I've got SuSe 8.0 running on a K6. It is to be a webserver. It boots fine (though it doesn't like it if there is no keyboard) and I can successfully ssh into it and also access webmin. After about 20 minutes, the system speaker starts to emit a rapidly repeated beep (it almost sounds continuous) - the server still functions but I've quickly turned it off each time. What should I be looking for first? This only started at midnight last night and I haven't had chance to look at anything yet. I booted the server at breakfast time and the beep happened.
Could it be memory? It's a second user box with a 64 and 32 stick of SDRAM. Or the heat?
Do different problems cause different system bell sounds?
Thanks

Yes, they do- but those are usuallly BIOS beep codes which you'll only get at boot-up. A rapid beeping once the system is up and running can be caused by a stuck key on the keyboard, or a defective keyboard in general.

Hmmmm! That makes some sense - it's a very old keyboard that I dug out of a very deep cupboard at work. But....I have the vague feeling that I'd unplugged the keyboard the first time this happened. On reflection, it certainly *sounded* like a stuck key. Could this be caused by anything other than the keyboard?
Thanks

Perhaps, but the keyboard would seem to be the most likely suspect to me.

As I said, beeps on boot-up are from the BIOS, and each BIOS manufaturer (AMI, Phoenix, etc) has their own set of beep codes to indicate different problems. However, once your system is up and running, the BIOS is pretty much out of the picture as far as beeps go. In terms of the keyboard, operating systems have a buffer which stores keystrokes, but that buffer has a limit. When you overflow the buffer with too many keystrokes (as can happen with a stuck key or a faulty keyboard), either the OS or your foreground application will oftem complain by emitting a string of fairly rapid, evenly-spaced beeps.

I'll try a different keyboard tonight - if I can dig out another old one. Is there a command to clear the keyboard buffer? The keyboard is in at boot (otherwise boot freezes) - and then I take it out. Could the buffer fill and react later - ie 20 minutes later?

You could possibly damage the controller if you unplug the keyboard with the power on.

Have you checked the BIOS settings to see if it will ignore errors?

Greetings esteeven!


Your posts are suggesting that you'd rather run the server without a keyboard attached to it anyways. You can switch off the keyboard check at boot time. Look in your BIOS, I don't have the exact names in mind right now but normally it's in standard CMOS setup (where you can also define your types of HDDs) and it should be called something like "Halt on errors". Switch that option to "All but keyboard" or - if there is no such option - to "None". Save settings, switch the computer off (!!), unplug the keyboard and you're rdy to go!

On the unplugging issue... I'm not sure if I got that right, did you unplug the keyboard while the computer was running? Don't ever do that with a PS/2 connector. I'm told you can damage components or even your whole motherboard by doing this. Same goes for PS/2 mouse. If I'm wrong on this, pls correct me ppl... I'm only relaying some advice I got once.

The beeping could also be caused by your CPU reaching a near-critical temperature although I rather doubt that. Try running the server without a keyboard and if the beeping remains, try looking on the motherboard's vendor's homepage for beep codes and the corresponding errors. Maybe you can find something that will give you a clue.


Good bye!

Thanks everyone - I'll post the results of my investigations tonight. It's not a PS/2 connector - it's a large "DIN" type connector - so old I can't remember what they are called.
Cheers

Thanks clever people
Uptime is now over 3 hours - the keyboard was the problem. Errors are now switched off in the BIOS so *yipee*

THANKS

Good job; glad we could help.

As other have mentioned, yes- hot-plugging devices connected to ps/2 , DIN, serial, or parallel ports can blow the trancievers or other circuitry. It isn't guaranteed to happen, and you'll hear a lot of people say that they do it all the time, but those ports are not designed for hot-plugging.