Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2002 21:34:16 +0200 From: Wilko Bulte <wkb@freebie.xs4all.nl> To: Andrew Gallatin <gallatin@cs.duke.edu> Cc: Fred Clift <fclift@verio.net>, freebsd-alpha@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: debugging around machine-checks... Message-ID: <20021023213416.B939@freebie.xs4all.nl> In-Reply-To: <15798.56033.844389.549256@grasshopper.cs.duke.edu>; from gallatin@cs.duke.edu on Wed, Oct 23, 2002 at 01:22:41PM -0400 References: <20021023110134.Q98807-100000@vespa.dmz.orem.verio.net> <15798.56033.844389.549256@grasshopper.cs.duke.edu>
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On Wed, Oct 23, 2002 at 01:22:41PM -0400, Andrew Gallatin wrote: > > Fred Clift writes: > > > > Ok -- I'm not terribly alpha proficitent - in fact, the one alpha that I > > run is just a home-server - little more than a toy (mp3 server, print > > server and relatively secure ssh enpoint from the outside world). > > > > Could someone explain exactly what is going on when a machine-check > > happens? Is this done by the machine firmware or something? It seems > > Yes. > > A machine check is the highest priority interrupt. It occurs when > something seriously bad happens. Like an uncorrectable memory parity > error, or a rogue application or kernel fondling device memory that Make that: uncorrectable ECC memory error. As a side note: they can also occur due to a bad CPU (I once had that), insufficient CPU cooling, flakey power supply. An environmental check is therefore recommended if you see them on a given FreeBSD code version where other people / different hardware does not see them. Wilko -- | / o / /_ _ wilko@FreeBSD.org |/|/ / / /( (_) Bulte Arnhem, the Netherlands To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-alpha" in the body of the message
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