Re: [RFC/SERIOUS] grilling troubled CPUs for fun and profit?

On Mon, Jun 19, 2006 at 04:47:37PM -0400, linux-os (*** Johnson) wrote:

Why do you think we go to the bother of installing a double fault handler if
we're going to reset? Why would we go to the bother of printk'ing
information about the double fault if we're about to reset faster than
it would get to a serial console ?

I don't know why you go to the bother of installing such a handler.

I even explained why in my mail.

"The box intentionally locks up, so we have a chance to know wtf happened."

What's easier to debug: A box that just spontaneously reboots, or a box
that locks up with doublefault information on screen ?

Have you actually gotten it to print something? All my experience
with double-faults (and many with your RH Linux, BTW) result in
the screen going blank, the POST starting, and the machine re-booting.

No release of Red Hat Linux ever shipped with a double fault hander.
RHEL4 is the only product we sell that has it. Fedora also has it since
FC2 iirc.

Your single datapoint is just that, a single datapoint.
There are a number of reported cases of CPUs frying themselves.
Here's one: http://www.tomshardware.com/2001/09/17/hot_spot/page4.html
Google no doubt has more.

Another anecdote: Upon fan failure, I once had an athlon MP *completely shatter*
(as in broke in two pieces) under extreme heat.

This _does_ happen.

Maybe it wasn't a FAN failure?

Same fan was transplanted to another box after that death, where it
was found to be as dead as the CPU & board it was previously plugged into.

Given the heat of the dead CPU, it's safe to say it wasn't operation
at time of death.

Dave

--
http://www.codemonkey.org.uk
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