Slackware crashes on every other startup
 

At the "Decompressing Linux..." prompt after the LILO menu, every other time I start it, it crashes, no error, the computer just restarts.

This happened since installation.

It does say when I log into root: One Failure since last login, but nothing beyond that.

Any common issues that this could be?

What version of Slackware (you can use the command cat /etc/slackware_release to find that out), what version kernel (use uname -a), what make/model computer, how much memory?

You might look at the message logs in /var/log/messages, but, if it crashes so quickly, I doubt the computer has had time to log anything.

It wouldn't hurt to open up the box and make sure the memory is properly seated, the vents are clear of dust, and the fans are working, although, if overheating is a problem, it usually shows itself with an unexpected shutdown after a period of operation, not with a failed boot. (Those checks are good routine maintenance practices in any event.)

I've had a similar problem about 12 months ago on a different machine - thought it would hang every second or third boot. I resolved it by adding the "compact" line to /etc/lilo.conf

Or run

Before you do that - make sure you have a livecd/boot disk so that you can get into your system from a chroot if anything goes wrong.

I would run memtest86+ as well as some HDD diagnostics like a SMART long test. Does it always reboot at the same place ?

It is the most recent Slackware version (13.37?) I never updated it so it whatever kernel is on the CDs. (ISnt the second part of the version the kernel version?)

Its a VAIO desktop, 256 megs of ram, 61 gig HD, the fans spin at like 50 deciples, and pwmconfig says that the tempiture-thomoeter things in it say about 38 degrese (Farinhight).
One of the 3 sensors says -48 but I dought that is a sensor for tempiture.

It turns out there are 2 fans focused on the same chip, I found that very odd, but isnt really revalent here.

Memory seems to be fine, I was running Debian fine on it a few days ago.

I did check out the inside of the machine but nothing was differint from what I expected. I clead out the fans but, like I said, that doesnt seem to be a problem.

I tried the LILO thing and that seemed to fix it... Ill still keep an OpenBSD dual boot until I am sure.

No, the .37 can be thought of as the "sub-release", or minor version, of major version 13. There was 13.0, 13.1, and 13.37.

You say "every other time", does that translate to "every time I start it it fails, I re-start it almost immediately and it works?"

I had that problem, sort of. I have a something (I think graphics card) that every once in a while isn't quite ready to do more than text mode when slackware wants to show KDM. The machine will hang, I'll restart it, and everything will be fine.

If you are booting into the KDM, you could test jamesf's theory by booting to runlevel 3, instead of runlevel 4.

You could do the opposite of the procedure described at this link:

http://wiki.linuxquestions.org/wiki/...ight_into_X.3F

I'd have a look at the output of last, the more recent entries (at the top); /var/log/debug may shed light as well and /var/log/syslog ought to tell you something about the reboots. Kernel panics nor graphics cards should result in a _reboot_, they should cause a hang or so. You're not trying to log-in using ctrl-alt-del, right? ;-)