From: bortels@qdeck.com (Tom Bortels) Subject: Memory paging errors SOLVED Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1993 16:38:29 GMT
The Problem:
When I tried to install the SLS 1.02 release of Linux (v99pl9), I
would recieve "memory paging errors" at random points while doinstall
was reading disk A2; the disks were fine when checked on a MS-DOS machine.
The machine is a 486/33, 20 megs of RAM, 600 MB SCSI with Adaptec 1542.
The Solution:
On my machine, the SIMMs must be added in banks of 4, and the lowest-
density SIMMs come first; therefore, my memory consisted of 4 1-meg SIMMs,
followed by 4 4-meg SIMMS. This setup works fine with DOS.
For whatever reason, Linux did not like the mix of memory. I removed
my 1-meg SIMMs, leaving the 4 4-meg SIMMs, and the problem disappeared.
I honestly don't know exactly what the problem is; my motherboard is
cached to 16MB, so perhaps Linux didn't like crossing the cached/non-cached
barrier. I also noted that the 1 meg SIMMs were 70ns, while the 4 meg
SIMMs were 80ns; this did not cause a problem with DOS, but who knows?
In any event, with my new 16 Meg system, Linux works _wonderfully_!!!
Thanks to everyone who sent in suggestions!
-- Tom Bortels --- bortels@qdeck.com --- Walt Disney was Frozen for your sins! ============= Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn =============