Memtest on Linux
 

Is possible to run memtest on Linux, not bootable CD? There is only bootable CD image from memtest.org but doesn't say install memtest under linux and run from there. Anyone know how to, please give me a hint. I am sorry if this question is not appropriate for this room since I am just a linux newbie.

Thanks,
nodopro

memtest runs "stand-alone" - it doesn't need (or want) Linux. Would only get in the way.

No. memtest is a stand alone program. It does not run under any operating system.

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Steve Stites

memtest86 and memtest86+ are standalone programs, not meant to be run under any kernel.

However, if you want an equivalent program that can run in user space, you can use this one:
http://pyropus.ca/software/memtester/

Most people run memtest as a boot option from a live cd. You can install the memtest86 package for your distro on you linux system, then run memtest-setup to add it to your grub.conf. Then you can choose to run memtest at boot time, without any need for a live cd.

So it's not possible. What I try to do is to call memtest by using system command in my perl script.

As I said above, memtest86 is not designed to run under a kernel. It is not a linux program, nor a windows one. It's a little OS in itself -if you wish- that does a very concrete task, and then reboots. That's why it runs outside the OS. The bootloader runs memtest86 instead of the linux kernel, and then you need to reboot.

It's that way by design, and nothing that you do on perl or any other language can change that (unless you run memtest86 on a virtual machine, in which case it will just test the virtual ram of the virtual machine :p ).

You are going to need any other program to do the test.