kernel 3.2.x causes system freeze on Intel Ivy Bridge platform(e.g. ThinkPad T430)?
 

Hi :)

I installed Slackware 14.0 x86_64 RC2(kernel 3.2.27) on my new laptop(info listed below) a few weeks ago. Since then, I keep meeting sudden system freeze. Usually, my linux box is opened for 8~10 hours every day. And the freeze issue appears almost at least once per day. In some unlucky days, it will be several times.

The most weird thing is that it's very hard to reproduce such a freeze problem. It shows up when I right-click on desktop, type url in web browser, switch to next song in Amarok and so on.

It seems not a bug of Nvidia graphics(disabed via BIOS), or KDE(xfce freezed as well), or RC's kernel 3.2.27(upgraded to RC4 3.2.28, freezed too). And I disabled Composite extension. When the system freezes, mouse and keyboard doesn't response, and ctrl+alt+backspace/ctrl+alt+fN can't kill X server or switch to console. But mute botton and dvd-rom works.

Then I found something relevant after google, "t430 freeze linux" and "freeze ivy bridge linux". Many user with kernel 3.2.x met crash or freeze issues on Ivy Bridge. It seems that kernel 3.2.x does not work well with Intel Ivy Bridge.

Some users solved this problem by upgrading kernel to higher version, >= 3.3.x. But for me, it may not be a good option. Cuz Slackware 14.0 final will stick with kernel 3.2.x(very likely 3.2.28). And I don't know if higher kernel works stable enough. This is really really annoying :( I can not study and work on Slackware 14.0 now. I really do need help, what am I supposed to do?

Appreciate any helps.

Slackware 14.0 RC4 x86_64, kernel 3.2.28 on

Well, freezed again just a few minutes after posting here. Attached Xorg.0.log*.

Why don't you try to disable the intel chip and use the nvidia driver?

I am experiencing the same behavior in my new Thinkpad T530 with Ivy Bridge and HD4000 graphics. It is disappointing too because everything else works so well with -current. My laptop doesn't have the Nvidia card, so that is not an option for me. I will attempt to upgrade to a newer kernel and see if things improve. I will report back here with the results. I have gotten spoiled in recent years by not needing to compile my own kernels, because the Slackware included kernels have worked so well. If a newer kernel does solve the problem, it would be nice if 14.0 included at least a config for a newer kernel.

Indeed. Except this issue, Slackware 14.0 works smoothly with ThinkPad T430. Pat, would you please put your kernel 3.4 config file in the testing/ or somewhere else :D

just tried, slackware could not boot, freezed after 10 seconds on something about nouveau...

Pat has put one some time ago, it resides in /source/k/config-testing-3.4.9/. You can have a try.

3.4 is the next long-term kernel but 3.4.10 has some possible issues with intel graphics (see here) -- so it may be no better off. You may have to try 3.5.x and see if that works (but 3.5.x is not a long-term kernel so you'd have to follow the latest kernel release after that).

So far so good with 3.5.3, I used the 3.2.28-generic config and just hit enter at all prompts through 'make oldconfig'. I am now a few minutes into a compile with the 3.4.9-generic config as a starting point with 'make -j5', which would have locked it up almost instantly with 3.2.28, so it seems to be resolved with the latest kernel.

Thanks!

Are you sure this is due to the kernel? I have a Thinkpad X220 table (Sandy Bridge) and I also see these freezes. I am running kernel 3.2.6 (even though it is in Slackware 13.37).

But I think in my case the problem is that I'm using ReiserFS. It seems that ReiserFS causes problems in multi-core CPUs, particularly in kernel 3.2.x. I am going to move to another filesystem as soon as I put Slackware 14 on it, hope that it goes away.

Of course your freezes may be from a different source than mine (since I have Sandy Bridge not Ivy Bridge), but it sure behaves like you described.

Oh, I found it, thank you dram :)

Thanks for this information.

Thanks for tips.

Well, I can not say 100% sure. And I also have a reiserfs partition.

Hi. Just converted my reiserfs partition to ext4, but freezed as usual :(

I had freezes before with ext4 as well. Still no freezes with 3.5.3, and I worked it pretty hard yesterday compiling all kinds of stuff.

Nice~ I would triy 3.4.10 first. Which .config did you use? Any modification?