From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Nov 26 05:38:05 2004 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9F97716A4CE for ; Fri, 26 Nov 2004 05:38:05 +0000 (GMT) Received: from april.chuckr.org (april.chuckr.org [66.92.151.30]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8F49143D54 for ; Fri, 26 Nov 2004 05:38:04 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from chuckr@chuckr.org) Received: from april.chuckr.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by april.chuckr.org (8.13.1/8.12.11) with ESMTP id iAQ6371l030144; Fri, 26 Nov 2004 01:03:34 -0500 (EST) (envelope-from chuckr@chuckr.org) Received: from localhost (chuckr@localhost)iAQ62sbq030141; Fri, 26 Nov 2004 01:03:06 -0500 (EST) (envelope-from chuckr@chuckr.org) X-Authentication-Warning: april.chuckr.org: chuckr owned process doing -bs Date: Fri, 26 Nov 2004 01:02:48 -0500 (EST) From: Chuck Robey To: Matt Emmerton In-Reply-To: <001a01c4d377$e144fbe0$1200a8c0@gsicomp.on.ca> Message-ID: <20041126005533.Q27818@april.chuckr.org> References: <6FC9F9894A9F8C49A722CF9F2132FC220276581D@ms05.mailstreet2003.net><20041125234948.R27818@april.chuckr.org> <001a01c4d377$e144fbe0$1200a8c0@gsicomp.on.ca> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII cc: Rob cc: FreeBSD Subject: Re: Is this a sign of memory going bad? X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 26 Nov 2004 05:38:05 -0000 On Fri, 26 Nov 2004, Matt Emmerton wrote: > > Chuck Robey wrote: > > > On Thu, 25 Nov 2004, Haulmark, Chris wrote: > > > > > > > > >>Someone broke the silence: > > >> > > >> > > >>>On Thu, Nov 25, 2004 at 04:05:53PM -0500, Lowell Gilbert wrote: > > >>> > > >>>>Jonathon McKitrick writes: > > >>>> > > >>>> > > >>>>>This is what I get from make buildworld. I've gotten signal 10, > > >>>>>11, and now 5. > > >>>>> > > >>>>>Is this bad memory? > > >>>> > > >>>>That's a reasonable guess, but the only way to tell for sure is to > > >>>>test it. > > >>> > > >>>Is there a port to do this, or do I have to take it out and take it > > >>>somewhere else to get it tested? > > >>> > > >>>jm > > >> > > >>sysutils/memtest in the ports. > > > > > > > > > I don't want to embarrass anyone here, but something needs to be said. > > > Note this next sentence carefully: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A WORKING > > > MEMORY TEST PROGRAM!!! > > > > What about the BIOS RAM test? I mean the counter that you can interrupt > with > > the ESC key, at the beginning of the boot process? Will that reliably > indicate > > problems with the RAM, or is that test also rubbish? > > That just tests that the RAM is accessible (ie, electrical interface is > sound). Got to be careful how you word it; it doesn't even mean that, cause there are so many corner cases that memory needs to meet, really needs it, and the electrical checks are unbelieveably thin. I know YOU know that, but we're writing for the newbies, they're going to take you at your words here, and that check, it's so useless. Something like looking at your car's fuel guage to tell if your car is working. If the fuel guage reads 3/4 full, it does't say much about the state of your spark plugs, does it? Unfortunately, that IS a fair analogy. Now, let the newbies read that one, it's accurate, far as it goes. You have to realize, newbies will guess, if you don't give them enough data, they're not stupid, just ignorant, so be careful what sort of guessing data you give them. > > -- > Matt Emmerton > > _______________________________________________ > freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions > To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscribe@freebsd.org" > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chuck Robey | Interests include C & Java programming, FreeBSD, chuckr@chuckr.org | electronics, communications, and SF/Fantasy. New Year's Resolution: I will not sphroxify gullible people into looking up fictitious words in the dictionary (on the wall at my old fraternity, Signa Phi Nothing). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------