Linux Mint MATE Crashes on 4GB RAM

[Pig_Game]

I have started using Linux Mint MATE but it crashes.
I don't see the error console and didn't see it.
BTW I'm currently using Lubuntu because I hate the crashes so much.
Lenovo Ideapad U160 is my laptop model.

[karlchen]

Hi, p.g.

sorry to learn that Linux Mint Mate causes severe problems on your machine.

I have started using Linux Mint MATE but it crashes.
I don't see the error console and didn't see it.

Yet, without any details at all, we may be able to pity you, but not be able to offer any help to you.

So you will have to boot up the problematic Linux Mint Mate.
Then you will have to open a terminal window.
Next, please, execute the commandline

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inxi -Fxz

exactly as it has been typed here. Mark the complete screen output which inxi will display. Paste it into your next reply. This will give us a concise overview of your hardware and drivers in use. Maybe this is going to give a first hint what might cause crashes.

Also you should explain in more details what "Linux Mint Mate crashes" means. In which situations does it crash? Any error messages on the screen when this happens?

Best regards,
Karl

[kc1di]

4 GB ram should be plenty for mate. so it's most likely not that that's causing you problems post what karlchen has asked for so we can help.
But I suspect you may have an nvidia graphics card?

[Pig_Game]

It crashes when the RAM approaches the limit.
It doesn't really go to swap.

[Pig_Game]

I will install Linux Mint.
Please wait.

[Pig_Game]

[...]
Next, please, execute the commandline

Code: Select all

inxi -Fxz

exactly as it has been typed here. Mark the complete screen output which inxi will display. Paste it into your next reply. This will give us a concise overview of your hardware and drivers in use. Maybe this is going to give a first hint what might cause crashes.

Code: Select all

System:    Host: Pigmint Kernel: 4.15.0-20-generic x86_64 bits: 64 gcc: 7.3.0
           Desktop: MATE 1.20.1 (Gtk 3.22.30-1ubuntu1)
           Distro: Linux Mint 19 Tara
Machine:   Device: laptop System: LENOVO product: INVALID v: LENOVO Ideapad U160 serial: N/A
           Mobo: LENOVO model: MoutCook serial: N/A
           BIOS: LENOVO v: 33CN14WW date: 05/10/2010
Battery    BAT0: charge: 33.3 Wh 99.9% condition: 33.3/48.8 Wh (68%)
           model: SMP L09M6Y14 status: N/A
CPU:       Dual core Intel Core i5 U 520 (-MT-MCP-) 
           arch: Nehalem rev.2 cache: 3072 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 4256
           clock speeds: max: 1067 MHz 1: 967 MHz 2: 888 MHz 3: 995 MHz
           4: 782 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Intel Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller
           bus-ID: 00:02.0
           Display Server: x11 (X.Org 1.19.6 )
           drivers: modesetting (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: 1366x768@59.78hz
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Ironlake Mobile
           version: 2.1 Mesa 18.0.0-rc5 Direct Render: Yes
Audio:     Card Intel 5 Series/3400 Series High Def. Audio
           driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.15.0-20-generic
Network:   Card-1: Qualcomm Atheros AR8131 Gigabit Ethernet
           driver: atl1c v: 1.0.1.1-NAPI port: 2000 bus-ID: 03:00.0
           IF: enp3s0 state: down mac: <filter>
           Card-2: Broadcom Limited BCM4313 802.11bgn Wireless Network Adapter
           driver: bcma-pci-bridge bus-ID: 04:00.0
           IF: wlp4s0b1 state: up mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 500.1GB (3.0% used)
           ID-1: /dev/sda model: WDC_WD5000BEVT size: 500.1GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 450G used: 6.6G (2%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1
           ID-2: swap-1 size: 8.59GB used: 0.00GB (0%)
           fs: swap dev: /dev/sda2
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 69.0C mobo: 61.0C
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 194 Uptime: 24 min Memory: 1317.0/3682.0MB
           Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 7.3.0
           Client: Shell (bash 4.4.191) inxi: 2.3.56 

Finished installing. Here's the output now.

[pcpunk]

I do hope you are able to fix this, but I've seen lot's of issues with Lenovo products over the years, especially with Linux. Even machines stuck not being able to boot and such. Official support for Windows is not good either, there is not even a new BIOS out for this machine. Always check the SHA256 on the downloaded iso also. You never know if you got corruption from the download. One little skip in the download and all kinds of weird problems will exist. IMO if Lubuntu works well then use that. You may also try Mint's Xfce which is better than Lubuntu IMO.

Here is another thread that will prove my point.
viewtopic.php?f=208&t=272483

You may have been able to run "inxi -Fxz" without reinstalling if that is what you did? Or you could have Dual Booted with Lubuntu so you have both.

HELP! LOL. What about this swap stuff guys, could this be an issue?

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ID-2: swap-1 size: 8.59GB used: 0.00GB (0%)
           fs: swap dev: /dev/sda2

@ Pig_Game, you don't need "swap" on Mint 19, or any other Ubuntu 18.04 Series! There is a Swap Folder now, no need for Swap Partition.

[karlchen]

Hi, p.g.

I will install Linux Mint. Please wait.

I had not been aware that you had already uninstalled it again.
Because as soon as you have eliminated a system, there is no more way of finding out what goes wrong on the eliminated system.

Actually, I do not see anything in your inxi report which strikes me as being suspicious. And 4 GB of memory should be sufficient to run Mint 19 without running out of memory.
Except of course you should have installed some software which requires extremely large chunks of memory, e.g. an Oracle database server. Or video editing software and editing large videos. In such cases 4 GB of memory might not be sufficient.

At the time when the inxi report was created, memory was not even close to being exhausted:

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Info:      Processes: 194 Uptime: 24 min Memory: 1317.0/3682.0MB

Has the problem occurred on this new installation as well?

Karl

[trytip]

i have 4GB RAM which only 3.25GB is usable in OS with a swap partition of 1GB, 5 internal spinning drives (1IDE/4SATA) 1 IDE CDROM and my bios date is 2017 > i have no issues running Mint 19 Cinnamon with effects enabled and no crashes
there are the ODD occurrences where a few nights ago i switched to Cinnamon (usually running XFCE) i opened Firefox highlighted the selection of mint homepage in the addressbar to delete it and the computer froze. first time is a very long time i experience this so i suspect something with GTK/Cinnamon/Nvidia. but 99% my old system has no issues with and i have win7/mint17.3Mate/mint19/cinnamon-xfce/arch linux-xfce

@Pig_Game
you must say what "crash" means when it happens what are you doing. post result from dmesg | grep -i "error\|warn\|fail" and free -h
also open Logs from the menu and look at the Important tab

[Pig_Game]

Hi, p.g.

sorry to learn that Linux Mint Mate causes severe problems on your machine.

I have started using Linux Mint MATE but it crashes.
I don't see the error console and didn't see it.

Yet, without any details at all, we may be able to pity you, but not be able to offer any help to you.

So you will have to boot up the problematic Linux Mint Mate.
Then you will have to open a terminal window.
Next, please, execute the commandline

Code: Select all

inxi -Fxz

exactly as it has been typed here. Mark the complete screen output which inxi will display. Paste it into your next reply. This will give us a concise overview of your hardware and drivers in use. Maybe this is going to give a first hint what might cause crashes.

Also you should explain in more details what "Linux Mint Mate crashes" means. In which situations does it crash? Any error messages on the screen when this happens?

Best regards,
Karl

I have successfully reproduced the bug and there is no error message.