fixing system lockups in X and textmode

dariuus@cris.com ("dariuus@cris.com")
Wed, 17 Jul 1996 17:10:00 -0400 (EDT)

I have been having random problems with X windows dying out back
to a prompt with a sig-fault(11). sometimes it will just hang the
machine if i try to restart xwindows. I remember while using OS/2 there
was a utility that if the workplace shell was to lockup you could press a
button on the joystick and that would reboot your computer cleanly.
instead of having to resort to pressing the dreaded power-off switch to
get out of a lockup. This mostly happens within X. IF i could solve the
problem that would be great...but as a work around for now and maybe
future versions. It would be nice to see such a utility as the
joystick-reboot utility ported/rewritten to linux. Every time this
happens i cross my fingers that my system will come up again cleanly.

What I am using:
linux 2.0.7 ELF
libc 5.2.18
(all other required upgrades ppp, procps, etc)
16mb swapfile ( i like to use the swapfile instead of a partition
because i can resize it....its less optimal i know)

Pentium 100mhz w/ 8mb RAM ( happened with my 486-33 as well )

any help or hearing from other people also having linux crap out with an
error sig-fault(11) please lemme know...thanks

--Norm
dariuus@cris.com
torvik@northwood.edu ( system lab administrator )