[K12OSN] Freezing!?!

[Robert Arkiletian]

"Secure Mode: Can prevent unauthorized access and possible damage to the 
system using software protection. Secure Mode allows the Network 
Administrator to lock both the power and reset button, thus preventing 
unauthorized access to the use of the servers." 

Intel server boards have 2 passwords. One for Admin and one for user. If you 
set the user password you also get a timer option for "Secure mode". I 
believe this is ONLY supported under windows as it locks the keyboard and 
mouse and takes control away from the OS. Linux kernels don't like this and 
will panic. That explains why my display and processess were still perfectly 
active when the system went down. Also, another piece of evidence would be 
that it would usually happen after 1 min of no keyboard of mouse activity 
(default timer value). Also, my power button could not turn off the system 
(very weird if you have never experienced it) Intel should not make their 
BIOS firmware OS specific. With Micro$oft buying a large stake of Pheonix I 
think this situation is going to get worse.

Robert Arkiletian

PS
Sudev, if you can let Naba know that I am using his great IDE Anjuta to teach 
C++ to high school students in Canada. I give him and his team a big THANK 
YOU.

On Friday 21 May 2004 5:53 pm, Sudev Barar wrote:
> On Sat, 2004-05-22 at 04:49, Robert Arkiletian wrote:
> > **Problem Solved.**
> >
> > It was the "Secure mode" timeout in the BIOS that did it. Just in case
> > anyone else has this problem on Intel server boards. Disable "Secure
> > Mode" timer in the BIOS.
> >
> > Robert Arkiletian
>
> Amazing!!! Before I could even read through my backlog mail and say "I
> do" ;-0 you have also posted a solution.
> Had similar problem but since I do not have ability to single out cause
> I went hit and trial. Found that disabling hyper-threading in BIOS and
> using non-smp kernel worked. Which of the two actually did the needful I
> do not know but left my server at that and the uptime today is 45 days.
> Can you detail what secure mode timer does or why it is there in first
> place? IAC I will google for it. Will try this.