From owner-freebsd-alpha Wed Oct 23 12:34:27 2002 Delivered-To: freebsd-alpha@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 186BB37B401 for ; Wed, 23 Oct 2002 12:34:26 -0700 (PDT) Received: from freebie.xs4all.nl (freebie.xs4all.nl [213.84.32.253]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id CDDDA43E3B for ; Wed, 23 Oct 2002 12:34:24 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from wkb@freebie.xs4all.nl) Received: from freebie.xs4all.nl (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by freebie.xs4all.nl (8.12.6/8.12.6) with ESMTP id g9NJYG1e001009; Wed, 23 Oct 2002 21:34:17 +0200 (CEST) (envelope-from wkb@freebie.xs4all.nl) Received: (from wkb@localhost) by freebie.xs4all.nl (8.12.6/8.12.6/Submit) id g9NJYGxA001008; Wed, 23 Oct 2002 21:34:16 +0200 (CEST) Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2002 21:34:16 +0200 From: Wilko Bulte To: Andrew Gallatin Cc: Fred Clift , freebsd-alpha@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: debugging around machine-checks... Message-ID: <20021023213416.B939@freebie.xs4all.nl> References: <20021023110134.Q98807-100000@vespa.dmz.orem.verio.net> <15798.56033.844389.549256@grasshopper.cs.duke.edu> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline User-Agent: Mutt/1.2.5i 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 X-OS: FreeBSD 4.7-RC X-PGP: finger wilko@freebsd.org Sender: owner-freebsd-alpha@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk List-ID: List-Archive: (Web Archive) List-Help: (List Instructions) List-Subscribe: List-Unsubscribe: X-Loop: FreeBSD.org 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