I need some memory advice on testing memory. I'm using Suse 8.1. I just purchased some memory from Ebay, a PC100 128mb module. I tested it using the memory test thats available when you boot to the Suse CD #1 and it fails consistently at one specific address at around the 46mb area. But the Linux system its installed in boots up and appears to work fine! Does Suse use memtest86 as the memory test (I hear it's very good) ? This makes me want to test my other Linux systems. Can't memtest86 be placed on a bootable floppy? Can this be done using the Suse CD's, it appears the memtest86 is somewhere on the CD's, I see it in the Yast software install. Also, is memtest86 still available? For some reason I can not access their web site www.memtest86.com ! Any other suggestions on reliable memory testing for Suse Linux systems? Thank you Matt
On Wednesday 09 April 2003 18:52, Matt Stamm wrote: <SNIP>
Also, is memtest86 still available? For some reason I can not access their web site www.memtest86.com !
Accessable from here no problem... Dylan -- Sweet moderation Heart of this nation Desert us not We are between the wars - Billy Bragg
On Wed, Apr 09, 2003 at 10:52:17AM -0700, Matt Stamm wrote:
I need some memory advice on testing memory. I'm using Suse 8.1.
I just purchased some memory from Ebay, a PC100 128mb module. I tested it using the memory test thats available when you boot to the Suse CD #1 and it fails consistently at one specific address at around the 46mb area. But the Linux system its installed in boots up and appears to work fine!
Then it's bad... ESPECIALLY if it fails at the same address every time.
Does Suse use memtest86 as the memory test (I hear it's very good) ?
Yes. -- Brad Shelton On Line Exchange http://ole.net Phone: 313-526-1111 Fax: 313-526-3333
On Wed, 9 Apr 2003 10:52:17 -0700
"Matt Stamm"
I need some memory advice on testing memory.
First, Linux may appear to run ok if you have memory that is less than
100% until the system breaks. If you have a memory module that does not
pass tests, throw it away or get a refund. Here is a war story:
I had added some memory to my older laptop. SuSE appeared to run fine.
After a while I experienced some disk corruption and I sometimes was
unable to access the DVD/CD. After thinking my problem was due to the
way the DVD/CD was connected via a "wedge". Eventually, I ran the memory
test, and the added memory showed a fault. I removed it, everything
tested ok, then reinserted it, and it showed the fault. (Sometimes,
memory can be seated incorrectly). After removing that memory my
intermittent problems stopped. I have not seen any disk corruption and
have not had any difficulties with the DVD. (Note the DVD would come up
with a garbled name).
--
Jerry Feldman
Yes, I have a way that I smoke out bad hardware. I've just put the hardware-testing routines I use into http://www.augart.com/stress-hardware/. All it does is compile the Linux kernel from source 100 times. It compares the output each time to make sure it's identical. I've had hardware that was just barely flaky -- GCC would segfault once out of every three or four kernel builds. But that was enough to cause unpredicatable errors in my system. The documentation on stress-hardware is only in the comments, but the description of it here should be enough to get you going. I also use ECC ram and turn on the ECC checks in the BIOS. I have to admit that they've never gone off so I don't know what would actually happen if I were to have bad ECC RAM. The ram I wrote stress-hardware to smoke out was not ECC RAM. If you use stress-hardware, let me know how it works for you. --Steve Augart Matt Stamm wrote:
Any other suggestions on reliable memory testing for Suse Linux systems?
On Wednesday 09 April 2003 12:52 pm, Matt Stamm wrote:
I need some memory advice on testing memory. I'm using Suse 8.1.
I just purchased some memory from Ebay, a PC100 128mb module. I tested it using the memory test thats available when you boot to the Suse CD #1 and it fails consistently at one specific address at around the 46mb area. But the Linux system its installed in boots up and appears to work fine!
Does Suse use memtest86 as the memory test (I hear it's very good) ?
This makes me want to test my other Linux systems. Can't memtest86 be placed on a bootable floppy? Can this be done using the Suse CD's, it appears the memtest86 is somewhere on the CD's, I see it in the Yast software install.
Yes, it can be on a floppy easily. Its in the /boot/ directory and its called memtest.bin (i think). SImply write a lilo configuration file to use the floppy as the boot device and memtest.bin as the other boot image. If you need more information let me know.
Also, is memtest86 still available? For some reason I can not access their web site www.memtest86.com !
Any other suggestions on reliable memory testing for Suse Linux systems?
Thank you
Matt
participants (7)
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Brad Shelton -
Christopher Mahmood -
Dylan -
Eric -
Jerry Feldman -
Matt Stamm -
Steven Augart