Don't know where to start

[7gods1]

Ok......well....,

I'm a linux power user from quite a ways back. I've been working with Gentoo linux for the longest time.
I've never had a problem with Gentoo, (no matter what system I have installed it on) except for the fact that it is not practical. Takes too long to install applications and the operating system.

So I switched to Linux Mint 4.0 and in the last 3 days I have had 2 system freezes. Isn't this what windoze is for??? I have no logs to offer because everytime I reset from the freeze, I have new logs in the sysetm logs app in the control panel. So I can't give anyone anything meaningful. Am I doing something wrong? I have an inspiron 8200 laptop. Most of the time the freeze happens with netbeans 5.5.1. Is there something wrong with that package?? Again, I can't give logs because I have to manually reboot and there is nothing to give....

Frustrated....

Jim

[7gods1]

ok. So I've done some research online and it looks like it may be the restricted nvidia drivers. Not sure, because I don't have any logs to that tell me the issues. So I switched back to the open source nvidia drivers. If you would like to call them that. Whatever the name is for those drivers. Unfortunately, I don't know if that's the fix???

[sundayrefugee]

Errr. Ok. You're a Linux Power User, Long-Time Gentooer at that, and you don't know where to look for logs if you don't have a GUI button? And you've been Stage3ing yourself out of chroots for how long, and don't know what the drivers are called? I don't mind helping, but this sounds a little strange.... It's ok to be a beginner, you know

Anyhoo - Why do you call it "Windoze"? It's "Windows".

But anyway - that's not enough to diagnose a problem, as a long-time Gentooer who's visited those boards would know. What driver version of the proprietary Nvidia drivers did you install? Which nv (yes, that's the name) open-source project drivers are you now on? Did you attempt to run compiz with the proprietary drivers? What were the backtraces on your sigsevs? Or could you not even ctrl-alt-F1? If you are running compiz, have you noticed any spikes in the compiz.real process? It's been known to suddenly shoot up to grab all available memory and CPU cycles. Have you been trying to run the "Braid" screen saver? Did you install the drivers with the restricted drivers menu, via apt, aptitude, synaptic, or Envy? If via Envy, did you update Envy first?

As a "Long time Gentoo User", are you going binary or compiling?

As you know from the Gentoo forums, all of this info (and tons more) is helpful in pinpointing your problem

[belovedmonster]

7gods1, just so you know, we aren't all as sarcastic as sundayrefugee around here

[Dennis99]

I had the same problem with lock-ups after implementing visual effects "wobbly windows" (ATI Radeon X300 graphics), they always needed a hard reboot too.
As soon as I changed back to "None" on the visual effects tab in " Appearance" in the Control Centre the problem has gone.

[sundayrefugee]

7gods1, just so you know, we aren't all as sarcastic as sundayrefugee around here

LOL Sorry mate - just never thought I'd see "Long time Linux Gentoo using Power User" and "I'm completely lost and confused by Mint" together, but you're right, I could have been less sarcastic and more helpful I'll try to watch that in the future - thanks for pointing that out mate

To the OP: Sorry for the sarcasm, mate. None of my business, I guess. Please accept my apology. Now, to your problem. Like the above, and as I noted with my compiz.real question, compiz is hardly stable. I think your best first bet is to use whichever proprietary driver you had going, go to the "Appearances" tab, and make sure you aren't running any "Effects" - no compiz-fusion at all. This *almost* always solves the random, for-no-good-reason desktop freeze in any *buntu or *buntu derivative, as compiz is hardly stable, shouldn't be turned on by default, because of, at this moment, the problems in compiz.real sucking up resources at random. And make sure you *never* even accidentally click on the Braid screensaver.

See if turning *on* the Nvidia driver and turning *off* compiz works. You'll get better performance than just using the nv driver, and you won't be losing anything, since the nv driver won't do compiz anyway, and I don't know if you've tried compiling it yet, but nouvou (sp?) is far too unstable yet for daily computing.

Try that, and tell us what happens?

[7gods1]

No need for apologies. I dug a hole for myself as soon as I typed those words. One of those go back and reread what was typed and slam my head against the desk.

I think I was way tooooooooo frantic and should have chilled and thought about my post. (in combination with a late night)

Couple things to clear up:

Quite a ways back --- bad words to use. Actually, I've been using Gentoo for about 3 years. I seem to pretty good with it and yes I can locate the logs.
So I'm not sure if that still makes me a beginner.
Now using Mint 4.0, which I really do like so far. Even though linux is linux, there are some differences with the debian based system that I'm trying to get used to.
Maybe that has added to my frustration not sure. So I must apologize.

I guess I also got dependent on the GUI because I was expecting all my command line routines to go away with Mint. My mistake.

Any how, I have switched the driver to NV and I will disable compiz. I will also try the other stuff you guys have mentioned.

Thank you for your help.

[cmost]

Sundayrefugee, while I thought your comments were apropos considering this user opened himself up for such comments when he immediately declared himself a "Gentoo Power User' (as if that somehow imparts a level of knowledge and expertise far beyond that of any lowly Linux Mint user...) I've installed and run Gentoo Linux too, but I would hardly consider myself a Gentoo Power user! Regardless, we should avoid being so direct with such users (i.e., calling them out on arrogance or stuff.) The Linux Mint community is one of the friendliest and we should attempt to maintain that at all costs; avoid lowering ourselves; and refrain from getting into a contest of egos so as to avoid putting off new converts...even those who set themselves up so easily for ridicule.

[newW2]

First of all welcome to Linux Mint, 7gods1. That exchange actually went down very well in the end; it took only a few posts and not days (as I have read on other forums). It is just another indication of the caliber of people that try, use and stay with, and then support Linux Mint on the forum.

As you may know already, we have one full time forum moderator - Husse. I know Husse has his hands full, and I really don't know how he manages to keep up with answering as many posts as he does. I saw something however in this short series of posts that exemplifies what it means to have a community of support. And that includes the respectful manner in which you "all" treated each other. Please accept my exuberant pride for this community, however, I must say that I hope you stick with us!

[sundayrefugee]

Sundayrefugee, while I thought your comments were apropos considering this user opened himself up for such comments when he immediately declared himself a "Gentoo Power User' (as if that somehow imparts a level of knowledge and expertise far beyond that of any lowly Linux Mint user...) I've installed and run Gentoo Linux too, but I would hardly consider myself a Gentoo Power user! Regardless, we should avoid being so direct with such users (i.e., calling them out on arrogance or stuff.) The Linux Mint community is one of the friendliest and we should attempt to maintain that at all costs; avoid lowering ourselves; and refrain from getting into a contest of egos so as to avoid putting off new converts...even those who set themselves up so easily for ridicule.

I agree fully, cmost - you are absolutely correct - and that is why I offered him my sincerest apologies, if you'll note And I *do* very much hope he sticks around, despite my sometimes, err... less than tactful approach

Edit to add: The repeated whippings I took at those boards, until they figured I was tough enough to stick it out, has probably forever corrupted my posting style. I must learn to watch this

[7gods1]

It's all good guys. Very interesting. For setting myself up for ridicule, I think this has turned out very well.
My impression is that this turns out to be a very good community. Individuals actually care about their other members.
It's very refreshing.

I have learned a few things from this post:

1. Never post any information about yourself. Just get to the issue at hand.
2. Never post to a forum after your os has frozen up for the 2nd time. It tends to a stupid post due to brain implosion from anger and lack of logical thinking.

3. I think I'm hungry... Just got back from the bar and it's time to eat some Captain Crunch cereal and watch american idol recording with my fiance.

There's some humility from me. I definitely want to be a part of this community. By the way, sunday -- I have a sarcastic sense of humor. It's all good.

For those under 21 in US. Please disregard my post.

[sundayrefugee]

Good to see you're still here!

As to your points:

1: All too true. I learned this the hard way on one of the forums I moderate, in which I actually received a death-threat over a banning The person had simply earned it after far too much rule-breaking and ad-homming. The fact that I was very casual, at that time, with personal info, kind of scared the crap out of me Although you meant that tongue-in-cheek, it's sadly all too true. There are some true weirdos on this intarwebz thingy

2: Also all too true. Quite some time ago, when I was fairly new to Linux, and couldn't solve many problems on my own, I had *alot* of trouble setting up a distro for a freind of mine (he chose the distro), and when I got home, blew off some steam by posting a rant on the forum of the distro I was using at the time. I felt better immediately, and 30 minutes later, regretted even posting it as it was classless. But it was too late to delete, as it had replies. Even worse, the thread went on for months, with people choosing sides, and went on to become one of the worst thread-wars in that distro's history All because I had been frustrated at the poor quality of the distro (it really *was* the distro's fault) and ranted, when I should have just went jogging or something first *VERY* sad lesson learned there. Within an hour, it had spun far beyond any damage-control

3: Captain Crunch - I knew you were cool Now, I just have to get you off of American Idol

Some humility from me, now. We bought Vista not long ago, because my S/O needs a genuine Windows environment for her work In Linuxland, I can answer almost any question, help with almost any issue. I've made my own Linux from LFS just for the learning experience. Vista has been humbling. I don't know where even the *simplest* things are. It's helped me to really sympathize with users going the other way - from Windows to Linux. I have *no* idea where to look for things half the time. I have to look through Vista forums alot - lurking, because I'm rather embarrassed to ask what are probably dead-simple questions for people used to Windows and Vista I'm back in utter nubland again

[Fred]

Well, for me, I don't know a lot about anything. And I know even less about Vista. In fact, the only things I know about Vista are that it's made by Microsoft, and that I really don't want to clutter up what few brain cells I have left trying to learn something about it.

As another one that has spent a considerable amount of time on the Gentoo forums, I too have been known to slip back into the old ways from time to time. Some times the temptation has just been more than could be resisted. But cmost is correct in his assessment about what this forum should be. That was the biggest thing that attracted me here. The friendly willingness to help others without the demanding initiation process one must endure in most other forums.

For what it is worth, I try to be good.... honest.

Fred

[sundayrefugee]

I almost feel bad for some new users. They may actually pull off a *working* LiveCD installer this time, in the 2008 release. Then hordes of new users, unable to setup, chroot, etc... will pop it in, click next>next>next>reboot, and then start flooding the forum with "Is it easier to just enable all of the use flags?", "What do I set my C2D chip as - xeon, centrino, or nocona?", "How do you Emerge?", and the one that will *really* set them off - "Why does Amarok take so long to install? It only took about 2 minutes in Ubuntu..."

Should be interesting times there, soon, for those of us who endured our ritual beatings and would get the humor

[MagnusB]

I like the Mint community, that is why I stick around even though I have more or less stopped using Mint (even though I pop it out from time to time). That, and after starting posting here I learned allot about Linux in general (though my learning curve started in a Norwegian forum, but they just re made the entire network and I felt the community changed).
And I absolutely HATE elitist behavior, mostly because I know it is only a matter of time before I have broken my system in an incredible stupid way and need help