lubuntu-qa team mailing list archive

[Phill Whiteside <PhillW@xxxxxxxxxx>]

As zram is a part of the kernel and enabled by default, do not get crazy
about it. I had this back with kvm (virt-manager) when the fix was pulled
into the 'ubuntu' kernel from a fix in the Red Hat one. As it appears more
clearly that zram has issues, it not only affects lubuntu and *buntu but
quite possibly all of the *nix systems running 3.11. It's really bad timing
for us on *buntu as it was not found by you guys until really late in the
cycle. The 3.11 kernel arrived part way through and was accepted, I'm not
100% sure that 3.11 is totally stable, but it is what is going to be
released with 13.10. For lubuntu, the loss of zram in the installer would
be a blow, as we use it to enable the lower RAM machines to install via
desktop. We would need to alter the pages to tell people to use the
alternate image (thank heavens that we do have a plan 'B'). However, if
zram is unstable in kernel 3.11 it would have to be disabled. That a few
testers have hit freezes is acceptable, but to release to eveyone... that's
going to create a field day for the nay-sayers about how stable linux is.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

Regards,

Phill.


On 21 September 2013 19:58, Nio Wiklund <nio.wiklund@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> On 2013-09-21 20:27, Phill Whiteside wrote:
> > I'm beginning the thought that
> > http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2162655&p=12735571#post12735571
> > actually holds the key to this issue. They may well be 2 separate bugs,
> > but they both head towards zram. It seems very broken.
> >
>
> Yes, I think so too. Another bug or another condition that starts that
> race, that freezes the system.
>
> I think zRAM makes Lubuntu perform better and I want it, but if we
> cannot get rid of the freezing problem, we must consider having it only
> as an option in the live session (to make it possible to install with
> low RAM), or skipping it completely and try zRAM again for the next
> version, 14.04 LTS.
>
> For example like this
>
> In syslinux for the 32 bit system:
>
> - 'Install Lubuntu' runs with zRAM
> - 'Try Lubuntu without installing' runs without zRAM
>
> And zRAM should not be used in the installed system.
>
> -o-
>
> I don't know about the 64-bit system. We need to consider syslinux,
> grub-pc and grub-efi. I'm afraid it means a lot of cases to edit and test.
>
> Also, I think zRAM is not as important for modern computers with more
> horsepower and RAM.
>
> Best regards
> Nio
>



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