What to do if linux crashes

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What to do when linux crashes?

Post by harshad1 » Wed Jun 23, 2010 1:54 am

I’ve been having problems with programs in mint crashing. Mostly because my laptop is overheating (I think it needs a good cleaning).

In any case is there anything comparable to ctrl-alt-del I can do when a program crashes?

I have ctrl-alt-del set to gnome-system-monitor
and super-T set to terminal (so I can killall)

But more often than not neither will work. My mouse will move but I won’t be able to register clicks, the program in question will be grayed out.

In windows ctrl-alt-del is buried deep in the system. It works all the time unless the entire operating system has completely crashed. However, unless I am mistaken, the gnome-terminal and monitor are both ‘just programs’ with no ‘special status’.

Is there any such (kernel level? ) util that I can use to kill unresponsive programs?

Please correct me if I am wrong.

Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.

Re: What to do when linux crashes?

Post by vincent » Wed Jun 23, 2010 2:15 am

Graphically, no. That’s why the «kill» and «killall» commands exist, e.g. to kill Firefox with a PID of, say 2345, you would open up a terminal and type:

Re: What to do when linux crashes?

Post by harshad1 » Wed Jun 23, 2010 3:32 am

vincent wrote: Graphically, no. That’s why the «kill» and «killall» commands exist, e.g. to kill Firefox with a PID of, say 2345, you would open up a terminal and type:

Thats what I thought. I have super+T set up to open a terminal. Once there I can use top to get the PID and kill to kill it.

But! Super+T sometimes fails to respond. Sometimes ctrl-alt-f1 will let me revert to a command line and execute commands from there. But sometimes keyboard shortcuts fail to register.

Any viable work-arounds? Anything that’s worked in your experience?

tinca Level 5
Posts: 636 Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2009 9:23 am Location: England U.K.

Re: What to do when linux crashes?

Post by tinca » Wed Jun 23, 2010 3:41 am

if you suspect that your laptop could be overheating, and you think that it could do with a good clean, then that is where you should be focusing your attentions.

Purchase a can of compressed air and give all of the grills on the laptop a good blast and watch the amount of dust bunnies that are ejected.

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ubuntu crash

When everything stops working, first try Ctrl + Alt + F1 to go to a terminal, where you can likely kill X or other problem processes. If even that doesn’t work, try using holding down Alt + SysReq while pressing (slowly, with a few seconds between each) R E I S U B .

How do I find out why my Linux crashed?

First, you want to check /var/log/syslog. If you are not sure what to look for, you can start by looking for the words error, panic and warning. You should also check root-mail for any interesting messages that might be related to your system crash. Other logfiles you should check is application error-logs.

What causes Ubuntu to crash?

If you are running Ubuntu and your system randomly crashes, you may be running out of memory. Low memory could be caused by opening more applications or data files than will fit in the memory you have installed. If that is the problem, do not open so much at one time or upgrade to more memory on your computer.

How do I fix Ubuntu from crashing?

1. sudo systemctl restart gdm3.
2. ps aux | grep X sudo kill -9 1203.
3. sudo shutdown -r now.
4. sudo apt install openssh-server.
5. ssh [email protected].
6. sudo systemctl restart gdm3.
7. sudo mkdir /media/recovery sudo mkdir /media/recovery/boot,home

Why does Ubuntu 18.04 freeze?

Ubuntu 18.04 completely froze while I was coding, then sometime later the same happened when I watched a movie it was a problem that was not related with the GPU and had random occurrence. I’ve found this solution after hours of searching. Just run this command and restart your computer. That’ll work fine.

How do I restart Ubuntu?

1. To reboot the Linux system from a terminal session, sign in or “su”/”sudo” to the “root” account.
2. Then type “ sudo reboot ” to reboot the box.
3. Wait for some time and the Linux server will reboot itself.

How can I tell if Ubuntu is crashing?

When the crash occurs, press Alt+SysRq+1 (one, not L) followed by Alt+SysRq+t. If using a text console, you should see a trace dumped to the screen. If the system is sufficiently alive, it will also be logged to /var/log/kern. log and visible in the output from dmesg.

How can I find out why my server crashed?

1. Network Glitch. This is one of the most common problems that might lead to server crash. .
2. System Overload. At times, a server might take hours to load due to system overload. .
3. Configuration Errors. .
4. Hardware Issues. .
5. Backups. .
6. Overheating. .
7. Plug-in Error. .
8. Code Breaking.

How do I know if my Linux server is crashing?

When all else fails, sifting through your server logs is one of the best ways to troubleshoot any errors. Usually the files will be located in the /var/log/syslog and the /var/log/ directories.

Does Linux ever crash?

Not only is Linux the dominant operating system for most market segments, it is the most widely developed operating system. . It is also common knowledge that Linux system rarely crashes and even in the advent of it crashing, the whole system normally won’t go down.

Why does Linux freeze?

Some of the common causes that cause freezing/hanging in Linux are either software or hardware related issues. They include; system resources exhaustion, application compatibility issues, under-performing hardware, slow networks, device/application configurations, and long-running un-interruptable computations.

Can you reinstall Ubuntu without losing data?

Installing Ubuntu fresh will not affect a user’s personal data and files unless he instructs the installation process to format a drive or partition. The wording in the steps that will do this is Erase disk and install Ubuntu , and Format Partition .

What is recovery mode in Ubuntu?

If your system fails to boot for whatever reason, it may be useful to boot it into recovery mode. This mode just loads some basic services and drops you into command line mode. You are then logged in as root (the superuser) and can repair your system using command line tools.

How do I repair Ubuntu?

1. Insert your Ubuntu CD, reboot your computer and set it to boot from CD in the BIOS and boot into a live session. You can also use a LiveUSB if you have created one in the past.
2. Install and run Boot-Repair.
3. Click «Recommended Repair».
4. Now reboot your system. The usual GRUB boot menu should appear.

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Common Reasons for Ubuntu Crashes and How to Recover

Any operating system can crash, including Ubuntu. If you are running Linux and have a problem, here are a few reasons and solutions to help you get out of your crash.

If Ubuntu hangs, the first thing to try is to reboot your system. Sometimes you might have to do a cold boot. Power your computer off and then bring it back up. Restarting your computer resolves many problems such as low memory, application crashes, and the browser hangs.

Make note of what you did just before the computer crashed. If it always happens while using a specific application, research to find out if there are any updates or known issues. Some applications are known to crash at times, such as Audacity and OpenShot Video Editor.

To resolve application issues, restart, repair or reload the software. Or, notify the people who created it.

Firefox updates have also caused Linux to freeze. You may have to avoid using Firefox until they fix the issues.

If an application is not causing your problem, you may be out of room on your hard drive or have a hardware issue.

This article covers the following ways to diagnose and recover from a crash:

• Freeing up hard drive space
• Testing your memory
• Hardware failures
• Intermittent hardware problems
• Recovering from an X Server crash
• Boot Linux from another source

How To Free Up Hard Drive Space

• To find out how much free space you have on your hard drive, click the Start Button, then Accessories, and then Disks.

Ubuntu doesn’t have the same disk clean-up tools and built-in defrag like Windows. So, what can you do to free up some disk space?

• Empty your trash
• Delete .ISO downloads
• Remove old kernels you no longer need
• Uninstall games and apps you don’t use
• Use a system cleaner
• Regularly clean APT Cache
• Keep your system updated

The last bullet point above might seem counterintuitive. Linux updates free up space as opposed to Windows updates that take up more space.

Low Memory

If you are running Ubuntu and your system randomly crashes, you may be running out of memory. Low memory could be caused by opening more applications or data files than will fit in the memory you have installed.

If that is the problem, do not open so much at one time or upgrade to more memory on your computer.

Another cause of low memory is a failing RAM. Run a memory test to determine whether your RAM memory is bad.

How To Perform a Memory Test

• Start by turning on or restarting your system.
• Bring up the GRUB menu by holding down Shift on your keyboard.

• After you press the enter key, the memory test will automatically run. You will see a blue screen while the test is running.
• The test won’t end until you press the escape key. Let the test run for at least one full pass. If your problem is very intermittent, let the test run much longer.

Should the test find any errors, you need to replace one of your RAM memory cards.

Other Hardware Failures

If your computer powers off and will not power on at all (has no lights and no sounds), first check to make sure there is power at the outlet. The most likely cause if you have power at the outlet is a bad power supply.

If it tries to power up and then powers back down within 30 seconds, you may have a slow or non-moving fan. Or the sensor that detects fan speed may be failing.

Other components that can cause your computer to crash are:

• Overheating due to fans being slow or not turning at all
• Hard drive crash
• Bad power supply
• Failing motherboard or CPU
• Graphics card problems
• Sensors

You can also test your hard drive for failures yourself. A certain number of errors are acceptable. Even new hard drives already have some errors.

If you know how to do your own repairs, replace the failing component. Otherwise, have your computer technician repair your machine.

Intermittent Hardware Problems

The most common causes of sporadic problems are overheating memory failures and hard drive errors.

If testing doesn’t identify the failing component, you may have to replace them one at a time until you find the problem.

Recovering From an X Server Crash

Linux systems provide multiple ways to recover from a crash. The easiest way is a reboot. But there are other methods:

• Use a keyboard shortcut to restart the X server.
• Switch virtual consoles.
• Kill the X server over the network using SSH.
• Use the Magic SysRq key.

Boot Linux From Another Source

What if your computer powers on but refuse to load Linux? You could have a bad hard drive, or the operating system files could be corrupted.

If you have made an Ubuntu Live CD or USB, you can boot from that other operating system.

You need to have done this in advance. Or, you make a Live boot on a different computer.

Many factors can cause your system to crash. There isn’t one solution. In the worst-case scenario, if none of the above suggestions work, you may need a new computer or a good computer technician.

David has a background in small business and lives in Australia. He is a WordPress and Ubuntu Developer who enjoys design, CSS and tech tool integration. Read David’s Full Bio

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