Problem with a Kernel and ubuntu 8.10 acting up

[80aless]

Hi,
My Ubuntu has a problem: sometimes my computer halts; the computer freezes for a second, the screen goes off and the computer eboots or it stays with the screen off. My question:
How can I find the causes of this malfunctioning? Maybe in System > Administration >System Log , but I cannot figure out how it works.
The problem happens very often in Matlab, when pressing Ctrl+C , but not only.
Thanks
Alex

[D-cat]

This sounds like classic Power Supply failure. I recommend you take it to a repair shop that could verify that for sure and fix it.

[80aless]

You think so? It sounds strange to me because I have the impression that there is current, the computer freezes and reboots. But can I find in any log file what is going on with my computer?

[devils casper]

It could be Graphics Card's problem too. Have you checked log of xorg? ( /var/log/Xorg.0.log )

[80aless]

that sounds plausible since my esprimo v5535 has had lots of problems with graphics (now it is ok). What do I have to look for in the log file? The file was made in October 2008, I look for
warnings and I see only
(WW) VESA(0): No valid modes left. Trying less strict filter...
(EE) Failed to initialize GLX extension (Compatible NVIDIA X driver not found)
I am sorry, I do not have much experience with the log files.

And in system log do you think I can find anything useful? For example I see two lines at a distance of four minutes (when the computer froze this morning) with:
07.32:08 aless-laptop kernel: [ 55.628577] groups:1 0
BTW I have had problems with a kernel, I could not boot with it but now it is ok.
My problem is that I do not know what to look for.
Thanks
Alex

[devils casper]

Lets check details of Graphics Card and its driver first.
Execute this

sudo lspci | grep -i vga
grep -i driver /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Post output here.

[80aless]

sudo lspci | grep -i vga
VGA Display Adapter (rev 10)
grep -i driver /etc/X11/xorg.conf
Driver "vesa"

[devils casper]

VGA Display Adapter (rev 10)

Is that a complete output?

Post all the contents of /etc/X11/xorg.conf file here.

[80aless]

I am sorry:

sudo lspci | grep -i vga
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] 771/671 PCIE VGA Display Adapter (rev 10)

Here below the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file.
This morning ubuntu froze three times. I have the demon.log, kern.log, java.log.8122 (for matlab), kern.log, messages, syslog, user.log,xorg.conf, files.
I put parts of the syslog before I had to force the computer to shut down, I hope it is useful. I do not have internet

 ...
Jan 20 08:56:43 aless-laptop /usr/sbin/cron[5372]: (CRON) INFO (Running @reboot jobs)
Jan 20 08:56:48 aless-laptop pulseaudio[5570]: ltdl-bind-now.c: Failed to find original dlopen loader.
Jan 20 08:56:48 aless-laptop pulseaudio[5572]: main.c: setrlimit(RLIMIT_NICE, (31, 31)) failed: Operation not permitted
Jan 20 08:56:48 aless-laptop pulseaudio[5572]: main.c: setrlimit(RLIMIT_RTPRIO, (9, 9)) failed: Operation not permitted
Jan 20 08:56:48 aless-laptop kernel: [   36.283269] hda-intel: IRQ timing workaround is activated for card #0. Suggest a bigger bdl_pos_adj.
Jan 20 08:56:55 aless-laptop x-session-manager[5485]: atk-bridge-WARNING: AT_SPI_REGISTRY was not started at session startup. 
Jan 20 08:56:55 aless-laptop x-session-manager[5485]: atk-bridge-WARNING: IOR not set. 
Jan 20 08:56:55 aless-laptop x-session-manager[5485]: atk-bridge-WARNING: Could not locate registry 
Jan 20 08:57:07 aless-laptop x-session-manager[5485]: WARNING: Application 'libcanberra-login-sound.desktop' failed to register before timeout 
Jan 20 08:57:07 aless-laptop pulseaudio[5572]: module-x11-xsmp.c: X11 session manager not running.
Jan 20 08:57:07 aless-laptop pulseaudio[5572]: module.c: Failed to load  module "module-x11-xsmp" (argument: ""): initialization failed.
Jan 20 08:57:07 aless-laptop x-session-manager[5485]: WARNING: Could not launch application 'evolution-alarm-notify.desktop': Unable to start application: Failed to execute child process "/usr/lib/evolution/2.24/evolution-alarm-notify" (No such file or directory) 
Jan 20 08:57:11 aless-laptop anacron[5750]: Anacron 2.3 started on 2009-01-20
Jan 20 08:57:11 aless-laptop anacron[5750]: Normal exit (0 jobs run)
Jan 20 08:57:11 aless-laptop kernel: [   59.240884] CPU0 attaching NULL sched-domain.
Jan 20 08:57:11 aless-laptop kernel: [   59.240910] CPU1 attaching NULL sched-domain.
Jan 20 08:57:11 aless-laptop kernel: [   59.241510] CPU0 attaching sched-domain:
Jan 20 08:57:11 aless-laptop kernel: [   59.241522]  domain 0: span 0-1 level MC
Jan 20 08:57:11 aless-laptop kernel: [   59.241528]   groups: 0 1
Jan 20 08:57:11 aless-laptop kernel: [   59.241542] CPU1 attaching sched-domain:
Jan 20 08:57:11 aless-laptop kernel: [   59.241547]  domain 0: span 0-1 level MC
Jan 20 08:57:11 aless-laptop kernel: [   59.241553]   groups: 1 0
Jan 20 09:09:05 aless-laptop kernel: [  773.156057] usb 1-1: new full speed USB device using ohci_hcd and address 4      
... 
  

less /etc/X11/xorg.conf
# xorg.conf (X.Org X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the xorg.conf manual page.
# (Type "man xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# Note that some configuration settings that could be done previously
# in this file, now are automatically configured by the server and settings
# here are ignored.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
#   sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg
Section "Monitor"
	Identifier	"Generic Monitor"
	Option		"DPMS"
	HorizSync	    30-71
	VertRefresh	50-160
EndSection

Section "Screen"
	Identifier	"Default Screen"
	Device		"SiS"
	Monitor		"Generic Monitor"
	DefaultDepth	16
	SubSection "Display"
		Depth		16
		Modes		"1280x1024" "1024x768" "1280x800"

	EndSubSection
	SubSection "Display"
		Depth		24
		Modes		"1024x768" "1280x800"
	EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Device"
	Identifier	"SiS Vedio Card"
	Driver		"vesa"
	BusID		"PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection

[devils casper]

I have exactly same Graphics Card. "vesa" driver was working fine in earlier versions of Ubuntu only. Use sis driver instead of vesa now.
Press Alt+F2 and type this

gksu gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Replace "vesa" with "sis". Save file and press Alt+Ctrl+Backspace or Reboot machine.

Section "Device"
    Identifier    "SiS Vedio Card"
    Driver        "sis"
    BusID        "PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection