[asterisk-users] New Pico-ITX

[Gordon Henderson]

On Sun, 12 Aug 2007, Dermot Bradley wrote:

>> I'm sure it will run linux+asterisk just fine with a 1GHz Via C7
>> processor as there are many platforms out there using that
>> combination (or the Via C3)
>
> I recently gave up trying to use Jetway J7F2 motherboards (VIA C7 and
> VIA IDE/SATA/Ethernet) as they proved too unstable with Linux. I never
> managed to find the root cause - there's 1 box here that's rock solid
> and two others that keep locking up (only powercycle will clear) - one
> of the boxes locks up on average once per day.
>
> I'm not the only person having lockups on C7 systems either - there's
> chats on the VIA Linux forum about this.
>
> I'm now using Micro-ATX systems with Dual Core Athlons (the EE versions)
> - it ends up the same price to build as the Mini-ITX systems but has
> more horsepower and is better supported in Linux.
>
> VIA C3 & C7 systems have been known to have DMA-related issues for some
> time.

Intersting/Worrying!

I've not yet had any issues with the boards I've deployed - all CN1000's 
(Fanless 1GHz, Via C3 and my dev/test ones are older fanless 533MHz) ... 
Lots out in the field with Digium TDM400 or Sangoma analogue cards and 
Beronet ISDN2e cards (or none).

# cat /proc/cpuinfo
processor       : 0
vendor_id       : CentaurHauls
cpu family      : 6
model           : 10
model name      : VIA Esther processor 1000MHz
stepping        : 9
cpu MHz         : 997.560
cache size      : 128 KB
fdiv_bug        : no
hlt_bug         : no
f00f_bug        : no
coma_bug        : no
fpu             : yes
fpu_exception   : yes
cpuid level     : 1
wp              : yes
flags           : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce sep mtrr pge cmov pat
clflush acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 tm pni est tm2 rng rng_en ace ace_en ace2
ace2_en phe phe_en pmm pmm_en
bogomips        : 1996.56


# uptime
  22:02:46 up 73 days, 10:59,  2 users,  load average: 0.00, 0.00, 0.00

# asterisk -rx 'show uptime'
System uptime: 8 weeks, 4 days, 12 hours, 18 minutes, 9 seconds
Last reload: 7 weeks, 5 days, 8 hours, 53 minutes, 57 seconds

And another:

$ uptime
  22:12:48 up 109 days,  9:19,  1 user,  load average: 0.00, 0.00, 0.00

# rasterisk -rx 'show uptime'
System uptime: 15 weeks, 4 days, 9 hours, 19 minutes, 52 seconds
Last reload: 12 weeks, 4 days, 4 hours, 2 minutes, 23 seconds
Verbosity is at least 9999

I've also built routers & small NAS boxes out of the same motherboard...

I compile up a custom kernel for them & don't use the on-board audio 
hardware (nor printer port, but I use the serial ports on the routers!) 
and I always turn them off in the BIOS...

So what am I doing wrong.... (or not as the case is!)

Gordon