Hardware problem, or Software?

[OmniJPotent]

I am having an issue with a newer linux install on some older hardware. We are running slackware 8.1 and hardware setup looks something like this:

Mobo - Asus A7V
Proc - Duron 850
Video - Nvidia geforce 2mx
Sound - sound blaster live value
Network - 3com office connect
Ram - 256mb crucial
Hard disk - 13gb WD Caviar
CdRW - Acer (old school 2X burner)

Anyway the idea of this box was to use parts that were sitting around doing nothing but collecting dust and make a file storage / web server out of them. We have this thing all nice and setup and working great except that it locks up on us all the time. Sometimes it will lockup on boot, some times it will boot up run x and stay stable for days then one day it just stops. We decided that either there was some problem with the processor or ram, and since swapping ram didn't help any I am lead to believe that the processor might be to blame for this problem. If it is, in fact a hardware problem. To add to this mess I found that the fan under the proc that is attached to the mobo, as not moving due to some serious cat hair/dust collection it had been doing over the year it was sitting around. And that to could have been the problem, and could have in fact caused the mobo to become unstable.

Now to make things even worse. This problem started only after I tried to get my flash card reader to work so I could download images off my digital camera directly onto the linux box insted of using ftp or the network to get them there. Anyway I never got the flash card reader to work, but ever since then it has done this lockup thing. Before that I was able to leave the computer for weeks without any issues and the only reboot it got was when I took it down to move it.

So the thing I am wondering out of all of this is... Do you guys/gals think this is indead a hardware problem, or did I open a can of worms when I tried to get that flash card reader to work. And if it is indead a hardware problem, putting a new mobo/proc in would more than likley solve the problem right? But would I need to do a full reinstall of linux due to the new motherboard?

[camelrider]

My first move would be to clean up your heat-sink and get that fan going again and see if things get stable. The fan may just have stopped running about the time you were trying to get the flash-card reader to work. If you compiled a bunch of software at that time the heat could have been pretty serious.

I too have dust problems and try to remember to shut things down about once a month and go over the guts with a soft little paint-brush and my Shop-Vac.

[OmniJPotent]

Yeah I did clean the fan up, there is no heatsink but I checked the proc heatsink just in case and it was fairly clean for having sat for a year. The fan on the mobo was the one that wasn't spinning, and I took it off cleaned it, lubed it, and it started to spin again. That was a week ago and it has yet to be stable.

[0utlaw]

it doesnt sound like ur hardware is the prob. here's my idea tho, if the flash card reader plugs into the usb port, that could be started the whole mess. ive heard ppl plug in their usb mice and then have their system lock up and stuff. if ur flash card reader is usb, do you have usb support enable in ur kernel?

[Extreme_Toad]

Wait, so the processor fan was not running? And you were running the computer? Not a good thing, heat can ruin a computer in seconds (if I were to detach my heat sink and fan from Athlon XP 2000 and start it up, that would be the end).

Glad your computer is still running,
ET

[OmniJPotent]

Yes the flash card reader is usb, and I was trying to enable usb support when this all started. And no the processor fan WAS running, the fan that is attached directly to the motherboard over some chip attached to the motherboard was not running.

Now is there anyway to say disable usb support again and see if it will become stable?