k7-smp kernel help

[Kenny]

Henk Koster wrote:
> On Sat, 17 Jun 2006 18:46:32 -0400, Kenny wrote:
>
>   
>> OK, I have been at this for about 6 hours now.
>>
>> I have an AMD X2 4400+ dual core processor. I have been trying to use 
>> the k7-smp kernel so that I can actually use both of my cores. I went 
>> into synaptic package manager, and of course it automatically chooses 
>> all of the latest pieces needed, including the appropriate restricted 
>> modules (I have 2 7800GTX's in SLI mode, so I need the Nvidia drivers).
>>
>> It all downloads and installs fine (the kernel that it defaults to 
>> download is 2.6.15.25-k7). But after about 2-5 minutes of use after I 
>> boot into this kernel and log in, my entire computer locks up. Mouse 
>> doesn't move, keyboard shortcuts don't respond. I have to manually 
>> reboot with the power button. Reminds me of the days of Windows 3.1.
>>
>> So I thought that I would step it back and get the previous kernel 
>> (2.6.15-23-k7). But when I try to download it, synaptic wants to 
>> automatically put all of the latest software with it that depend on the 
>> newer kernel. I couldn't get it to cooperate, so I figured, what the 
>> hell, I'll try it.
>>
>> I reboot, choose the older kernel, and after the Ubuntu loading screen, 
>> I get the X failure screen telling me that it couldn't start X. I 
>> figured that this was because the restricted modules wanted to work with 
>> the newer kernel and not this one.
>>
>> So I reboot again, this time to the newer k7 kernel (2.6.15-25-k7) only 
>> to find that after the Ubuntu loading screen, nothing gets sent to my 
>> monitor. My LCD power light goes orange dictating that it is no longer 
>> recieving a signal from my video cards.
>>
>> The only way I can work in Ubuntu is to use the latest 386 kernel, and 
>> that sucks because I'm running on only half of my physical cpu hardware.
>>
>> Is there a better way to do this? I've tried the sudo apt-get, but it 
>> does the same exact thing as synaptic, getting all of the latest stuff, 
>> not letting me have anything older.
>>
>> Suggestions?
>>
>> Kenny
>>     
>
> Could it be X, I wonder?
>
> Boot the new kernel in a recovery session, which will give you
> an old-fashioned black root terminal. Then run 
>
> dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg
>
> (no need to use sudo this way)
>
> and make sure to choose the nvidia driver, and a few screens 
> later make sure to select glx and deselect dri.
>
> Then reboot.   
>
>
>
>   
Success!!  We were on the right track with X being broken!  I did as you 
suggested, except that I did not reenable Nvidia right away.  Instead I 
just rebuilt a default X configuration to make sure that it would work.  
I did that and logged in, and ran various apps for about an hour with no 
lockups.  Then I got courageous and uninstalled the nvidia driver, then 
reinstalled it.  Ctrl+Alt+Backspace killed my X session without a chance 
to log back in, so I just rebooted, fearing that I broke it again.  
After the reboot, worked like a champ!!  I even got my SLI enabled and 
played a couple of rounds of UT2004 and got my ass kicked on Quake IV.  
I'm happy to say that I have a fully working dual core kernel working 
along with my X session not crapping out on me (yet).

Thanks to all for the help!