[mythtv-users] Power outages and UPSs

[DaveD]

I keep reading posts from people on this list about having problems 
after power outages.  APC makes UPS's that talk quite nicely to Linux 
boxes via the apcupsd (APC UPS daemon) that sell for $25!  I opted for a 
little more VAW and paid $30!  You can get away with the cheapest 
version available if you just have the CPU plugged into it with a 
2-minute unconditional shutdown (system goes down clean if power not 
back within two minutes).  That's how I have mine  configured, but 
they're smart enough to calculate percent of battery left and wait until 
the last minute to tell the machine to shut itself down (default 
configuration).  I don't trust it, myself, so I just have the 2-minute 
limit.  I think I've got about 15 minutes to spare when my systems go 
down and I've had several outages with zero problems with these 
installed.  I've got one on my Myth box, another on my file 
server/firewall and a third on my wife's Windoze machine.  One $30 UPS 
would probably handle two CPUs nicely.  Cheap insurance, if you ask me!

DaveD

Bob Sully wrote:
> We had a power failure here the other night which outlasted my UPS.  Prior
> to that, my combined BE/FE Myth box had been up for about two months;
> during that time, I had performed a routine update to the OS.  There were
> no problems before.  Now, since the machine came back up after the power
> went down, I can't start mythfrontend - it restarts the X server every
> time.
>
> There's nothing enlightening in mythbackend.log.  The only clue I can find
> is in the X server log:
>
> -- Backtrace:
> 0: /etc/X11/X(xf86SigHandler+0x71) [0x48f161]
> 1: /lib64/libc.so.6 [0x2b016c437030]
>
> Fatal server error:
> Caught signal 11.  Server aborting
>
> Interestingly, if I ssh in from another box, I can start it remotely and
> run most of the utilities remotely (but can't watch any recorded files,
> though the thumbnails work).
>
> I have a remote FE box upstairs running the same OS (Mandriva 2007.0
> x86-64) which was also upgraded...same problem there when I try to start
> the frontend.  My guess is that one of the upgrades broke mythfrontend's
> ability to come up.  Maybe X itself....or libc6??
>
> Here's some info on the BE/FE box:
>
> X Window System Version 7.1.1
> Release Date: 12 May 2006
> X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0, Release 7.1.1
> Build Operating System: Linux 2.6.12-31mdk x86_64
> Current Operating System: Linux vader.malibyte.net
> 2.6.17.14-6mdvmmcustom-k8 #2 PREEMPT Sun Apr 15 01:33:21 PDT 2007 x86_64
> Build Date: 17 July 2007
>
> Anyone else seen this and have a possible fix?
>
> TIA
> Bob
>
> ________________________________________
> Bob Sully - Simi Valley, California, USA
> http://www.malibyte.net
> http://www.malibyte.com
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