(Auto)Switch-off monitor bug (ScreenBlanker)

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Deniil
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Re: (Auto)Switch-off monitor bug (ScreenBlanker)

Post by Deniil »

Yes, it doesn't happen every night and it only seem to happen when I haven't used the computer in like 15-20 hours (like night + workday).

First I thought it was a full freeze since all I saw was the black screen and nothing else and keyboard reboot wouldn't work. But when I removed the screen blanker I noticed that the machine was not completely locked up yet since I could (sometimes) move the mouse pointer and CapsLock ALWAYS respons. But if I try a 3-finger reboot it locks up and CapsLock stops responding. Or if I click the mouse anywhere it locks up.

Before anything else I could actually unpause AmigaAmp by hotkey and it would start playing. But mouseclick would just freeze. And changing volume (which would open the mixer popup window) would freeze. So it appears like something is screwed up in.

AAHHHH!!! I found out what it could be!!!
In MUI-OWB we had a very difficult lockup JUST like this and the cause was OpenLocale(NULL) without any CloseLocale(). If ANY program (not MUI-OWB because it has been fixed, and it happens without it) calls OpenLocale() more than 65536 times the machine locks up. Some opencnt variable must be turning over.
This theory also complies with the fact that it only happens after a long time, like 15-20 hours. So some program (which?!?!?) could be opening local or a library or anything regularly without closing it causing an opencnt to flip over causing the consecutive call to fail and the program than trashing the system.
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samo79
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Re: (Auto)Switch-off monitor bug (ScreenBlanker)

Post by samo79 »

@Denill
AAHHHH!!! I found out what it could be!!!
In MUI-OWB we had a very difficult lockup JUST like this and the cause was OpenLocale(NULL) without any CloseLocale(). If ANY program (not MUI-OWB because it has been fixed, and it happens without it) calls OpenLocale() more than 65536 times the machine locks up. Some opencnt variable must be turning over.
Yaii i remember it very well ! Lots of night passed with kas1e only to understand why that happen ... :|
This theory also complies with the fact that it only happens after a long time, like 15-20 hours. So some program (which?!?!?) could be opening local or a library or anything regularly without closing it causing an opencnt to flip over causing the consecutive call to fail and the program than trashing the system.
Maybe altrough i doubt this would be the cause on our specific situation, explain: MUI OWB was a direct port from MorphOS so Fab that know it very well didn't close its function of just forgot to close it as this doesn't create any problem on that OS aniway, however forgotting to close this type of function on OS4 seems to be a real problem as it may cause lookups or other indesiderate behaviours.
I think every developers involved into the OS4 development have their access to documentations so i think they know already the guideline, how to develop specifically etc ..

Of course all is possible, but i tend to exclude a simple "close function forgot" aniway ...

About your problems, i think you are right and now i'm quite sure we will experience the same :|
Deniil
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Re: (Auto)Switch-off monitor bug (ScreenBlanker)

Post by Deniil »

I'll have a look in Snoopy to see if any program does something periodically like this.

Maybe it could even be some class in the new MUI that misbehaves..?
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samo79
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Re: (Auto)Switch-off monitor bug (ScreenBlanker)

Post by samo79 »

Deniil wrote:I'll have a look in Snoopy to see if any program does something periodically like this.

Maybe it could even be some class in the new MUI that misbehaves..?
Really i don't know Daniel, yesterday night i had similar problem with GnGeo (that it's not MUI based and i didn't have any MUI things runned in that session) and while the screen turned to black i didn't be able to reactivate the screen normally, the music/gfx of the emu in background was ok but the keyboard/mouse was not respond so it seems a classic (but particular) freeze situation ... :roll:
Deniil
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Re: (Auto)Switch-off monitor bug (ScreenBlanker)

Post by Deniil »

I have switched off swapping now, which apparently did have a known bug, and now I don't get nightly lockups anymore it seems. Need longer testing though to be sure... So that is a workaround for now.
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Raziel
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Re: (Auto)Switch-off monitor bug (ScreenBlanker)

Post by Raziel »

Deniil wrote:I have switched off swapping now, which apparently did have a known bug, and now I don't get nightly lockups anymore it seems. Need longer testing though to be sure... So that is a workaround for now.
But that would mean something is filling up your RAM slowly and the only things that write a growing list to RAM:T on a clean system is Notification with it's log (USB.log aswell but as long as your cat is playing discjockey with USB sticks at night this log shouldn't grow big :-) ) and it will also only grow if you have some program doing notifications on a regular basis...like YAM, Wet and such

Or there is something hidden written to RAM but i couldn't think of anything
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samo79
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Re: (Auto)Switch-off monitor bug (ScreenBlanker)

Post by samo79 »

Deniil wrote:I have switched off swapping now, which apparently did have a known bug, and now I don't get nightly lockups anymore it seems. Need longer testing though to be sure... So that is a workaround for now.
Mmmm maybe but sound strange as for example in general i never "finish" my memory, i have 1GB mounted but for example GnGeo use a lot less memory than that so why ?

I say GnGeo but it may happen with other software and/or in certain situation ...
Deniil
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Re: (Auto)Switch-off monitor bug (ScreenBlanker)

Post by Deniil »

Mmmm maybe but sound strange as for example in general i never "finish" my memory, i have 1GB mounted but for example GnGeo use a lot less memory than that so why ?
Exactly. I don't think the bug only shows up when running out of memory, it is there always when the swap is enabled. Memory is always allocated and deallocated when messages and timers run, so after time there could be corruption causing lockup, but apparently mostly when swapping is enabled, even if it's not used (yet).

Without swapping I have run out of memory several times without problems (as long as the programs handle it as they should, which most Amiga programs do). With swapping it locks up pretty quickly.
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mechanic
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Re: (Auto)Switch-off monitor bug (ScreenBlanker)

Post by mechanic »

Deniil wrote: Without swapping I have run out of memory several times without problems (as long as the programs handle it as they should, which most Amiga programs do). With swapping it locks up pretty quickly.
Probably nothing to do with anything but, I wonder if the size of SWAP has any effect. Too big, too small(?).

EDIT: Seems like too big might have some file size or management thingamabob problem.
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Paul Zager
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Re: (Auto)Switch-off monitor bug (ScreenBlanker)

Post by Paul Zager »

Exactly. I don't think the bug only shows up when running out of memory, it is there always when the swap is enabled. Memory is always allocated and deallocated when messages and timers run, so after time there could be corruption causing lockup, but apparently mostly when swapping is enabled, even if it's not used (yet).

Without swapping I have run out of memory several times without problems (as long as the programs handle it as they should, which most Amiga programs do). With swapping it locks up pretty quickly.
Since this is still happening after update 4, I'm bringing back this older topic.

Is there anything definitive yet? I've changed my settings in "Screen Blanker" so only "blanking" is activated. i.e., no standby, poweroff, etc. I lock up less often this way, but I stil get the lockups. . . maybe everythird day or so now rather than every 1-2 days.

If "Swap" is partly at fault, is there some way of deactivating it, or do I just unmount the Swap partition to shut it off?

edit: I should have added that I have 2GB of memory and don't really need swap. Also, My backup drive also has a Swap partition, it's basically a manually updated mirror of the main drive. Is this asking for trouble with swap? Each Swap partition is 17GB. (1 TB drives, so I had space to throw away.)

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