6,534
edits
Changes
Sometimes when you have a kernel panic, oops, or other fatal crash, this is not programmers whom to blame. This article describes how to properly test your hardware to check it's in a good shape.
Note that most of the tests described below could do harm to your machine if something is wrong with it (e.g. it is overclocked, undercooled etc). In general, overclocking is not recommended for your production server boxes.
== RAM tests ==
[http://memtest.org/ Memtest86+] is a forked version of Memtest86 with some features added.
==== Installation ====
You can either download and install one of this programs from the sites above, or they can be a part of your Linux distribution already.
emerge memtest86+</pre>
==== Usage ====
To test your system for faulty RAM, install either memtest and reboot into it. Run it for at least a few hours (at least 2-3 iterations). If there will be even a single error reported, you have to change your RAM chips (or, if your system is overclocked, downclock it to normal speed).
[http://pyropus.ca/software/memtester/ Memtester] is a userspace utility for testing the memory subsystem for faults. The good thing is you can test your memory without a need to reboot the server, and you can run other programs with it. The bad thing is not all the memory is tested.
==== Installation ====
For Fedora Core:
<pre>yum install memtester</pre>
For other systems: download the sources from the [http://pyropus.ca/software/memtester/ Memtester homepage].
==== Usage ====
Invoke memtester as a root, giving an amount of memory it will test as an argument, e.g.:
== CPU cooling tests ==
Such tests checks that your CPU can work fine under highest possible load and temperature.
=== Cpuburn ===
[http://pages.sbcglobal.net/redelm/ Сpuburn] is an utility to burn your CPU as high as possible. It tests your system stability by checking how the CPU and the whole system is working under high temperatures.
Cpuburn author says burnMMX is not optimal for AMD processors; use burnBX if you have AMD.
== Combined tests ==
It is also a good thing to run cpuburn and memtester in parallel. Chances are higher that some more errors are detected that way.
== External links ==
* [http://memtest86.com/ Memtest86]
* [http://memtest.org/ Memtest86+]
* [http://pyropus.ca/software/memtester/ Memtester]
* [http://pages.sbcglobal.net/redelm/ Сpuburn]
