Working installation fails, can't re-install

[dcroxton]

I've been using an embedded NAS4FREE version on an old computer for a few months now. Over the weekend, it crashed and it appears that the USB drive that it was running off of is dead, so I just put the install image on a different (much larger) USB drive and tried to re-install.

It gets most of the way through boot up, but it suddenly crashes at one point. Unfortunately, I can't scroll back to see the original error message (obviously, since it's a plain text console) and I can't figure out how to get into the log files, if that is even possible (dropping to a prompt at the boot menu doesn't seem to give me access to log files, if I'm wrong please direct me how to find them).

The only pertinent information I see on the screen before it reboots after a few seconds is:

Code: Select all

trap number = 12
panic: page fault
cpuid = 0
KDB: stack backtrace

followed by about 15 lines of some hex messages or something.

At first I thought it might be bad memory, but the memory passes the boot-up test. Maybe it's the CPU. I don't know what the odds are that the CPU and the USB drive would both die horribly at the same time. (The USB drive isn't even recognized by other computers when I plug it in, so I can't even reformat it or anything.)

Maybe the computer is kaput, but usually in circumstances like this there's a less drastic explanation. If it is, fine, I will move to another box, I just want to know for sure what is going on.

[ernie]

Hello
I advice you to test the memory with memtest in order to be sure that the memory is fine.

Do you use the same USB port ? The crashe is perhaps the usb port and the USB key. You can try another USB key.

Another test is to look the capacitors on the motherboard : the upper part must be flat and not domed

BR

[ms49434]

How can I scroll back the output in FreeBSD's console?

The FreeBSD console uses Scroll Lock and then arrow or page keys, or Home and End.

[dcroxton]

Another test is to look the capacitors on the motherboard : the upper part must be flat and not domed

I had never heard this before, but sure enough, some of them are noticeably domed. I guess it's time for me to plunge into some electronics repair headfirst. Thanks for the tip!

[ernie]

Another test is to look the capacitors on the motherboard : the upper part must be flat and not domed

I had never heard this before, but sure enough, some of them are noticeably domed. I guess it's time for me to plunge into some electronics repair headfirst. Thanks for the tip!

Another point : if you have only some domed capacitors and the motherboard works fine (no message from bios, no freeze, ...), don t change the capacitor. When you change, you have new capacitors with more older electronics, and you can have a potential failure of the other old electronics.
So you had to change only if the motherboard doesn't work.

BR