# noapic switch in grub.conf and Athlon64 X2 [solved]

## csteeves

I've just installed Gentoo on a Compaq Presario laptop with an Athlon 64 X2 processor and nVidia components.  There is apparently a conflict which arises related to the real time clock (and which causes hard crashes every 5-10 minutes) which can be avoided by using the noapic switch on the boot line in grub.conf.  What does this switch do to the performance of the computer?  Is it a good idea to be using this switch with a dual core processor (I've read that it isn't but with no reason given)?  Is there a better way to solve this problem?

Thanks for any advice / recommendations.

CraigLast edited by csteeves on Sat Oct 13, 2007 4:59 pm; edited 1 time in total

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## DaggyStyle

 *csteeves wrote:*   

> I've just installed Gentoo on a Compaq Presario laptop with an Athlon 64 X2 processor and nVidia components.  There is apparently a conflict which arises related to the real time clock (and which causes hard crashes every 5-10 minutes) which can be avoided by using the noapic switch on the boot line in grub.conf.  What does this switch do to the performance of the computer?  Is it a good idea to be using this switch with a dual core processor (I've read that it isn't but with no reason given)?  Is there a better way to solve this problem?
> 
> Thanks for any advice / recommendations.
> 
> Craig

 

noapic disables your second cpu....

the key to keep the system mostly stable is right kernel config, wm installation (apperently, the system freezes when you dont load the wm, dont know why) and currect kernel paramaters.

here are the kernel parameters that I use:

irqpoll no_timer_check acpi_osi=!Linux pci=useirqmask pci=routeirq acpi_sci=level

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## csteeves

 *DaggyStyle wrote:*   

> 
> 
> here are the kernel parameters that I use:
> 
> irqpoll no_timer_check acpi_osi=!Linux pci=useirqmask pci=routeirq acpi_sci=level

 

Thanks very much for your help.

Are all of these parameters necessary to solve this problem?  Keeping the old configuration (with noapic) I can boot directly to the window manager, but with these parameters I just end up with a blank screen after the boot process announces that it is starting gdm. Which parameters should be most critical (so that I test them first - otherwise there are 64 possible combinations...).  And I have read that shutting down the real time clock support in the kernel is crucial - do you know if this is true?

Craig

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## DaggyStyle

 *csteeves wrote:*   

>  *DaggyStyle wrote:*   
> 
> here are the kernel parameters that I use:
> 
> irqpoll no_timer_check acpi_osi=!Linux pci=useirqmask pci=routeirq acpi_sci=level 
> ...

 

it all about trial and error....

keep the irqpoll and no timer check and see what's going on, one more thing, are there any strange messages in /var/log/messages? or in dmesg?

yes, I've disabled RTC in the kernel

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## csteeves

 *csteeves wrote:*   

>  *DaggyStyle wrote:*   
> 
> here are the kernel parameters that I use:
> 
> irqpoll no_timer_check acpi_osi=!Linux pci=useirqmask pci=routeirq acpi_sci=level 
> ...

 

I've tried most combinations of the parameters suggested above.  So far no luck with getting any result different from a black screen without using noapic.  The last line in /var/log/kernel/current before the new reboot is:

Oct 12 07:31:05 [kernel] [ACPI Debug]  String: [0x15] "_Q80 : Temperature Up"

There seem to be plenty of ACPI Debug notes in dmesg as well - I am assuming now that I have something ACPI-related misconfigured in my kernel - are there any resources around to help resolve these issues?

Thanks again.

Craig

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## csteeves

But it turns out that I have the same ACPI Debug message in /var/log/kernel/current for a noapic boot; is the noapic option averting a crash here, or is the ACPI Debug message unrelated?

edit: I note as well that the parameter pci=useirqmask is unrecognised.  Do I need to activate something in the kernel to make this option meaningful?

edit 2:  I also notice that if I start ntp-client from a terminal, I get exactly the same symptoms: immediate crash to black screen, but if I start ntp-client and ntpd at boot (default runlevel) it functions properly.

edit 3:  Elsewhere in the /var/log/kernel/current I find the following:

Oct 12 15:11:57 [kernel] irq 7: nobody cared (try booting with the "irqpoll" option)

Oct 12 15:11:57 [kernel] Call Trace:

Oct 12 15:11:57 [kernel]  [<ffffffff8100acde>] show_trace+0x34/0x47

Oct 12 15:11:57 [kernel]  [<ffffffff8100ad03>] dump_stack+0x12/0x17

Oct 12 15:11:57 [kernel]  [<ffffffff81053f34>] __report_bad_irq+0x30/0x7d

Oct 12 15:11:57 [kernel]  [<ffffffff81054162>] note_interrupt+0x1e1/0x223

Oct 12 15:11:57 [kernel]  [<ffffffff81054b97>] handle_level_irq+0xc3/0x100

Oct 12 15:11:57 [kernel]  [<ffffffff8100be6c>] do_IRQ+0x100/0x154

Oct 12 15:11:57 [kernel]  [<ffffffff81009a91>] ret_from_intr+0x0/0xa

Oct 12 15:11:57 [kernel]  [<ffffffff810088e0>] default_idle+0x2c/0x4a

Oct 12 15:11:57 [kernel]  [<ffffffff81008988>] cpu_idle+0x8a/0xae

Oct 12 15:11:57 [kernel]  [<ffffffff81017b39>] start_secondary+0x46b/0x47a

Oct 12 15:11:57 [kernel] handlers:

Oct 12 15:11:57 [kernel] [<ffffffff8124397f>] (usb_hcd_irq+0x0/0x52)

but this is from a boot with noapic set.  Related?

Craig

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## DaggyStyle

what is your kernel version? post your lspci please

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## csteeves

I think I've now sorted this out; see:

https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-598475.html

Thanks very much for your help.

Craig

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## DaggyStyle

 *csteeves wrote:*   

> I think I've now sorted this out; see:
> 
> https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-598475.html
> 
> Thanks very much for your help.
> ...

 

np, if you findout something new keep posting.

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