Every time I run up a new o/s on my main workhorse I have to compile
drivers for my TBS Technologies DVB-T2 card.

This had become routine until Mint 21.1.

During today's exercise, it crashed the whole machine.

Not once but four times. The first time I was watching a TV drama while
it was churning.

The second time I just watched terminal (washing machine style).

The third time I output the process to a text file. No help.

The fourth time I ran through a set of steps that I recorded in 2021
just to make sure I hadn't missed anything.

Same result. I have reported it to TBS but I don't think its the driver
script.

I cannot remember ever causing a machine to power off mid-operation
before.

Back to 20.3

--
Mint 21.1, kernel 5.15.0-67-generic, Cinnamon 5.6.7
running on an AMD Phenom II X4 Black edition processor with 16GB of
DRAM.

On 3/24/23 15:49, pinnerite wrote:
> Every time I run up a new o/s on my main workhorse I have to compile
> drivers for my TBS Technologies DVB-T2 card.
>
> This had become routine until Mint 21.1.
>
> During today's exercise, it crashed the whole machine.
>
> Not once but four times. The first time I was watching a TV drama while
> it was churning.
>
> The second time I just watched terminal (washing machine style).
>
> The third time I output the process to a text file. No help.
>
> The fourth time I ran through a set of steps that I recorded in 2021
> just to make sure I hadn't missed anything.
>
> Same result. I have reported it to TBS but I don't think its the driver
> script.
>
> I cannot remember ever causing a machine to power off mid-operation
> before.
>
> Back to 20.3
>
Have you ruled out a faulty PS or aging MB?

On 3/24/2023 3:49 PM, pinnerite wrote:
> Every time I run up a new o/s on my main workhorse I have to compile
> drivers for my TBS Technologies DVB-T2 card.
>
> This had become routine until Mint 21.1.
>
> During today's exercise, it crashed the whole machine.
>
> Not once but four times. The first time I was watching a TV drama while
> it was churning.
>
> The second time I just watched terminal (washing machine style).
>
> The third time I output the process to a text file. No help.
>
> The fourth time I ran through a set of steps that I recorded in 2021
> just to make sure I hadn't missed anything.
>
> Same result. I have reported it to TBS but I don't think its the driver
> script.
>
> I cannot remember ever causing a machine to power off mid-operation <=== Important
> before.
>
> Back to 20.3
>

1) See if your GRUB menu has a "memtest" option.
This puts a nominal amount of load on the CPU, and
should visit most of the memory locations.

If a machine has a weak power supply, or the CPU is not
cooled properly and has hit hardware "THERMTRIP", it could
power off during memtest. On a poorly cooled machine, or
a machine with a weak ATX power supply, even memtest can
shut the machine off.

2) You can use a statically linked copy of Prime95 for its
"torture test". This runs on all cores. It uses a decent
amount of memory in mixed mode. You should only do this,
if you know your machine has proper cooling. The 64-bit
copy would be preferred, for coverage purposes.

https://www.mersenne.org/download/software/v30/30.8/p95v308b17.linux64.tar.gz
https://www.mersenne.org/download/software/v30/30.8/p95v308b15.linux32.tar.gz

My current machine does not have sufficient cooling on
VCore for this. I need to change the bundled Wraith cooler
(no heatpipes), with a decent cooler. The Noctua has switched
to an offset design for AM4, and does not blow on the VCore sinks
like I need it to. Or I would have fixed it by now.

Assuming your machine is properly cooled, you can try the Torture Test.

The number of hours you run this, is a function of the degree of
confidence you want in the PC. On an overclocked PC, all the instances
of the running processes can stop in only two seconds, on an error,
and if all the indicators turn red on a machine in only two seconds,
that means it is extremely unstable. The test, tests the integrity
of the CPU (math errors) as well as covering memory errors as well.

I would be checking the CPU heatsink, to *make sure* the AMD clip
did not snap off. Some of the coolers back in the day, there was
too much stress on the socket tab, and the CPU cooler could just
be hanging there, and not firmly pressed down into the thermal paste.

If the CPU fan was stopped, hardware THERMTRIP turns off the ATX supply.

Paul

On Fri, 24 Mar 2023 16:17:04 -0400
Nic <Nic@none.net> wrote:

> On 3/24/23 15:49, pinnerite wrote:
> > Every time I run up a new o/s on my main workhorse I have to compile
> > drivers for my TBS Technologies DVB-T2 card.
> >
> > This had become routine until Mint 21.1.
> >
> > During today's exercise, it crashed the whole machine.
> >
> > Not once but four times. The first time I was watching a TV drama while
> > it was churning.
> >
> > The second time I just watched terminal (washing machine style).
> >
> > The third time I output the process to a text file. No help.
> >
> > The fourth time I ran through a set of steps that I recorded in 2021
> > just to make sure I hadn't missed anything.
> >
> > Same result. I have reported it to TBS but I don't think its the driver
> > script.
> >
> > I cannot remember ever causing a machine to power off mid-operation
> > before.
> >
> > Back to 20.3
> >
> Have you ruled out a faulty PS or aging MB?

Mint 21.1 is on one drive 20.3 on another.

The latter runs for most of the day, sometimes continually.

The former only when I try to prepare it to take over.

This is the only procedure that has failed.

The machine would have only be running for a short time under 21.1.
Less than an hour.

--
Mint 20.3, kernel 5.4.0-139-generic, Cinnamon 5.2.7
running on an AMD Phenom II X4 Black edition processor with 16GB of DRAM.

On Sat, 25 Mar 2023 11:34:21 +0000
pinnerite <pinnerite@gmail.com> wrote:

> On Fri, 24 Mar 2023 16:17:04 -0400
> Nic <Nic@none.net> wrote:
>
> > On 3/24/23 15:49, pinnerite wrote:
> > > Every time I run up a new o/s on my main workhorse I have to compile
> > > drivers for my TBS Technologies DVB-T2 card.
> > >
> > > This had become routine until Mint 21.1.
> > >
> > > During today's exercise, it crashed the whole machine.
> > >
> > > Not once but four times. The first time I was watching a TV drama while
> > > it was churning.
> > >
> > > The second time I just watched terminal (washing machine style).
> > >
> > > The third time I output the process to a text file. No help.
> > >
> > > The fourth time I ran through a set of steps that I recorded in 2021
> > > just to make sure I hadn't missed anything.
> > >
> > > Same result. I have reported it to TBS but I don't think its the driver
> > > script.
> > >
> > > I cannot remember ever causing a machine to power off mid-operation
> > > before.
> > >
> > > Back to 20.3
> > >
> > Have you ruled out a faulty PS or aging MB?
>
> Mint 21.1 is on one drive 20.3 on another.
>
> The latter runs for most of the day, sometimes continually.
>
> The former only when I try to prepare it to take over.
>
> This is the only procedure that has failed.
>
> The machine would have only be running for a short time under 21.1.
> Less than an hour.
>
I had Mageia 8 installed as a VM on my 20.3 system.
The TBS driver compiled without problems.
I am not going to waste further time on 21.1.

--
Mint 20.3, kernel 5.4.0-144-generic, Cinnamon 5.2.7
running on an AMD Phenom II X4 Black edition processor with 16GB of DRAM.

On 25/03/2023 12:20, pinnerite wrote:
> On Sat, 25 Mar 2023 11:34:21 +0000
> pinnerite <pinnerite@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> On Fri, 24 Mar 2023 16:17:04 -0400
>> Nic <Nic@none.net> wrote:
>>
>>> On 3/24/23 15:49, pinnerite wrote:
>>>> Every time I run up a new o/s on my main workhorse I have to compile
>>>> drivers for my TBS Technologies DVB-T2 card.
>>>>
>>>> This had become routine until Mint 21.1.
>>>>
>>>> During today's exercise, it crashed the whole machine.
>>>>
>>>> Not once but four times. The first time I was watching a TV drama while
>>>> it was churning.
>>>>
>>>> The second time I just watched terminal (washing machine style).
>>>>
>>>> The third time I output the process to a text file. No help.
>>>>
>>>> The fourth time I ran through a set of steps that I recorded in 2021
>>>> just to make sure I hadn't missed anything.
>>>>
>>>> Same result. I have reported it to TBS but I don't think its the driver
>>>> script.
>>>>
>>>> I cannot remember ever causing a machine to power off mid-operation
>>>> before.
>>>>
>>>> Back to 20.3
>>>>
>>> Have you ruled out a faulty PS or aging MB?
>>
>> Mint 21.1 is on one drive 20.3 on another.
>>
>> The latter runs for most of the day, sometimes continually.
>>
>> The former only when I try to prepare it to take over.
>>
>> This is the only procedure that has failed.
>>
>> The machine would have only be running for a short time under 21.1.
>> Less than an hour.
>>
> I had Mageia 8 installed as a VM on my 20.3 system.
> The TBS driver compiled without problems.
> I am not going to waste further time on 21.1.

What happens if you try to run 21.1 from a live USB stick rather than
install it?

FWIW, I upgraded from 20.3 to 21.0 last Sunday, and from 21.0 to 21.1
yesterday. Other than one very minor point (losing XnView MP from the
menu - since re-established), both upgrades went smoothly.

--

Jeff