Upgrading graphics card on an old Dell Precision - Teh Forum

<body> <div id="header"> <span class="left"> <span class="back"><a href="lthread_list.php?webtag=DEFAULT"><span class="image mobile_back" title="Back"></span></a></span> <span class="image mobile_logo" title="Beehive Forum Logo"></span> </span> <ul> <li> <a class="reply_all" href="lpost.php?webtag=DEFAULT&reply_to=42853.0&return_msg=42853.13"> <span class="image mobile_reply_all"></span><span class="text">Reply to All</span> </a> </li> <li> <a class="navigation" href="#"> <span class="image mobile_navigation"></span><span class="text">Show messages</span> </a> </li> <li> <a class="main" href="#"><span class="image mobile_menu" title="Menu"></span> </a> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="menu main"> <ul> <li><a href="lthread_list.php?webtag=DEFAULT">Messages</a></li> <li><a href="lpm.php?webtag=DEFAULT">Inbox</a></li> <li><a href="lsearch.php?webtag=DEFAULT">Search</a></li> <li><a href="llogon.php?webtag=DEFAULT">Login</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="menu navigation"><a href="lmessages.php?webtag=DEFAULT&msg=42853.1">1–10</a><a href="lmessages.php?webtag=DEFAULT&msg=42853.11">11–20</a><a href="lmessages.php?webtag=DEFAULT&msg=42853.21">21–22</a></div> <div id="page_content"> <h3 class="thread_title"><a href="index.php?webtag=DEFAULT&amp;msg=42853.13">Upgrading graphics card on an old Dell Precision</a> </h3> <div id="messages" data-navigation="42853_13_22_10"> <a name="a42853_13"></a><div class="message" id="message_42853_13"> <div class="message_header"> <div class="message_from"> From: Peter (BOUGHTONP)<span class="message_time">22 Mar 2022 22:02</span> <div class="clearer"></div> </div><div class="message_to">To: CHYRON (DSMITHHFX) <span><span class="image post_read" title="Read: 23 Mar 2022 15:30"></span></span> <span class="message_count">13 of 22</span><div class="clearer"></div> </div> </div> <div class="message_links"> <a href="lmessages.php?webtag=DEFAULT&msg=42853.13">42853.13</a> In reply to <a href="lmessages.php?webtag=DEFAULT&msg=42853.12">42853.12</a></div> <div class="message_body"> That machine is just Gnome, and hasn't had that much continuous use - certainly not in its latest configuration. (For my own machines I'm currently running KDE Plasma and Cinnamon, but they have Intel graphics.) <p>What makes you think it's the drivers - wont killing xserver cause all GUI apps to be killed, so it could still be a number of things?</p> <div class="edit_text">EDITED: 22 Mar 2022 22:03 by BOUGHTONP</div> </div> <div class="message_footer"> <div class="message_footer_links"><a href="lpost.php?webtag=DEFAULT&reply_to=42853.13&return_msg=42853.13" class="reply"><span class="image post"></span>Reply</a></div> <div class="message_vote_form" data-msg="42853.13"> <span class="rating">0/0</span> <span class="image vote vote_down vote_down_off" title="Vote Down"></span> <span class="image vote vote_up vote_up_off" title="Vote Up"></span> </div> </div> </div><a name="a42853_14"></a><div class="message" id="message_42853_14"> <div class="message_header"> <div class="message_from"> From: CHYRON (DSMITHHFX)<span class="message_time">23 Mar 2022 15:40</span> <div class="clearer"></div> </div><div class="message_to">To: Peter (BOUGHTONP) <span><span class="image post_read" title="Read: 24 Mar 2022 12:26"></span></span> <span class="message_count">14 of 22</span><div class="clearer"></div> </div> </div> <div class="message_links"> <a href="lmessages.php?webtag=DEFAULT&msg=42853.14">42853.14</a> In reply to <a href="lmessages.php?webtag=DEFAULT&msg=42853.13#a42853_13" target="_self">42853.13</a></div> <div class="message_body"> It could be any number of things, but that's my best guess (unfortunately it's also a production server, so that complicates any sort of troubleshooting). Maybe it's a gpu memory leak? Anyway it only seems to affect the graphics subsystem, as everything else including ssh, apache and mysql keep on trucking.<br /> <br /> I'd heard that the open source 'nouveau' driver could be problematic, this is the only pc with their graphics I use, all the others are either AMD or Intel, with no similar issues (or any, really) -- I always install the headless netinstall server edition, add xfce, and build up from there as needed (my home pc runs Fedora).<br /> <br /> Totally not a fan of Gnome or KDE. Tried cinnamon, found it buggy and lacking polish but this was a few years ago.<br /> <br /> I usually try to id all running GUI processes in top (typically firefox and thunar), and kill them before xserver and reboot.<div class="edit_text">EDITED: 23 Mar 2022 15:48 by DSMITHHFX</div> </div> <div class="message_footer"> <div class="message_footer_links"><a href="lpost.php?webtag=DEFAULT&reply_to=42853.14&return_msg=42853.13" class="reply"><span class="image post"></span>Reply</a></div> <div class="message_vote_form" data-msg="42853.14"> <span class="rating">0/0</span> <span class="image vote vote_down vote_down_off" title="Vote Down"></span> <span class="image vote vote_up vote_up_off" title="Vote Up"></span> </div> </div> </div><a name="a42853_15"></a><div class="message" id="message_42853_15"> <div class="message_header"> <div class="message_from"> From: william (WILLIAMA)<span class="message_time">23 Mar 2022 21:08</span> <div class="clearer"></div> </div><div class="message_to">To: CHYRON (DSMITHHFX) <span><span class="image post_read" title="Read: 24 Mar 2022 12:08"></span></span> <span class="message_count">15 of 22</span><div class="clearer"></div> </div> </div> <div class="message_links"> <a href="lmessages.php?webtag=DEFAULT&msg=42853.15">42853.15</a> In reply to <a href="lmessages.php?webtag=DEFAULT&msg=42853.13#a42853_14" target="_self">42853.14</a></div> <div class="message_body"> Sounds like the Raspbian Lxpanel memory leak. It is/was in Raspbian Stretch and I don't think anybody bothered to fix it without upgrading to Raspbian Buster. Runs fine for ever until you try to do anything remote that uses the graphical interface, then after a while it starts to squeak "Failed to fork (Cannot allocate memory)" and nothing works, even a console. Daft workaround is to login with VNC or whatever and turn the bluetooth on and off.</div> <div class="message_footer"> <div class="message_footer_links"><a href="lpost.php?webtag=DEFAULT&reply_to=42853.15&return_msg=42853.13" class="reply"><span class="image post"></span>Reply</a></div> <div class="message_vote_form" data-msg="42853.15"> <span class="rating">0/0</span> <span class="image vote vote_down vote_down_off" title="Vote Down"></span> <span class="image vote vote_up vote_up_off" title="Vote Up"></span> </div> </div> </div><a name="a42853_16"></a><div class="message" id="message_42853_16"> <div class="message_header"> <div class="message_from"> From: CHYRON (DSMITHHFX)<span class="message_time">24 Mar 2022 12:18</span> <div class="clearer"></div> </div><div class="message_to">To: william (WILLIAMA) <span><span class="image post_read" title="Read: 24 Mar 2022 12:18"></span></span> <span class="message_count">16 of 22</span><div class="clearer"></div> </div> </div> <div class="message_links"> <a href="lmessages.php?webtag=DEFAULT&msg=42853.16">42853.16</a> In reply to <a href="lmessages.php?webtag=DEFAULT&msg=42853.13#a42853_15" target="_self">42853.15</a></div> <div class="message_body"> Crikey. checked my notes, the server was assembled from parts in mid-2012(!)<br /> <br /> Ran headless for 6 years then stuck a GT520 (purchased with the rest in 2012) in it when it became my main dev platform.<br /> <br /> The production server role was a demented skunkworks experiment that worked rather too well, and the rest is history.<br /> <br /> I suppose it could be a hw issue ...<div class="edit_text">EDITED: 24 Mar 2022 12:22 by DSMITHHFX</div> </div> <div class="message_footer"> <div class="message_footer_links"><a href="lpost.php?webtag=DEFAULT&reply_to=42853.16&return_msg=42853.13" class="reply"><span class="image post"></span>Reply</a></div> <div class="message_vote_form" data-msg="42853.16"> <span class="rating">0/0</span> <span class="image vote vote_down vote_down_off" title="Vote Down"></span> <span class="image vote vote_up vote_up_off" title="Vote Up"></span> </div> </div> </div><a name="a42853_17"></a><div class="message" id="message_42853_17"> <div class="message_header"> <div class="message_from"> From: Peter (BOUGHTONP)<span class="message_time">24 Mar 2022 12:48</span> <div class="clearer"></div> </div><div class="message_to">To: CHYRON (DSMITHHFX) <span><span class="image post_read" title="Read: 24 Mar 2022 14:35"></span></span> <span class="message_count">17 of 22</span><div class="clearer"></div> </div> </div> <div class="message_links"> <a href="lmessages.php?webtag=DEFAULT&msg=42853.17">42853.17</a> In reply to <a href="lmessages.php?webtag=DEFAULT&msg=42853.13#a42853_14" target="_self">42853.14</a></div> <div class="message_body"> I thought the Nouveau driver used to have issues but those had been ironed out now? At least that's the impression I've gathered from occasionally scanning through threads with people asking for help - that most people don't need the proprietary Nvidia drivers any more. <p>Why've you got a GUI on a production server anyway?</p> <p>Not a fan of Gnome either, but it's simple enough for non-power users. Cinnamon is adequate, but also limited in places, and the widget code is ugly and confusing. I was planning to switch from Cinnamon to Plasma (since I <em>was</em> ok with that in Debian 10), but the latest version of Plasma seems both slower <em>and</em> buggier, and it just doesn't gel with me, so now I'm faced with tedium of downloading half a dozen different distros/DEs to see if I can get on with any of the others.</p> <div class="edit_text">EDITED: 24 Mar 2022 12:50 by BOUGHTONP</div> </div> <div class="message_footer"> <div class="message_footer_links"><a href="lpost.php?webtag=DEFAULT&reply_to=42853.17&return_msg=42853.13" class="reply"><span class="image post"></span>Reply</a></div> <div class="message_vote_form" data-msg="42853.17"> <span class="rating">0/0</span> <span class="image vote vote_down vote_down_off" title="Vote Down"></span> <span class="image vote vote_up vote_up_off" title="Vote Up"></span> </div> </div> </div><a name="a42853_18"></a><div class="message" id="message_42853_18"> <div class="message_header"> <div class="message_from"> From: CHYRON (DSMITHHFX)<span class="message_time">24 Mar 2022 14:43</span> <div class="clearer"></div> </div><div class="message_to">To: Peter (BOUGHTONP) <span><span class="image post_read" title="Read: 31 Mar 2022 18:31"></span></span> <span class="message_count">18 of 22</span><div class="clearer"></div> </div> </div> <div class="message_links"> <a href="lmessages.php?webtag=DEFAULT&msg=42853.18">42853.18</a> In reply to <a href="lmessages.php?webtag=DEFAULT&msg=42853.13#a42853_17" target="_self">42853.17</a></div> <div class="message_body"> Well it's one of those weird things where the pandemic and WFH reared its ugly head, so it got pressed into full-time service in that role, which it does great.<br /> <br /> I'll have to consider another arrangement soonish, since arguably it should be on its last legs, I have to refresh the Ubuntu LTS it's running anyway and yada. Hopefully I can keep using it for a dev box, if I can sort out the gui issue, maybe try a different legacy gpu for that.<br /> <br /> I've tried quite a few different de's and settled on xfce for being lightweight and stable, with no stupid wannabe OSX/Windows eye candy BS.<div class="edit_text">EDITED: 24 Mar 2022 14:43 by DSMITHHFX</div> </div> <div class="message_footer"> <div class="message_footer_links"><a href="lpost.php?webtag=DEFAULT&reply_to=42853.18&return_msg=42853.13" class="reply"><span class="image post"></span>Reply</a></div> <div class="message_vote_form" data-msg="42853.18"> <span class="rating">0/0</span> <span class="image vote vote_down vote_down_off" title="Vote Down"></span> <span class="image vote vote_up vote_up_off" title="Vote Up"></span> </div> </div> </div><a name="a42853_19"></a><div class="message" id="message_42853_19"> <div class="message_header"> <div class="message_from"> From: ANT_THOMAS<span class="message_time">31 Mar 2022 10:20</span> <div class="clearer"></div> </div><div class="message_to">To: Peter (BOUGHTONP) <span><span class="image post_read" title="Read: 31 Mar 2022 18:31"></span></span> <span class="message_count">19 of 22</span><div class="clearer"></div> </div> </div> <div class="message_links"> <a href="lmessages.php?webtag=DEFAULT&msg=42853.19">42853.19</a> In reply to <a href="lmessages.php?webtag=DEFAULT&msg=42853.1">42853.1</a></div> <div class="message_body"> Nice to see this one resolved.<br /> <br /> But really, why aren't your sister's workplace providing a computer?</div> <div class="message_footer"> <div class="message_footer_links"><a href="lpost.php?webtag=DEFAULT&reply_to=42853.19&return_msg=42853.13" class="reply"><span class="image post"></span>Reply</a></div> <div class="message_vote_form" data-msg="42853.19"> <span class="rating">0/0</span> <span class="image vote vote_down vote_down_off" title="Vote Down"></span> <span class="image vote vote_up vote_up_off" title="Vote Up"></span> </div> </div> </div><a name="a42853_20"></a><div class="message" id="message_42853_20"> <div class="message_header"> <div class="message_from"> From: Peter (BOUGHTONP)<span class="message_time">31 Mar 2022 18:35</span> <div class="clearer"></div> </div><div class="message_to">To: ANT_THOMAS <span><span class="image post_read" title="Read: 1 Apr 2022 07:46"></span></span> <span class="message_count">20 of 22</span><div class="clearer"></div> </div> </div> <div class="message_links"> <a href="lmessages.php?webtag=DEFAULT&msg=42853.20">42853.20</a> In reply to <a href="lmessages.php?webtag=DEFAULT&msg=42853.13#a42853_19" target="_self">42853.19</a></div> <div class="message_body"> *shrug* <p>If I could share more details, everyone would be asking why they're not <em>requiring</em> the use of machines they've provided, pre-configured and suitably locked-down, but why be competent when you can be cheap?</p></div> <div class="message_footer"> <div class="message_footer_links"><a href="lpost.php?webtag=DEFAULT&reply_to=42853.20&return_msg=42853.13" class="reply"><span class="image post"></span>Reply</a></div> <div class="message_vote_form" data-msg="42853.20"> <span class="rating">0/0</span> <span class="image vote vote_down vote_down_off" title="Vote Down"></span> <span class="image vote vote_up vote_up_off" title="Vote Up"></span> </div> </div> </div><a name="a42853_21"></a><div class="message" id="message_42853_21"> <div class="message_header"> <div class="message_from"> From: CHYRON (DSMITHHFX)<span class="message_time">31 Mar 2022 20:04</span> <div class="clearer"></div> </div><div class="message_to">To: Peter (BOUGHTONP) <span><span class="image post_read" title="Read: 2 Apr 2022 18:35"></span></span> <span class="message_count">21 of 22</span><div class="clearer"></div> </div> </div> <div class="message_links"> <a href="lmessages.php?webtag=DEFAULT&msg=42853.21">42853.21</a> In reply to <a href="lmessages.php?webtag=DEFAULT&msg=42853.13#a42853_20" target="_self">42853.20</a></div> <div class="message_body"> Hope they're all stocked up on BTC.</div> <div class="message_footer"> <div class="message_footer_links"><a href="lpost.php?webtag=DEFAULT&reply_to=42853.21&return_msg=42853.13" class="reply"><span class="image post"></span>Reply</a></div> <div class="message_vote_form" data-msg="42853.21"> <span class="rating">0/0</span> <span class="image vote vote_down vote_down_off" title="Vote Down"></span> <span class="image vote vote_up vote_up_off" title="Vote Up"></span> </div> </div> </div><a name="a42853_22"></a><div class="message" id="message_42853_22"> <div class="message_header"> <div class="message_from"> From: ANT_THOMAS<span class="message_time"> 1 Apr 2022 07:46</span> <div class="clearer"></div> </div><div class="message_to">To: Peter (BOUGHTONP) <span><span class="image post_read" title="Read: 2 Apr 2022 18:35"></span></span> <span class="message_count">22 of 22</span><div class="clearer"></div> </div> </div> <div class="message_links"> <a href="lmessages.php?webtag=DEFAULT&msg=42853.22">42853.22</a> In reply to <a href="lmessages.php?webtag=DEFAULT&msg=42853.13#a42853_20" target="_self">42853.20</a></div> <div class="message_body"> Worse than not just providing staff with correct tools then. Worrying. </div> <div class="message_footer"> <div class="message_footer_links"><a href="lpost.php?webtag=DEFAULT&reply_to=42853.22&return_msg=42853.13" class="reply"><span class="image post"></span>Reply</a></div> <div class="message_vote_form" data-msg="42853.22"> <span class="rating">0/0</span> <span class="image vote vote_down vote_down_off" title="Vote Down"></span> <span class="image vote vote_up vote_up_off" title="Vote Up"></span> </div> </div> </div></div> </div> </body>