While in graphics mode (gnome) the computer freezes. No mouse or keyboard response. The window remains ( no black screen). My only option seems to be a hard shutdown, power off. This is a new (clean, on it's own HDD) install, CD-1 only of the distro. This didn't happen with RH 9.0 ( also gnome). Can you point me to a troubleshooting procedure? Logs that might tell me what went wrong? I can't duplicate the lockup by using any specific x application, it just seems to be random. The only x apps that I'm using when this happens came on the deb. cd, like the browser, gedit, xterm, vim, file browser, etc. I would appreciate it if anyone could point me some troublshooting procedures or steps.
Thx

Could be a memory problem.
Run memtest, see if anything pops up.

What is your h/w? (make, model, mobo, chipset, video card, memory, etc)

Does the system freeze if not running X, ie boot into single user (command line) mode to see if it only happens in X (try running as many non-X apps as possible).

Try a Live cd, to see if problem happens, this will tell us if unique to Debian 4.

I ran memtest -86 no errors. The system runs great with several live cd distros, Puppy 2.13, and SLAX(kernel 2.6.15 and KDE). I loaded SLAX with alot of xapps, OpenOffice, Lazarus, acro reader, etc., - until memory started to page, no problems. Debian doesn't require nearly as much ram as SLAX so? The system is old, FIC mb, AMD Athlon 900 cpu, 512 mgs SDRam, VIA kt133 chipset, ATI Rage 128 pro video card. Debian is on it's own HDD (ext3) but mounts 2 additional particians (usb hdd), 1 is ext3 and the other is ntfs. The system boots Win2K Pro SP4 also.

You didn't by any chance install Debcentral and use it did you?

No, I don't know what deb central is. I downloaded deb 4.0, the first cd only, burned it and installed it. Since starting this thread, I haven't had the system freeze, not even once. I'm now questioning my sanity. I tried loading alot of xapps at the same time, PDF viewer, multi-instances of epiphany, etc., etc. but no problems.