LinuxQuestions.org - Flaky Debian squeeze install, freezes, render error detected, EIR: 0x00000000

May 10 17:13:09 thing kernel: [150876.712030] [drm:i915_hangcheck_elapsed] *ERROR* Hangcheck timer elapsed... GPU hung
May 10 17:13:09 thing kernel: [150876.712055] render error detected, EIR: 0x00000000
May 10 17:13:09 thing kernel: [150876.712083] [drm:i915_do_wait_request] *ERROR* i915_do_wait_request returns -5
May 10 17:18:28 thing python: io/hpmud/pp.c 627: unable to read device-id ret=-1

May 11 15:46:02 thing python: io/hpmud/pp.c 627: unable to read device-id ret=-1
The above message occurred while trying to log back in from system sleep mode - my screen would not wake up for more than 10 seconds and I wasn't presented a login screen despite typing and moving the mouse - being unable to login, I rebooted.

May 13 02:10:14 thing kernel: [123883.740026] [drm:i915_hangcheck_elapsed] *ERROR* Hangcheck timer elapsed... GPU hung
May 13 02:10:14 thing kernel: [123883.740048] render error detected, EIR: 0x00000000
May 13 02:10:14 thing kernel: [123883.740076] [drm:i915_do_wait_request] *ERROR* i915_do_wait_request returns -5 (awaiting 5606 at 5605)
May 13 02:14:46 thing python: io/hpmud/pp.c 627: unable to read device-id ret=-1
The above message occurred while trying to log back in from system sleep mode - my system eventually let me sign in, but I came up with a blank screen except for the mouse pointer. My hard disk was thrashing. Being unable to use my system, I rebooted.

May 13 12:22:05 thing kernel: [36470.368091] hrtimer: interrupt took 130570 ns
May 13 22:49:11 thing kernel: [74095.976041] [drm:i915_hangcheck_elapsed] *ERROR* Hangcheck timer elapsed... GPU hung
May 13 22:49:11 thing kernel: [74095.976064] render error detected, EIR: 0x00000000
May 13 22:49:11 thing kernel: [74095.976099] [drm:i915_do_wait_request] *ERROR* i915_do_wait_request returns -5 (awaiting 76862 at 76861)
May 13 22:53:57 thing python: io/hpmud/pp.c 627: unable to read device-id ret=-1
The message above occurred with multiple windows open including GMail in Iceweasel and Open Office Impress in the foreground when system froze and I rebooted when nothing else worked.

May 13 23:27:36 thing kernel: [ 2051.708023] [drm:i915_hangcheck_elapsed] *ERROR* Hangcheck timer elapsed... GPU hung
May 13 23:27:36 thing kernel: [ 2051.708047] render error detected, EIR: 0x00000000
May 13 23:27:36 thing kernel: [ 2051.708073] [drm:i915_do_wait_request] *ERROR* i915_do_wait_request returns -5 (awaiting 5843 at 5842)
May 13 23:30:39 thing python: io/hpmud/pp.c 627: unable to read device-id ret=-1
The message above occurred with GEdit running in background and while attempting to use yahoo mail in Iceweasel. System froze and I rebooted.

While Iceweasel has been the browser used the most since installing the system and has been the program in use during the freezes, Epiphany was also tested and was far less functional, with rendering failures occurring with nearly each modification of a page, though not all fatal. With Epiphany, re-rendering and reloading of a page was only accomplished by using my mouse wheel, other input methods left a gray, unusable screen.

My installation was complicated by the following factors and goals:
dual-boot capability with the idea of loading another linux flavor such as Ubuntu onto a partition.
retain 2 "legacy" ReiserFS data partitions used under Debian Etch.
use 1 ReiserFS partition as /home

What suggestions do you all have on stopping these system freezes and errors?

Other possibly useful factors:
I chose "Expert" (graphical) install as it seemed the only way to enable dual-boot capability.
I loaded the ReiserFS compatibility modules during the system install.
I chose the "highlighted" kernel during the install out of 4 choices. The kernel I chose is Linux version 2.6.32-5-686 (Debian 2.6.32-31) (ben@decadent.org.uk) (gcc version 4.3.5 (Debian 4.3.5-4) ) #1 SMP Tue Mar 8 21:36:00 UTC 2011 - however I cannot rule out the possibility that one of the other 3 kernels wouldn't have worked better.

I chose to enable the version of the system that had the most options for hardware compatibility instead of a more limited, smaller system customized to my hardware.

The default system settings for inactivity would log me off, as ppropriate. Because of a pattern of problems awakening from sleep mode, on 5/13 3am I changed the log off setting to never to avoid errors when the system should awaken. But still yet another freeze at on 5/13 at 22:49 while multiple windows were open.

Thanks for any help you can suggest