# signs of a corrupted CPU  (Via Esther) [solved]

## cercasi

Hi folks,

thanks for reading this, I really dont know what to do! this is my first gentoo installation, so I'm still learning. I'm building a low power server on a jetway  (pdf)   motherboard. It has a Via C7 processor (native x86 compatible) with a Esther core (no fan). I really had no serious trouble to navigate through the installation handbook (great work btw). I used the save CFLAGS

```
CHOST="i686-pc-linux-gnu"

CFLAGS="-march=i686 -mmmx -msse -msse2 -msse3 -Os -pipe -fomit-frame-pointer"
```

, compiled the kernel with 

```
CONFIG_MVIAC3_2=y
```

and linked to the server profile. well, everything save and sound, up to this:

It all started with Segmentation Faults, which I recieved when copying large files or formatting another hard disk to ext3. suddenly make wouldn't work anymore for big programms like mysql and php  and aborting randomly. but if I emerged a program plenty of times (5-10), I got it installed (After many segfaults, hangs and even kernel panics).

At this point I started thinking about a hardware issue and found the Linux hardware stability guide where testing the CPU with a loop of kernel compiles is recommended. it doesnt take long until the build dies with various internal compiler errors (on random locations/files). (The temperature of the cpu shown in BIOS seems okay.)

Is there a way to isolate this failure more precisely? maybe I configured something wrongly ... please share your experience... what would you try? if you need any outputs, let me know - I'll post them asap.

I really only want to send the board back if I have to (it takes a month, i tried it before!). This night I'm starting a memtest86+ for 6 hours. I let you know about the result tomorrow!

many thanks in advance, seb

(/proc/cpuinfo, kernel .config, [EDIT] using kernel 2.6.19-gentoo-r5)Last edited by cercasi on Sun May 13, 2007 5:21 pm; edited 1 time in total

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## Alexi

Have you tried booting with mem=nopentium? Atleast that solved all my segmentation fault problems.  :Smile: 

I think AMD cpu´s with the old t-bird core needed that to work, although my cpu is newer than that. Maybe the same thing goes for your Cyrix cpu.

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## DirtyHairy

My first guess would be defective RAM; I would check this first (best by removing/replacing modules).

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## cercasi

hi, thanks for the quick reply. 

I tried the boot option. still kernel compile errors. 

it says: internal compiler error: Segmentation fault

Please submit a full bug report, with preprocessed source if appropriate.

... This bug is not reproducible, so it is likely a hardware or OS problem.

How can I eliminate the chance of a OS problem? Using an older kernel?

BTW: last night I had memtest86+ check my RAM and it went all fine (6hrs). 

please submit your ideas!   :Exclamation: 

regards, Seb

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## DirtyHairy

Afaik, memtest doesn't alway find everything, I would first try removing or swapping RAM before doing anything else.

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## cercasi

umm - I got no additional RAM around... any other ideas I could try right now? 

I may be able to get another dimm of RAM at the end of the week...

regards, seb

[update] today I even experienced SegFaults during normal program execution....  :Idea: 

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## cercasi

hi out there,

I made it up for fresh memory and had the kernel compiled. Still Segmentation Faults. 

If anyone knows something left to try please let me know until Monday, cause then I'll return this trash. 

seb

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## cercasi

I finally received my replacement and ran the kernel compile program for 6 hours - no segfaults anymore.

it must have been the CPU that produced errors when running hot. 

thanks for any hints!

seb

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