On 7/25/07, Jim Kissel <jlk@???> wrote:
>
>
>
> HantsLUG Mail wrote:
> > Some hours ago now I stared find in KDE to find a file.  Initially, it
> was
> > running, but I could do other things and the HDD light was flickering on
> > and
> > off.
> >
> > Now, some hours later it is consuming virtually all the resources of the
> > cpu
> > and the HDD light is on constantly.  I have tried all normal methods of
> > stopping it, to no avail.  I have succeeded in getting a "run" window
> open,
> > with a view to running konsole, finding the pid and killing "find", but
> I
> > couldn't actually launch anything.  I am sending this from my
> > granddaughter's computer.
> >
> > The only thing I can think of is to press the reset button - but I am
> > loathe
> > to do so while the HDD is actually being read.  Equally, it cannot be
> good
> > for teh CPU to be being thrashed in this way.  There are no obvious
> signs
> > that anything is heating up, but still.
> >
> > If there is anyone out there, _please_ express an opinion.  Do I 1)
> press
> > reset now 2) let it run overnight and hope that it has finished by the
> > morning, and then press reset if it still hasn't stopped 3) do something
> I
> > haven't thought of.
> 0)  ctlr-alt-F1              # login then try ps and kill
> 1)  ctrl-alt-backspace       # try to restart X if 0) doesn't work
> 2)  ctrl-alt-F1              # login and kill -1 1 to re-init the system
> 3)  hit the reset button
> 4)  pull the AC power plug as a very last resort
>
> I've waited until late/morning with a result that I had to travel at an
> inconvenient time to the sick server.
Tried 0), tried 1), tried 2), tried 3).  3) seems to have worked.
Thanks Jim - and Adam.  I  now have an absence of red light - and it has
booted. The clock has sorted itself out and KMail is downloading a backlog
of email.
It remains to be seen whther the HDD has survived unscathed.
But *thank* *you* *very* *much*, Jim and Adam - and Tim, but I've already
thanked him.
I have learnt several new strategies that I hope I shan't need too often.
And learning how to use ssh is clearly even more urgent than I thought it
was.
Perhaps some kind soul would show me how to use it at the meeting next week
in S'ton.
Lisi