On Thu, 26 Apr 2018 14:03:53 -0500
golinux@??? wrote:

> On 2018-04-26 13:05, Lars Noodén wrote:
> > On 04/26/2018 08:34 PM, KatolaZ wrote:
> > [snip]> the drivers you get from Debian Stretch repos are exactly
> > the same
> >> drivers (bit-by-bit) that you get through Devuan ASCII repos. And I
> >> mean it. Whatever it is, it's indeed the very same package, really,
> >> *the* *very* *same* *package*.
> > [snip]
> >
> > Ok Thanks for confirming that. I'll read up on things at
> > bugs.debian.org and dev1galaxy.org now as you suggest.
> >
> > /Lars
> > _______________________________________________
> >
>
> I haven't had proprietary graphics for quite a few years. But when I
> did, my go-to installer was sgfxi. It never failed to find the
> correct driver and clean up the cruft. You can read about it here
> https://smxi.org/ and here https://github.com/smxi/sgfxi . I know
> that MX Linux packages smxi and for good reason.
>
> golinux

Almost every email in this thread assumes this intermittent problem is
video related. I must have missed the evidence: I have no idea what
might be causing this, I think the cause could be almost anything, and
personally I'd cast a wide net so as not to run around testing in an
area ultimately not containing the root cause.

This is an intermittent problem first reported as "locks up switching
between console and X", and some log output mentioning Nouveau and
DRM, which might point somewhat of an accusing finger, but in my
opinion not enough to limit focus to the video. It was later
mentioned that qemu almost always is soon followed by a hang: It's just
as likely a problem with the hardware emulated VM software, but we've
been nowhere near an indication that's it either.

IIRC the machine also has an Intel video card: Why not just use that,
disable the Nvidia, and see whether it still happens. If it doesn't,
that would be more powerful evidence that it *is* the Nvidia or its
drivers.

First thing I'd do is test the RAM and the disk. Easy to do, and it
would be real shame to chase your video driver tail for a month when
it was bad RAM. I'm pretty sure bad RAM can cause almost anything: Why
not rule it out early.

The lshw output mentioned there were two video cards: One Intel and one
Nvidia. Why not turn one off in the bios, use the other for a couple
days, and see if the problem goes away. Then switch to the other video
card.

Not mentioned is which WM/DE is being used. Some WM/DEs are a crash
waiting to happen. Why not temporarily use LXDE, and see whether that
effects the frequency of the hang. If so, determine what about your
former WM/DE was causing the problem.

I'd just be careful about reducing focus too early, or the root cause
might escape you for a long, long time.

SteveT

Steve Litt 
April 2018 featured book: Troubleshooting Techniques
     of the Successful Technologist
http://www.troubleshooters.com/techniques