System freezes (randomly?)

[Ashbird]

Hey all!

I am almost completely new at this Linux thing, so forgive me, if I don't provide enough info. If I should provide more of it, please tell me how and what and I will do it
I also didn't know where to post this, so I posted it here, for I'm a newbie Hope, this is ok.

Problem:
I've installed Linux Mint 11 Katya five days ago. It worked well, I made all recommended updates and so on. After a while though, it started freezing, randomly. Each time it happened, Firefox was opened (well, it's always opened ), sometimes it was on youtube.com, sometimes on other sites not using flash (was my first guess, but huh...), so no real pattern here. Also, there is no real pattern in how it freezes. Sometimes it suddenly switches to black screen and no hardware-response at all, sometimes same thing without black screen (both times I had to shut it down by holding down the power button) and once there was a black screen with only the mouse showing and mouse and keyboard working (could shut it down by CTRL + Alt + Del and Enter).
I have been searching for topic with similar problems but couldn't find anything, that could help me.

Here goes inxi -v 1:

Code: Select all

System:    Host Haven 
           Kernel 2.6.38-8-generic x86_64 (64 bit) 
           Distro Linux Mint 11 Katya
CPU:       Dual core Intel Pentium B940 (-MCP-) clocked at 800.00 MHz 
Graphics:  Card Intel 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller 
           X.Org 1.10.1 Res: 1360x768@59.8hz 
           GLX Renderer Mesa DRI Intel Sandybridge Mobile GEM 20100330 DEVELOPMENT  
           GLX Version 2.1 Mesa 7.10.2
Disks:     HDD Total Size: 320.1GB (1.1% used)
Info:      Processes 143 
           Uptime 29 min 
           Memory 497.4/1912.7MB 
           Client Shell inxi 1.4.2 

Uhm.... yeah... Help?

Greetz,
Ashbird

/* I just edited the title because "after a while" doesn't fit anymore. More below.

[sesso]

What happens when you hit > ctrl, alt, backspace?

[Ashbird]

Thanks for the quick response.

What should happen?

I just tried it while normal use, screen went black but system didn't freeze.
Num- and Caps-Button both still worked and by pressing the power-button and enter I could shut down the system properly. Couldn't do that the times that the whole computer actually froze, nothing responded back then. There was no new freeze yet, so I can't tell you what would happen if I hit that combination when it freezes. My guess is though that nothing would happen, 'cause Num/Caps didn't respond, so I figure the whole keyboard didn't.

As soon as there's a new freeze, I'll tell you what ctrl alt backspace does then.

[Ashbird]

Ok, just happened again. This time without black screen. Sound stopped, picture stopped, nothing responded anymore. No use for ctrl alt backspace or alt f2 or alt f7, no num-light, no caps-light, everything seems just dead.

I already thought of a hardware problem, but that didn't happen under Windows 7 (yet. Got it on a different partition for certain stuff). Plus, the laptop (Asus X54L) is brandnew.

[Ashbird]

Ok, I just identified the one problem as actually two problems, which most of you might have figured out by now....

Black screen comes on logging out, the login-screen doesn't appear. If I just press enter, type my password and press enter blindly, the graphics come back. So I guess a problem with GNOME? Just guessing, no idea how to verify the theory or even solve the problem. The random log out also happens on the Ubuntu-system of my friend, at least on his laptop. He didn't have a solution. It's annoying so if anyone could give me a tip it would be great, but as for now, I am fine with it having a temporary solution.

The freeze is still a complete freeze.

So the black screen freeze that happened twice was probably just coincidence of both problems coming together.
Sorry to repost this often, but I try to provide as much information as possible...

[revdjenk]

This is with Mint 11? I have seen this with the new Mint 12, I fixed the problem, I think, by removing Firefox and replacing with Chromium browser...

Maybe this will help?

God bless
Doug

[Ashbird]

Thanks for the tipp. Yes, it's Katya, Mint 11.

I just installed Chromium.

I'll try and give you my review next week, for this weekend I'm offline and I'll use it for a while before I consider the freezing gone

Take care,
Ashbird

[Ashbird]

Hey.

Ok, review: It's not Firefox.
Had three crushes since yesterday:
1. Yesterday in Chromium on closing a youtube window.
2. Today noon in Chromium while online banking.
3. Just about now after login and on opening Banshee. Chromium wasn't open yet.

Please help or tell me what information I can provide to get that problem solved.
I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks.
Ashbird

[Ashbird]

Ok, seriously? o.o
No suggestions except for alt-ctrl-backspace (yeah, I already know, logout. Well, screen goes black on logout and enter password enter logs back in, still: doesn't help with the random logouts nor the freezes.) and Chromium (which unfortunately didn't help)?

These two problems really start to get annoying and honestly I used Google and search and everything, I couldn't find anything.

Did I do something wrong so nobody wants to answer?

[Marzio-Dance]

Hi, I happen to have some of the same problem as yours.
I use Mint 12
My desktop will just freeze, and the MATE bottom bar will no longer show any of my open windows, it's just completely empty.
I can't do anything, nothing is working except Alt-Ctrl-Backspace, and then I can log back in.
I've noticed that it's always when I'm listening to music through Rhythmbox or Banshee. I hope someone will know the answer to our problems,
it's really annoying when you're working on something and then all of a sudden your desktop freezes on you.
thank you

[mpiter]

I can't do anything, nothing is working except Alt-Ctrl-Backspace, and then I can log back in.
I've noticed that it's always when I'm listening to music through Rhythmbox or Banshee. I hope someone will know the answer to our problems,

Same problem with Banshee. I am going to open a new thread about it because I think it is a Banshee related problem on Gnome 3.2. I had no problem with Katya.

[mpiter]

Hi, I happen to have some of the same problem as yours.
I use Mint 12
My desktop will just freeze, and the MATE bottom bar will no longer show any of my open windows, it's just completely empty.
I can't do anything, nothing is working except Alt-Ctrl-Backspace, and then I can log back in.
I've noticed that it's always when I'm listening to music through Rhythmbox or Banshee. I hope someone will know the answer to our problems,
it's really annoying when you're working on something and then all of a sudden your desktop freezes on you.
thank you

This kind of problem may be related to the MGSE (Mint Gnome Shell Extension) media player extension on Linux Mint 12. Maybe should we open a new thread because we are not speaking anymore about Mint 11. Take a look at those bugs: (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour ... bug/824505) and (https://bugs.launchpad.net/linuxmint/+bug/892316). The second one related to MGSE media player extension solved my problem installing the two patches (posts #16 and #27 of the second bug).

[mew2]

i've been experiencing this freezing prob when i open banshee. Try unistalling banshee, it worked in my pc.
open terminal
type: sudo aptitude remove banshee
you would probably be ask for other uninstalls, just press y

maybe you can use audacious. it works fine

[Gatesisgone]

Hi all,

Im a green horn that installed this version 12 lastnight. Just had the same thing happen while typing email through firefox. It wasn't pretty. This is not good. Mint 12 is on an asus netbook w/atom.

[lmintnewb]

Ok I'll add some babbling on this. Not sure if it will help anyone, only some thoughts on the topic.

1. Make sure you have a good install iso, check the md5 checksum of the file and make sure it matches the md5 Mint HQ has posted on the download page. Burn disc at a lower speed and if you have a program that will verify the disc once you've burned it, nothing wrong with that. This is the one I use ( w windows XP). Supposed to be compatible with other windows OSs too, though haven't used it with anything other than XP. Program does have a verify disc option, it's never given me a bad disc. After awhile I quit even using the verify disc feature cause it takes a longgggg time to complete. Just saying, doesn't hurt to start with a good install disc.

2. When you say, "I applied all recommended updates" ... I think people can run into probs there too. Unless something has seriously changed between LM10 and 11 or 12, then updates are rated, level 1-5, with level 1-2 being Mint approved updates, 3's being ok ... and 4-5's being considered potentially risky. At least if I remember correctly, also think I had a similar thing happen when first starting out with LM10. Finished installing alongside XP, the update manager tells me there's 180+ updates, thought updates must be good, so installed them all and the OS started running badly. Reinstalled ... next time around only installed updates for level 1 and 2, things went much smoother from there. Meaning ... guessing not all updates are good updates, they wouldn't have them rated and tell people x level is risky, unless they have reason. They are even color coded, from green to red ( red is pretty much the universal color for danger) So may be a bad update. Someone can adjust settings in the update manager to exclude level 4-5 etc, only show them level x-level x ones. Update manager also gives someone a brief description of available updates. Just look around in the controls for it.

May be time for a fresh install, if yours is still a new install you shouldn't have much data to lose at this point anyway.

[zulfikar]

Ctrl+alt+backspace will kill your GUI session and get you back to the login screen (but if everything is freezing up than it may not work) . The best way to find out the cause are the logs which reside under "var/log" , also check "dmesg " would should up kernel errors.

ctrl+alt+f1 (till f7) would get you to the pure linux mode when in a GUI.

I am very bad at reading posts so have not read much of OP's post and apologize if my post is not to the point.

You could try uninstall GFX drivers and let Lisa ride on the generic ones and see if the problem persists.

get in to the recovery mode and from there one by one check the logs.

[mpiter]

2. When you say, "I applied all recommended updates" ... I think people can run into probs there too. Unless something has seriously changed between LM10 and 11 or 12, then updates are rated, level 1-5, with level 1-2 being Mint approved updates, 3's being ok ... and 4-5's being considered potentially risky. At least if I remember correctly, also think I had a similar thing happen when first starting out with LM10. Finished installing alongside XP, the update manager tells me there's 180+ updates, thought updates must be good, so installed them all and the OS started running badly. Reinstalled ... next time around only installed updates for level 1 and 2, things went much smoother from there. Meaning ... guessing not all updates are good updates, they wouldn't have them rated and tell people x level is risky, unless they have reason. They are even color coded, from green to red ( red is pretty much the universal color for danger) So may be a bad update. Someone can adjust settings in the update manager to exclude level 4-5 etc, only show them level x-level x ones. Update manager also gives someone a brief description of available updates. Just look around in the controls for it.

On Linux Mint 11, I only installed level 1 and 2 updates. With Mint 12, I also install level 3 updates because Gnome 3.2 is obviously not finished and not as stable as Gnome 2.32. I hope that some level 3 updates will solve some bugs. When the LTS version is installed (Mint 13), I may come back to only level 1 and 2 updates.

[lmintnewb]

Nothing wrong with that mpiter. Not saying 3's are bad and someone should only apply level 1's/2's. Was just bringing it up, people may not want to apply any and every update that comes down the pipe. Guessing they're leveled and color coded for a reason. Could have absolutely nothing to do with anyones freezing woes either ...

[Ashbird]

Ok, guys, first of all:
Happy new year!
Second, thanks for the input. Had almost thought that I would get nothing (one of the reasons I was away the last weeks, besides work and travel). You proved me wrong, thanks for that.

Next I have to say, with me it's probably no banshee-problem, for it happens a lot when no banshee is open.

The install CD should be good, used it on another laptop and worked fine there. Still I will try a reinstall end of the week, for my login-screen is always black except for the first time, so maybe it's really a buggy install.

For the updates: I only did 1-3.

And: Ctrl - Alt - backspace doesn't work on my freeze either.

Well, I'll see what I get with the reinstall end of the week, when I'm at home.

Thanks so far and I'll keep you updated.
Ashbird

[jompa89]

Hi, I happen to have some of the same problem as yours.
I use Mint 12
My desktop will just freeze, and the MATE bottom bar will no longer show any of my open windows, it's just completely empty.
I can't do anything, nothing is working except Alt-Ctrl-Backspace, and then I can log back in.
I've noticed that it's always when I'm listening to music through Rhythmbox or Banshee. I hope someone will know the answer to our problems,
it's really annoying when you're working on something and then all of a sudden your desktop freezes on you.
thank you

This kind of problem may be related to the MGSE (Mint Gnome Shell Extension) media player extension on Linux Mint 12. Maybe should we open a new thread because we are not speaking anymore about Mint 11. Take a look at those bugs: (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour ... bug/824505) and (https://bugs.launchpad.net/linuxmint/+bug/892316). The second one related to MGSE media player extension solved my problem installing the two patches (posts #16 and #27 of the second bug).

The two patches seems to have worked for me as well. After running banshee a while gnome semed to freeze while I still could move the mouse, but this havent happened since running the patches.