Doing research for something unrelated I came across something that may be related to your problem. Bad Ram, Check out this HowTo
http://badmem.sourceforge.net/docu/BadMEM-HOWTO.html#BEFORESTART the software is at http://badmem.sourceforge.net/ Some of what he describes in the HowTo sounds vaguely like the problem you are having. If your ram is intermitant in it's errors, it could be causing you to have errors that "move" James On Sun, 30 Dec 2001 21:34:06 -0600 Michael Viron <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > do an 'su -' which will make sure that you get root's full environment. > > Michael > > -- > Michael Viron > Registered Linux User #81978 > Senior Systems & Administration Consultant > Web Spinners, University of West Florida > > At 08:19 PM 12/30/2001 -0700, you wrote: > >Here is my tenet session going from Windows/me to Mandrake 8.1: > > > >''' > >... > >[roger@penguin roger]$ su > >Password: > >[root@penguin roger]# shutdown -h now > > > >Broadcast message from root (pts/0) Sun Dec 30 19:57:35 2001... > > > >The system is going down for system halt NOW !! > >[root@penguin roger]# su roger > >[roger@penguin roger]$ > >... > >''' > > > >I log on as myself (Linux doesn't allow me to log on directly as root), > >do a su, then shutdown. The broadcast message appears, but I can > >continue the using the session. I get the same results with the -hf > >option. Last evening I tried for about 90 minutes before I finally > >powered off the PC, so it had plenty of time to shutdown. > > > >I tried following some web-based advice to alter the /sbin/shutdown > >privileges and ownership. As su, I think I did a > > chmod 777 /sbin/shutdown > > chown roger:roger /sbin/shutdown > >but I get the same results. > > > >It is as if telnet users are somehow given a very low security level and > >are not permitted to execute shutdown. > > > >Before I took off the monitor,mouse, and keyboard, I could start > >vncserver and shut it down from another PC using the normal logout, then > >select halt from the messagebox. But when I start vncserver from > >telnet, I just get a logout confirmation box without the halt, reboot > >options. I even tried starting vncserver as su, then tried to shutdown > >-- same deal, the logout doesn't give me the halt or reboot options. > > > >I am obviously a newbie, is there some basic telnet authorization > >procedure I missed? > > > >Roger > > > > > > > >Michael Viron wrote: > > > >>Did you type the command as root? If you aren't root, you can't shutdown > >>the machine. I've had several times where I have issued the shutdown > >>command via ssh as root, and had no problems (although it does > >>occassionally take up to 5 minutes to fully shutdown). > >> > >>Michael > >> > >>-- > >>Michael Viron > >>Registered Linux User #81978 > >>Senior Systems & Administration Consultant > >>Web Spinners, University of West Florida > >> > >>At 04:27 PM 12/30/2001 -0700, you wrote: > >> > >>>Hi, > >>> > >>>I am trying to make an old PC into a keyboardless, mouseless, > >>>monitorless server. It boots and starts up OK and I can access it from > >>>telnet and vnc, but it refuses to shutdown. > >>> > >>>If I do a shutdown -h now from telnet, it broadcasts a message but > >>>doesn't shutdown. On vnc, the logoff button doesn't show a halt or > >>>reboot option. > >>> > >>>What are my options? > >>> > >>>TIA > >>> > >>>Roger > >>> > >>> > >>>_________________________________________________________ > >>>Do You Yahoo!? > >>>Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com > >>> > >>> > >>>Want to buy your Pack or Services from MandrakeSoft? > >>>Go to http://www.mandrakestore.com > >>> > >> > >> > >>------------------------------------------------------------------------ > >> > >>Want to buy your Pack or Services from MandrakeSoft? > >>Go to http://www.mandrakestore.com > >> > > > > > > > >_________________________________________________________ > >Do You Yahoo!? > >Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com > > > > > >Want to buy your Pack or Services from MandrakeSoft? > >Go to http://www.mandrakestore.com > > > >
Want to buy your Pack or Services from MandrakeSoft? Go to http://www.mandrakestore.com