F7: Trying to figure out why kernel crashes with journal commit I/O error

[Ric Moore]

On Mon, 2007-10-08 at 00:18 -0500, Gilbert Sebenste wrote:
> Hello all,
> 
> I am having an absolutely vexing problem that maybe somebody might shed 
> some light on.
> 
> I just got 2 new computers, both running F7. They each have one Seagate 
> 750 GB SATA 3 Gb/s, 7200 RPM, 16 MB drive. Each machine has 4 GB of RAM, 
> Core 2 quad 6700 motherboard from ASUS.
> 
> OK. I run the computers pretty hard. But I have two Pentium 4's who work 
> just as hard, all getting a 20 MB/sec peak (1 MB/sec avg) weather feed 
> from the National Weather Service, flawlessly for months until I install 
> new kernels on it and reboot.
> 
> OK, within 12 hours after startup of the new machine running identical 
> software that the other slower machines are running with the exact same 
> data feed, I get
> 
> kernel: journal commit I/O error
> 
> I can log in, but can't do commands. A manual power-down (shutdown -r now 
> won't work) and reboot clears it fine.
> 
> First I suspected a hard drive error on both machines. But then
> replacement hard drives came in. It seemed to stop the problem for a 
> few days, so I closed a bugzilla I had. Nope, this weekend, it went back 
> to crashing every 4-18 hours.

If I read you correctly, you added new machines to a farm of older
machines and they all are going crackers in the same fashion?? Mine did
just as you described and it was the power supply, on a brand new
machine. No problems now after replacing it. 

But, in your case again if I'm reading you correctly, all machines now
are having a similar problem. It just might be the room circuit is
overloaded. Drag several extension drop cords from nearby rooms, on a
different circuit, and see what happens when you plug the new machines
to another source of juice. If this seems to do the trick, then remove
the front of your electrical panel where all the circuit breakers are,
identify the wire from that room and get an amp-probe to read just how
many amps you're pulling on that circuit. Look for corrosion while
you're at it, clean the leads to the breakers, your white common and the
ground wire. Check the main L1 and L2 leads to your box (those two
really BIG wires at the top) and make sure that the load (running
amperage) is balanced between the two. Kick on the dryer, start the
dishwasher, open the door to the fridge, if your stove is electric turn
on some burner eyes and the broiler and see what you get when other
loads kick in. 

Sure sounds like low-voltage to me. While you're at it, check the big L1
to the big aluminum ground wire, then the L2 to the same ground, for
voltage. If you see -any- difference and your home is an older one, it's
time to clean the meter box. It happens a lot. Alert your utility
company. If it's not your meter box, then it's the transformer on the
pole getting ready to spew nasty fluids. They'll do the checking
though. 

Trouble shooting with a shotgun, Ric

-- 
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