GNome hang

[Peter J. Stieber]

PS = Pete Stieber wrote:
PS>>> My X-server hangs after running for a few minutes.
PS>>> I run gnome.
<snip>
PS>>> I have an ATI graphics card...
PS>>>
PS>>> # lspci
PS>>> .
PS>>> .
PS>>> .
PS>>> 05:00.0 VGA compatible controller:
PS>>> ATI Technologies Inc RV280 [Radeon 9200 PRO] (rev 01)
PS>>>
PS>>> I am not using any third-party drivers.
<snip>

RE = Richard England
RE>> This is not really an answer but perhaps a place for
RE>> some further investigation.  I had a system with an
RE>> nvidia card that exhibited the same symptoms you are
RE>> describing.  I isolated it to some interaction with
RE>> one of a set of screen savers and the video driver.

PS> I'm pretty sure this isn't related to screen savers
PS> because I am using the display (moving the mouse
PS> and hitting keys on the keyboard) when the X server
PS> gets bogged down.
PS>
PS> I removed a bunch of packages using "yum erase".  I
PS> finally got to a point where "yum groupinstall
PS> gnome-desktop" worked.  I also noticed a recent
PS> update to the Fedora ATI xorg drivers, but I'm still
PS> experiencing the hang.  Now I don't have any mouse
PS> or keyboard.  The caps lock, scroll lock, num lock
PS> leds don't change when I hit these keys.
PS>
PS> When I login remotely, top tells me that the xserver
PS> process (X) is using 100% of cpu.

I left this machine running overnight with the X process at 100%.  The 
next morning the following lines were appended to Xorg.0.log...

(EE) RADEON(0): GetBuffer timed out, resetting engine...

I opened the case to confirm the graphics card type (ATI 9250 / 128 MB 
DDR TV-out DVI 64-bit).  When I did this I noticed the fan attached to 
the heat sink was frozen.

My new guess is the card would overheat when the X server started.

Does this seam reasonable?

I've ordered a new ATI graphics card.  This one just has a heat sink (no 
fan).  I picked ATI over NVidia just to try the new Fedora ATI drivers.

I had a similar "fan lockup" problem on other NVidia and ATI cards.  If 
this is the problem, does anyone know where I can purchase a replacement 
fan?  It seems like a waste to throw the card away.  It works at run 
level 3.

Pete