SOLVED Intermittent Full System Crashes

[mhwittek]

Hello All,
I am in the process of re-bricking a laptop for my 8 year old son. He wanted a computer, and I had this old Dell Inspiron 6000 with Windows XP, since I not new to Linux(Red Hat and Ubuntu user), I decided to try out Linux Mint since it has the beautiful Cinnamon desktop, and I heard good things about its stability. I have had a number of issues with some deep research across a couple of platforms, I have been able to solve on my own problems. I have one more to do, but I have a big one that I have no clue where to start. Ever since I have installed Linux Mint 18, the system has been intermittently but fully crashing. It would start with a screen freeze then the video would go with thin horizontal green lines. I first thought it was when I was working in an GUI program which supplied system services, such as menu configuration programs, or network manager, and the like. But, as time went on, crashes have happened with any type of lunched program. I have had the system crash as I was in a shutdown process. So, I am not sure what is causing the issue. Best guess it is a driver or kernel issue, but I am surely open for suggestions. I have supplied my system information below. Any thoughts?

Thank You In Advance,
Mike W.

Code: Select all

mike@mike-Inspiron-6000 ~ $ inxi -F
System:    Host: mike-Inspiron-6000 Kernel: 4.13.0-32-generic i686 (32 bit)
           Desktop: Cinnamon 3.6.7  Distro: Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia
Machine:   System: Dell (portable) product: Inspiron 6000
           Mobo: Dell model: 0W9260 Bios: Dell v: A09 date: 09/28/2005
CPU:       Single core Intel Celeron M (-UP-) cache: 1024 KB
           speed: 1496 MHz (max)
Graphics:  Card: Intel Mobile 915GM/GMS/910GML Express Graphics Controller
           Display Server: X.Org 1.18.4 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: 1280x800@60.00hz
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel 915GM x86/MMX/SSE2
           GLX Version: 1.4 Mesa 17.2.8
Audio:     Card Intel 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) AC'97 Audio Controller
           driver: snd_intel8x0
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.13.0-32-generic
Network:   Card-1: Broadcom BCM4401-B0 100Base-TX driver: b44
           IF: eth0 state: down mac: 00:12:3f:d0:d9:c7
           Card-2: Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG [Calexico2] Network Connection
           driver: ipw2200
           IF: wlp3s3 state: up mac: 00:12:f0:75:28:bb
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 120.0GB (7.7% used)
           ID-1: /dev/sda model: WDC_WD1200BEVE size: 120.0GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 108G used: 6.8G (7%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1
           ID-2: swap-1 size: 2.14GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda5
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 43.0C mobo: N/A
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 163 Uptime: 4 min Memory: 767.9/2004.0MB
           Client: Shell (bash) inxi: 2.2.35

[zcot]

On a 1.5GHz single core with 2GB ram I'd say it will get into a struggle with 18.3 Cinnamon. but xfce would be the good choice for that machine.

Check out the 4.4 kernel line instead. Update manager - View - Linux kernels. -the latest 4.4 (which is also in the patched line against the spectre/meltdown just like 4.13 the one you are currently using).

This might be a good candidate for a Mint 17.3 install(xfce) given the age and compatibility of the intel onboard graphics i915 driver lined up with xorg mesa versions..

[Jim Hauser]

Cinnamon seams kind of heavy for that particular machine. 1.5 gigahertz with with 2 gigabytes RAM might be better suited to a lighter distro such as MATE or better yet XFCE. Years ago I ran a heavy distro, Mint KDE, on a 2 gigahertz CPU with 2 gigabytes RAM. It ran but ended up swapping endlessly if I tried to do more than one or two things at a time. And occasionally it would perform a full system meltdown.

When the real gurus get to your query they may have additional and probably better advice for you...

[Termy]

I agree, try the 4.4 kernel. Also, you'll want to look in /var/log/syslog and the dmesg command for anything which can reveal the issue. My thought would also be a driver or kernel issue.

[mhwittek]

Thanks for your advice guys! I will have to remember the dmesg command and check the syslog files for future issues. I had burned a copy of MATE and Xfce to see which worked on the laptop. MATE was the first that I tried, and it seems to be stable. Thanks again.

[mhwittek]

By the way, I am not sure which kernel that I was using with the Cinnamon desktop, but the one I am currently working with on MATE is version 4.13.0-32. I assume that it was the same one that is used with the Cinnamon desktop after the first update is accomplished.

[Termy]

By the way, I am not sure which kernel that I was using with the Cinnamon desktop, but the one I am currently working with on MATE is version 4.13.0-32. I assume that it was the same one that is used with the Cinnamon desktop after the first update is accomplished.

If I remember correctly, yeah, Mint 18.3 uses that kernel version once you've updated.

[mhwittek]

Thanks everyone for your help.

--
MHw