[olug] My console has fallen and it can't get up

[Jason Ferguson]

Derek,

Okay, no telling when this email will actually go through, but if you have
"Magic SysReqKey" compiled in, there are some key combinations.  Check out, in a
linux source tree, Documentation/sysrq.txt. One of those may help you.

Jason

dbw wrote:

> So, I?ve got this linux server that is basically only a firewall
> / IP Masquerade. There are no ports listening for connections on
> telnet, ssh, rlogin or otherwise.  The box has been running for a
> couple months now without restart and or incident.  (uptime approx.
> 65 days)  The distribution is Redhat and the kernel is 2.2.16 (or
> in that neighborhood).
>
> The box was running in Xwindows, the screensaver on, and after a
> keystroke the screensaver password prompt appeared. I attempted to
> enter my password so I could access the environment and do some work.
> I typed in my password and hit the ENTER key...
>
> The console is frozen, no keyboard or mouse response.  I cannot change
> consoles, I cannot even change the caps lock state on the box.  No
> keyboard response, yet the caps lock and scroll lock lights are lit,
> and the keyboard connection is fine.  The keyboard works on other
> computers also, so this is not a keyboard hardware problem.
>
> However, the ipchains and firewall stuff is still working fine.
> I can ping the box and it replies without delay.  The box is also
> a cache name server and share the Internet to a lan of Windowze workstations.
> It is still serving in this capacity and working.  From this point
> of view, the box is still functioning ok.
>
> I simply cannot get a console to respond.  I can?t get a CNTRL-ALT-
> DELETE to work.  The only thing that I ?could? do is to unplug the
> unit or hold down the power button accomplishing the same thing.
> The computer power supply is ATX architecture.
>
> Killing the power is the last thing I want to do.  I haven?t done
> this yet because the box is still working as a firewall / IP Masquerade
> server.  But I would like to know 1) what causes this and 2) a better
> way to get console back other than to kill the power.
>
> Has anyone else had a linux box lock up (while in Xwindows) to the
> point where you cannot even change to another console and access
> another shell?  Is this a problem with mingetty, or is there a known
> issue? Is there any way to make the box start responding again? Keep
> in mind there are no remote shells to access.
>
> thanx
>
> -Derek
>
> (append)
>
> I doubt this is a hardware issue or I believe that the box would
> not be functioning at all.  I am disappointed that this is happening,
> I choose linux as a solution for this task because I was avoiding
> this very thing from happening; the type of thing that happens in
> Micro$oft environment.
>
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