Ubuntu 8.04 - Is it stable?

[Waaib]

Yesterday I installed Ubuntu Hardy and got my email client up and running. After some issues with the graphics card the machine now seems to be running fine.

It's a work PC that does 90% email, 5% opening PDF docs and 5% other. Essentially email just arrive on it and are viewed, forwarded or deleted.

Question is - Is it stable? I've never run linux of any kind before. The Ubuntu install was fairly straight forward. I'm keen to know what I should expect, look out for and take care of in order to keep it running as it currently is.

Thanks.

 

[MyWorld]

If you can crash it without a root password then it is not worth having it on your PC.

Linux is a stable as the root user, if you leave the sudo command alone (only use when necessary, then it will never crash.

 

[flarkit]

I'm satisfied with 8.04.1 at home, had no crashes since I installed 7.04: surfing, some Python dev and fiddling around with media apps

 

[Waaib]

Are there any tools to check if hardware is faulty. My laptop has crashed a few times since installing Ubuntu but it was crashing under XP too so I reckon it's a hardware thing.

 

[Kloofvreter]

Funny that there is a forum topic that questions the stability of Ubuntu when people are going the Linux way because of Windows' presumed 'instability'?

 

[HavocXphere]

waaib, start with memtest86. You'll find instructions if you google this forum.

 

[Tux]

gru@troll:~$ uptime
12:36:28 up 40 days, 15:35, 2 users, load average: 0.12, 0.49, 0.53

Yeah I guess it's stable.

 

[Waaib]

memtest runs for a but then I get a black screen. - any idea how to read memtest results?

 

[hawker]

gru@troll:~$ uptime
12:36:28 up 40 days, 15:35, 2 users, load average: 0.12, 0.49, 0.53

Yeah I guess it's stable.

IS that your desktop PC?

 

[MyWorld]

memtest runs for a but then I get a black screen. - any idea how to read memtest results?

Then:
1. Your ram is faulty
2. You have a heat problem
3. You need to donate all your hardware to me to escape the PC purgatory.


I'm leaning towards 3...

 

[HavocXphere]

memtest runs for a but then I get a black screen. - any idea how to read memtest results?

Well if it goes black then that is your result: something is seriously stuffed. A "normal" memtest error shows the memory locations that gave errors. If it doesn't even get as far a displaying the errors then something is very wrong.

Like MyWorld said, heat or bad RAM. Check the CPU temp and see if its too high. Also, open the case and run memtest again...see if anything changes.

You can also use an app called speedfan.

 

[d0b33]

memtest runs for a but then I get a black screen. - any idea how to read memtest results?

Then:
1. Your ram is faulty
2. You have a heat problem
3. You need to donate all your hardware to me to escape the PC purgatory.


I'm leaning towards 3...

Well if it goes black then that is your result: something is seriously stuffed. A "normal" memtest error shows the memory locations that gave errors. If it doesn't even get as far a displaying the errors then something is very wrong.

Yup, if memtest fails then your PC is stuffed.

 

[Moederloos]

Funny that there is a forum topic that questions the stability of Ubuntu when people are going the Linux way because of Windows' presumed 'instability'?

Why?

Windows IS unstable. The OP was simply asking the same question re: Linux - and the answer is "Linux is stable - rock solid".

 

[Waaib]

Then:
1. Your ram is faulty
2. You have a heat problem
3. You need to donate all your hardware to me to escape the PC purgatory.


I'm leaning towards 3...

Found faulty memory chip. Thanks for the advice from everyone!

How far up the escape hatch does a faulty 256mb mem chip get me?

 

[MyWorld]

Well, that depends on how many lemons you suck on in 15 minutes.

It will not get you out of PC purgatory, but at lest it will wipe that grin off your face from finding the fault all by yourself!

 

[.Froot.]

I have somewhere around 1 Ubuntu crash a month... and that's only because not all software is bug-free (so obviously this has nothing to do with Ubuntu...). So yeah, 8.04 is stable as can be.