Freezing problem

[satimis]

Hi folks,

Debian 5.0 workstation

PC freezes frequently on playing YouTube. This is graphic driver problem. The PC has another HD running Ubuntu 9.04. It had similar problem. After disable the driver on;

System -> Administration - Hardware Device Drivers

problem gone. But I can't find this item on Debian 5.0.


Tried following;
Configuring a NVIDIA graphics chip for Debian GNU/Linux 5.0
http://www.linlap.com/wiki/configuring+a+nvidia+graphics+chip+for+debian+gnu+ linux+5.0

$ cat /etc/X11/xorg.conf
# nvidia-xconfig: X configuration file generated by nvidia-xconfig
# nvidia-xconfig: version 1.0 (buildd@ninsei) Fri Sep 5 22:23:08 UTC 2008

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Layout0"
Screen 0 "Screen0"
InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
InputDevice "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
EndSection

Section "Files"
RgbPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/rgb"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "dbe"
Load "extmod"
Load "type1"
Load "freetype"
Load "glx"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
# generated from default
Identifier "Mouse0"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "auto"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
# generated from default
Identifier "Keyboard0"
Driver "kbd"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "Unknown"
ModelName "Unknown"
HorizSync 30.0 - 110.0
VertRefresh 50.0 - 150.0
Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Device0"
Driver "nvidia"
VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Device0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection

X can't start

also tried;
Debian Wiki Nvidia Graphcis Drivers
http://wiki.debian.org/NvidiaGraphicsDrivers

without solution. Please help. TIA


B.R.
satimis

[deathadder]

X can't start
Some more information is need, is X not starting because...it can't find your display, it can't find the nvidia module, there's no keyboard or mouse?

What error's are getting displayed? If you can't see any displayed in the command line you can see them in the log file with:
grep EE /var/log/Xorg.0.log
Assuming your Xorg error log is Xorg.0.log...

[satimis]

Some more information is need, is X not starting because...it can't find your display, it can't find the nvidia module, there's no keyboard or mouse?

What error's are getting displayed? If you can't see any displayed in the command line you can see them in the log file with:
grep EE /var/log/Xorg.0.log
Assuming your Xorg error log is Xorg.0.log...
Hi deathadder,

# grep EE /var/log/Xorg.0.log
(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
(II) Loading extension MIT-SCREEN-SAVER
(EE) Failed to initialize GLX extension (Compatible NVIDIA X driver not found)


I haven't run following commands
m-a update
m-a prepare
m-a a-i nvidia


How to run them? TIA

B.R.
satimis

[deathadder]

Hi satimis,

Have you installed the nvidia-glx package? Or rather have you installed all of the packages listed in the first link?

As for how to run them, a quick (and I mean very quick) Google (http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=105894) suggests that m-a is a Debian specific script/app so I'd say just run them like any other command and see what happens :)

[Edit]
m-a is module-assistant see: http://packages.debian.org/search?keywords=module-assistant

[satimis]

Hi satimis,

Have you installed the nvidia-glx package? Or rather have you installed all of the packages listed in the first link?

As for how to run them, a quick (and I mean very quick) Google (http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=105894) suggests that m-a is a Debian specific script/app so I'd say just run them like any other command and see what happens :)

Hi deathadder,

All packages on the link have been installed.

Just ran following commands on terminal
# m-a update
# m-a prepare
# m-a a-i nvidia
# nvidia-xconfig

Nvidia kernel was installed automatically and xorg.conf also regenerated automatically. But problem still remains.


B.R.
satimis

[deathadder]

Just to confirm, is it the same error message as before?

As a rule you should either say that the error message is the same, or copy and paste the new (?) error message. Since your problem was "X can't start" saying that the problem remains doesn't provide us with the information needed. :) You can say I'm nitpicking but I don't want to spend time looking for a solution to a problem that's changed. :)

[mrhoyt4]

Check and make sure the nvidia driver is loaded.

You can do this by running


# lsmod | grep nvidia


You should see a line that prints nvidia and two numbers after it.


nvidia 8123768 58


If nothing is printed type in


# modprobe nvidia

[satimis]

Just to confirm, is it the same error message as before?

As a rule you should either say that the error message is the same, or copy and paste the new (?) error message. Since your problem was "X can't start" saying that the problem remains doesn't provide us with the information needed. :) You can say I'm nitpicking but I don't want to spend time looking for a solution to a problem that's changed. :)
Hi deathadder,

After changes made as previously stated. X can start without problem. However YouTube freezes on playing its video a while but music continues to play clearly even its website freezes. Sometimes PC doesn't freeze. I just close YouTube website. Another time PC freezes I have to make a hard reset. Playing the sound clips on other websites the voice vibrate not clear. I have to close them

At booting Nvidia logo displays. I suppose its driver loaded. I have tried using "vesa" driver on xorg.conf. Problem still remains. X can start.


B.R.
satimis

[satimis]

Check and make sure the nvidia driver is loaded.

You can do this by running


# lsmod | grep nvidia


You should see a line that prints nvidia and two numbers after it.


nvidia 8123768 58


Hi mrhoyt4,

# lsmod | grep nvidia
nvidia 7086148 24
agpgart 28776 1 nvidia
i2c_core 19828 2 nvidia,i2c_nforce2


Loaded.


satimis

[deathadder]

Ok, so the next question is what version of the flash plugin are you using? Is it only youtube that crashes or does other flash content? Google video/flash games etc?

[satimis]

Ok, so the next question is what version of the flash plugin are you using?

Where can I find it?

Web Browser 2.22.3 (Gnome web browser)

Tools -> Extensions
No packages selected.



Is it only youtube that crashes or does other flash content?

IIRC clicking others video clips on other websites doesn't start. Playing sound clips on other websites has problem with voice jumping or 2 voices crossing.



Google video/flash games etc?
Sorry I don't follow. Whether you meant trying other video sites?


Edit:

Tried online games. Situation is the same, freezing, or unable to start, or voice not clear, etc.


B.R.
satimis

[deathadder]

Where can I find it?
You can use dpkg to list the currently installed packages. For example, the below shows that I've got the Adobe flashplugin installed and it's version 10.0.1...You may also need to grep for gnash, which is a GNU flash plugin.
ajefferi@arkab:~$ dpkg -l |grep flash
ii flashplugin-nonfree 10.0.1.218+10.0.0.525ubuntu1~hardy1+really9.0.124. 0ubuntu2 Adobe Flash Player plugin installer
IIRC clicking others video clips on other websites doesn't start. Playing sound clips on other websites has problem with voice jumping or 2 voices crossing.
Really does sound like you've got a old version of the flash plugin, or possible gnash installed. From what I remember the gnash plugin was unstable. But the last I looked at it was probably a year or so ago...
Sorry I don't follow. Whether you meant trying other video sites?
Yep :) if it was the plugin other flash content would have the same problems.

If you've got an older version of the flash plugin you can always grab a new copy from the Adobe site here: http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/

If you're using Gnash you might want to look around for an update or see if there's any tweaking you can do to make it more stable. Like I said I haven't had any experience with it over a year now the crashing wasn't worth the hassle on the occasions I did need flash :)

[satimis]

You can use dpkg to list the currently installed packages. For example, the below shows that I've got the Adobe flashplugin installed and it's version 10.0.1...You may also need to grep for gnash, which is a GNU flash plugin.
ajefferi@arkab:~$ dpkg -l |grep flash
ii flashplugin-nonfree 10.0.1.218+10.0.0.525ubuntu1~hardy1+really9.0.124. 0ubuntu2 Adobe Flash Player plugin installer

satimis@vm0:~$ dpkg -l | grep gnash
satimis@vm0:~$ dpkg -l | grep flash
both without output.

It is funny without flash I can play YouTube program. Which repo provides flashplugin-non free? Thanks

$ cat /etc/apt/sources.list
#
# deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux 5.0.1 _Lenny_ - Official i386 NETINST Binary-1 20090413-22:27]/ lenny main

#deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux 5.0.1 _Lenny_ - Official i386 NETINST Binary-1 20090413-22:27]/ lenny main

deb http://ftp.hk.debian.org/debian/ lenny main contrib non-free
deb-src http://ftp.hk.debian.org/debian/ lenny main contrib non-free

deb http://security.debian.org/ lenny/updates main contrib non-free
deb-src http://security.debian.org/ lenny/updates main contrib non-free

deb http://volatile.debian.org/debian-volatile lenny/volatile main
deb-src http://volatile.debian.org/debian-volatile lenny/volatile main


B.R.
satimis

[deathadder]

I'm actually using Ubuntu (it's my work machine). However a quick search on packages.debian.org only brings back one flashplugin hit (http://packages.debian.org/lenny/flashplugin-nonfree-extrasound) which links to this: http://packages.debian.org/search?keywords=flashplugin-nonfree

There's a plugin for sid and squeeze with a backport for lenny here: http://packages.debian.org/lenny-backports/flashplugin-nonfree

[satimis]

I'm actually using Ubuntu (it's my work machine). However a quick search on packages.debian.org only brings back one flashplugin hit (http://packages.debian.org/lenny/flashplugin-nonfree-extrasound) which links to this: http://packages.debian.org/search?keywords=flashplugin-nonfree

There's a plugin for sid and squeeze with a backport for lenny here: http://packages.debian.org/lenny-backports/flashplugin-nonfree
Hi deathadder,

$ sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list
adding following line;
deb http://www.backports.org/debian lenny-backports main contrib non-free


$ sudo apt-get install debian-backports-keyring

$ sudo aptitude update

$ sudo aptitude install flashplugin-nonfree

$ dpkg -l | grep flash
ii flashplugin-nonfree 1:2.5~bpo50+1 Adobe Flash Player - browser plugin


Restarted X

Fired up YouTube. Still it can't play smoothly but without freezing. Sound seemed not under absolute control.

$ sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf.origin /etc/X11/xorg.conf

copied back the original xong.conf. It was the original file on installing Debian 5.0 without using Nvidia driver

$ cat /etc/X11/xorg.conf
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
Driver "kbd"
Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
Option "XkbModel" "pc104"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Configured Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Monitor "Configured Monitor"
EndSection



Restarted X. Now it seems everything under control. YouTube has been playing for >30 min without problem.

I'll remove the NVidia kernel later after playing YouTube for a longer time and proving it w/o problem.


Lot of thanks for your assistance.


Edit:

Removed all packages installed according to;
http://www.linlap.com/wiki/configuring+a+nvidia+graphics+chip+for+debian+gnu+ linux+5.0

Edited /boot/grub/menu.lst

restoring the original settings. Rebooted PC.

Now YouTube is working without problem, w/o freezing. Sound in under control


B.R.
satimis