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Since I started out using Linux with Ubuntu (10.04), I have been testing various Gnome-based desktop environments for a new system. The new ones listed above all have the same problem, which is that they tend to freeze when the system is (I guess) overloaded with processes.
Specifically, I can make any of them freeze when I hit the screen-brightness button on my machine too many times too fast, or when I mash down on it while another program is actively doing something, such as applying settings or requesting a web-page.
The freeze involves a non-responsive screen, and sometimes a non-responsive mouse.
I can't make old Gnome (Debian, Ubuntu 10.04) freeze.
That depends; it could be your graphics card; it could be hardware failure as well or your computer may not have the RAM to be able to perform the task at hand. To find out what graphics card you have and other good info about your system you can run this command to find out what you do have.
Code:
lspci
Is this an older computer and how much memory does it have?
Memtest 86 is a diagnostic tool that you can use/run to diagnose if your system is having hardware issues- http://www.memtest.org/
In my case when I had Ubuntu; my screen would either freeze or the graphic's would run in low mode.
I installed a driver for my graphics card and never had another problem again.
You said:" It's a fairly new computer. Here are my specs from All Settings >> Details in Linux Mint. I'm running Mint Maya 13 with Cinnamon right now.
Memory: 5.6 GiB
Processor: Intel Core i3 CPU M 380 @ 2.53GHz x 4
Graphics: Intel Ironlake Mobile
Type: 64-bit
Disk: 239.7 GB"
That's plenty of Memory and with a single core you should be good to go and Mint 13 should be ok.
While I was on the Mint site I looked for a Solved thread for your problem and didn't find one.
I'll keep looking to try to help you the best that I can.
I have to be honest here and tell you I don't have experience with bug fixes. But I am not going to give up on helping you; there should be a solution but it's not at linuxmint.com because I looked very well. That's unusual-
You can try Ctrl+Alt+* to kill the front process (Screen locking programs on Xorg 1.11) or Ctrl+Alt+F1 to open a terminal, launch a command like ps or top to see running processes and launch kill on not responding process.
Thank you for your help, Ztcoracat! I updated my graphics driver, but that didn't fix the problem.
Ctrl + Alt + anything does nothing. Updating doesn't change anything.
I wanted to see if this issue was related to Gnome or to Ubuntu in general, so I tested the freeze conditions in the latest version of Xubuntu (12.04). It froze as well.
So then I was thinking maybe this was an issue with the 2.3 kernel, but I have a Slackware system with the 3.2.29 kernel installed on this computer as well, and it doesn't freeze.
Freeze:
Ubuntu Pangolin 12.04 (3.2 kernel)
Other things based on Ubuntu 12.04 (Ubuntu with Gnome Shell, Xubuntu, Linux Mint Cinnamon)
No Freeze:
Ubuntu Lucid 10.04 (2.6.32 kernel)
Debian Squeeze (2.6.32 kernel)
Slackware 14 KDE (3.2.29 kernel)
I had Ubuntu 10.04 for years and well....it was a great operating system till I started having graphics problems.
I don't know that much about Slackware but hope your happy with your disto and it's performance (sound and stable) is running as it should.
It's best generally to wait for the team that supports your distro and for them to provide an update/upgrade to install for the newer version of the kernel. Most folks only install a new kernel if they need support for new hardware or to correct a performance problem.
You said;
" So then I was thinking maybe this was an issue with the 2.3 kernel "
There could be an issue with the 2.3 kernel but we better find documentation to support that or we could be practicing a pointless exercise. Research has always helped me.
And on the upswing of research you find out all kinds of new stuff about Linux.
I also am running 2.6.32-5 Debian Squeeze AMD 64bit; and it's been sound and stable.
Everything is running OK except for the freeze problem. I will look into kernel dependecies and post if I find a way to fix this. Thanks again for your help!
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