Re: [SLE] SuSE Linux killed my hardware!

From: Sebastian Wolff (sebastian.wolff_at_bauing.uni-weimar.de)
Date: 12/04/03

  • Next message: W.D.McKinney: "Re: [SLE] CUPS webtool can't auth." 
    Date: Thu,  4 Dec 2003 20:00:42 +0100
To: suse-linux-e@suse.com

    Ok, I see that was fun for most of you. But I want to ask you how YOU would
    react when the shock is only a few hours old.

    I have to add something:
    o It is not a compatibility problem: Linux itself worked like a number one. Now
    the computer simply doesn't start anymore.
    o I didn't change the BIOS - I didn't have the chance any more, the only thing
    I did was to press the reset button.
    o Off course there is no backup - I tracked over 2 GB of data only in the last
    4 weeks. But the data are saved. I figured out how to take out the harddrive
    and will insert it in the notebook of a friend.
    o Concerning a messed up CMOS I have to ask the support to check that. It's in
    repair right now. After the first observations they said it is definitely
    something with the mainboard.
    o The only interesting thing you should consider: Why happened the same twice?
    Two notebooks with the same hardware problem? On another list someone told me
    that he had the same problem. Off course you might laugh at me what I did: But
    in the good old DOS/Windows world it was quit reasonable. And another thing:
    Are you REALLY sure that an os can't destroy any hardware (possibly overloads
    etc.)?

    Thanks to all for either the entertainment or the advise.

    Regards
    sebastian

    Quoting michael russell <mrussell2@titan.com>:

    > Go to
    > http://www.linux-laptop.net/dell.html
    > scroll down to the 5100 and see that linux does indeed work on that model.
    > Maybe you just have some faulty hardware, maybe you are not adding something
    >
    > that is needed.
    > Another page on installing Suse directly:
    > http://www.albion.uklinux.net/inspiron5100.html
    > On my Sony I had to add the boot parameters...
    >
    > On a side note: where does it die? Is it possable you don't have a bootable
    >
    > partition? Or that grub/lilo is not getting loaded from the MBR?
    >
    > Does it boot from CD...but not the Harddrive?
    > Did you set bios to boot from CD but not the HD?
    > Can you get back to the bios? or do you not even get that far?
    >
    > It is possable that the older computer would not have everything working,
    > however, I have installed on many "old systems" and linux always works.
    > I just had to hunt around for patches for the rest of the thing. I even had
    >
    > to not install X on one occasion. Is maybe X just not working with your vid
    >
    > card? try ctr-alt-F2 and get a classic console and see dmesg.
    >
    > I don't think you have a floppy drive on that one, but try to boot from the
    > cdrom...or floppy(if you have one) and check out grub/lilo (whichever you are
    >
    > using.
    >
    >
    > On Wednesday 03 December 2003 6:52 pm, Sebastian Wolff wrote:
    > > Dear SuSE community!
    > >
    > > This is a call for help and a troll against linux.
    > >
    > > Is it possible that in particular situations Linux may kill the main board
    > > of any laptop?
    > >
    > > By now I destroyed with the help of SuSE Linux 8.2 and 9.0 2 (!) laptops
    > in
    > > the last 2 month: An older Maxdata and a brand new Dell Inspiron 5100.
    > Both
    > > show the same symptoms:
    > >
    > > They simply don't react after turning the power on (except turning on the
    > > fan and the CD drive). The repair service believes it is the main board
    > > which must be replaced.
    > >
    > > And each time the 'damage' resulted from similar situations (the first
    > time
    > > I believed it was the age of my laptop):
    > >
    > > I wanted to change the BIOS configuration. To enter the setup you have to
    > > press F2 in the very beginning. Usually I miss this time. Hence, I
    > resetted
    > > the computer after missing it. However, I am used to damages to the file
    > > system in the worst case - therefore, to press reset is a very common and
    > > intuitive way.
    > >
    > > Well. Sometimes it can also kill your whole hardware.
    > >
    > > Now I have 2 questions:
    > >
    > > (1) What happened ???!
    > >
    > > (2) Who can I sue for it?
    > >
    > > After all this operating system (really, I liked it till now) destroyed a
    > > value of 2500 Euro (2700 $) within only 2 month! As a student I can live
    > > with that money for a whole year - and then I wanted to finish a research
    > > project next week - 3 complete month of work are gone now.
    > > Now, this is a 'free' operating system. Who is responsible? Linus
    > Torvalds?
    > > SuSE? The developer who produced this bug? Rather nobody. After this
    > > incident I have to define 'reliability' in a new sense. This warranty
    > > problem might be a reason to encourage companies to stay at Windows, HP-UX
    > > or MacOS.
    > >
    > > Regards
    > > Sebastian
    >
    > --
    > Michael P Russell
    > Software Engineer
    > The Titan Corporation
    > Electromagnetics & Electronics Division
    > 700 Comanche Rd NE
    > Albuquerque, NM 87107-4106
    > (505) 344-7455 ext. 116
    > mrussell2@titan.com
    >
    >
    >
    > --
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    > 

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