, somewhere in /etc/profile or /etc/profile.d/*, or some similar startup file associated with your shell, is a command that starts either another shell, or another X session, or some similar thing. When you run "startx" it runs a shell, which runs that command, which runs another shell, and so on until you have no more available processes and/or RAM.
Bart, you didn't quite nail it, but you got me pointed in the right direction, and looking for the right kind of thing. I looked in /etc/profile, and didn't see anything suspicious. Then I got to thinking "I'll bet 'startx' is a script. Maybe I can type the script lines in a terminal, and see when it goes bonkers." I didn't find it in /usr/bin, so I did a search for it, starting at /usr. I got back 2 results, one of them in /usr/local. Then it dawned on me. I have some scripts called startx1 and startx2 which will start a second and third Xwindows session (so I can be logged in as two different users at once, usually me and root). Somehow startx2 got renamed or copied to startx (probably fumble fingered me typed the trigger key with the gun aimed at my foot). Since all that is in that file is
startx -- :1
it was starting itself like crazy, didn't even take a new shell, because it is on the path before the "real" startx.
Now I will reboot into that machine, and see if I did anything else to shoot myself in the foot.
Grateful Ted in Indiana
Somehow startx2 got renamed or copied to startx (probably fumble fingered me typed the trigger key with the gun aimed at my foot). Since all that is in that file is
startx -- :1
it was starting itself like crazy, didn't even take a new shell, because it is on the path before the "real" startx.
Now I will reboot into that machine, and see if I did anything else to shoot myself in the foot.
So far so good. I am up in Xwindows on the new install, typing away in Thunderbird.
Thanks for the help. I'll save my next request for another day.
Ted Miller
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Bart Schaefer -
Johnny Hughes -
MikeW -
Ted Miller -
Ted Miller