Fifty Plus (50+) - BIG CRASH (IT server that is) & New (old) Paramount Wheels

Well, it looks as if last night's (11/27) ominous message "...rebuilding database..." along with no access to BF, was right on. I can't find my Retirement Poll. BF must have had a dataquake! I keep wondering why they have so many challenges. Is it due to so many users? Are they always being attacked by hackers? Just wondering.

On to a bike topic: My not so LBS (80 miles away) called yesterday, to tell me my wheels will be ready on Thursday! These will complete my '66 Paramount restoration! :D They laced a set of 27 X 1 Araya vintage racing rims to the original vintage Campagnolo Record high flange hubs (4 cross).

I hope the snow holds off a few more weeks so I can take at least one more ride on it before sending it to the rafters for the winter.

Here is the "official" explanation from the Forum Suggestions & User Assistance Forum:

"The forums are now back online and should be working correctly for the most part.

There does appear to be some missing threads towards the end of the table which we are unable to recover due to the way it has repaired.

Whilst repairing the table the database server kernel paniced which corrupted the thread and user tables. The temporary data files were so corrupt that they infact were reading 16tb in disk usage(incorrect), we have recovered these and the only things that appear to be missing is some newer threads, instead of restoring a backup from yesterday this seems the best course of action to sustain.

However due to the consistant kernel panics the database server encounters we are deciding on what to do about it, we do however have the kernel panic and have repaired the main cause of that now.

Apologises for the extended downtime however we could not have prevented it.

-Scott"

Makes sense to me. My kernels are always panicing, and many politicians around here have corrupt stuff in their files.

Looks to me like a whole lot of threads are missing. But, I would guess that in 2 days we won't remember what they were or what was said.

No more Sex on a Bike, alas.... :D

No more Sex on a Bike, alas.... :D

That's probably what killed it! :D

I just saved the weight loss thread on my computer in case the kernels get paniced again!

Makes sense to me. My kernels are always panicing....
I always wondered why my kernels did that! BTW, I had saved my original composition of the Reitrement Poll, but of course not all the responses! Oh well! Live and learn from those "kernel panics!"

Psssst....... Hey, it was Lance....... he's hacking the BF server........ Shuuusssssshhh!!!!

FYI, a "kernel panic" is roughly the linux (unix, *nix, etc.) equivilent to a blue screen of death (BSOD) in Windows. The system detects an error it can't recover from and the result is a kernel panic. Similar to Windows, if you get a BSOD with a database open, all kinds of bad things can happen :)

Definately not a sign of a healthy environment for BFN!

Steve

FYI, a "kernel panic" is roughly the linux (unix, *nix, etc.) equivilent to a blue screen of death (BSOD) in Windows. The system detects an error it can't recover from and the result is a kernel panic. Similar to Windows, if you get a BSOD with a database open, all kinds of bad things can happen :)

Definately not a sign of a healthy environment for BFN!

Steve

You technical guys blow me away. I prefer to think some popcorn got in the middle of the database machine and screwed all the flywheels, gears and doodads up. That I can understand.

So where does the error that cannot be recovered from originate? Or is that the $64,000 question..

So where does the error that cannot be recovered from originate? Or is that the $64,000 question..

Malfunctioning hardware causes kernel panics - critical files that can't be read from the hard drive, incompatable memory, or hardware failures in general (overheating processor, a failed component on the main system board or any of the peripherals can also cause it)

A very serious software error causes kernel panics - If a program, malicious or not, affects certain parts of memory, it can cause a kernel panic. These can be software bugs in programs installed by the admins (such as vBulletin, the cool program we're using to communicate with each other here), drivers (called "modules" in the world of Linux), the utilities installed with Linux (things that come pre-installed, think of MS Paint and Notepad) or the core of the operating system itself (the Kernel). Software bugs can be caused by files on the server that have been altered in such a way that they're no longer useable (we call these files "corrupt").

Usually, software bugs cause a single program to stop responding. For instance, the database that stores all the text of our conversations was having problems and started acting up. The server itself was probably still alive, but if the database "panics" it will freeze up and cause the forums to act really wierd (like they were acting yesterday, not allowing people to reply, creating double threads, or threads without text in them).

In short, it broke. Scott Fixed it. w00t for Scott!

Malfunctioning hardware causes kernel panics - critical files that can't be read from the hard drive, incompatable memory, or hardware failures in general (overheating processor, a failed component on the main system board or any of the peripherals can also cause it)

A very serious software error causes kernel panics - If a program, malicious or not, affects certain parts of memory, it can cause a kernel panic. These can be software bugs in programs installed by the admins (such as vBulletin, the cool program we're using to communicate with each other here), drivers (called "modules" in the world of Linux), the utilities installed with Linux (things that come pre-installed, think of MS Paint and Notepad) or the core of the operating system itself (the Kernel). Software bugs can be caused by files on the server that have been altered in such a way that they're no longer useable (we call these files "corrupt").

Usually, software bugs cause a single program to stop responding. For instance, the database that stores all the text of our conversations was having problems and started acting up. The server itself was probably still alive, but if the database "panics" it will freeze up and cause the forums to act really wierd (like they were acting yesterday, not allowing people to reply, creating double threads, or threads without text in them).

In short, it broke. Scott Fixed it. w00t for Scott!

Is that the same as a "high speed vibration in the leaf mulcher"? :D

kernel panic, bluetooth, blackberry, wii.........the language of our world is definitely changing. Can't wait to see the next edition of Webster's........

Malfunctioning hardware causes kernel panics - critical files that can't be read from the hard drive, incompatable memory, or hardware failures in general (overheating processor, a failed component on the main system board or any of the peripherals can also cause it)

A very serious software error causes kernel panics - If a program, malicious or not, affects certain parts of memory, it can cause a kernel panic. These can be software bugs in programs installed by the admins (such as vBulletin, the cool program we're using to communicate with each other here), drivers (called "modules" in the world of Linux), the utilities installed with Linux (things that come pre-installed, think of MS Paint and Notepad) or the core of the operating system itself (the Kernel). Software bugs can be caused by files on the server that have been altered in such a way that they're no longer useable (we call these files "corrupt").

Usually, software bugs cause a single program to stop responding. For instance, the database that stores all the text of our conversations was having problems and started acting up. The server itself was probably still alive, but if the database "panics" it will freeze up and cause the forums to act really wierd (like they were acting yesterday, not allowing people to reply, creating double threads, or threads without text in them).

In short, it broke. Scott Fixed it. w00t for Scott!

Just wondering: Can I use this as an illustration in Sunday's sermon? ;)

Speaking of computers crashing - - - - -

Solve the puzzle time.

OK - my computer froze up completely just as I finished a full page very thoughtful email memo. There it was, on the screen. I could see every word, and the cursor wouldn't move, no print screen function, no key function - no nothing. My kernels were panicing all over the place.

SO?

I did not want to have to think up all those thoughtful words again, I didn't want to copy them down on paper by hand (my handwriting is unreadable, and I detest handwriting).

What to do?

The light bulb clicked on. IDEA!

So what was that idea? Your turn to guess.














See my solution below. What's yours?









































I got out the digital camera, and after experimenting a bit turned off the flash, turned off the lights in the room, and got a great close up of the screen.

I rebooted, put the flash card in the computer, viewed, cropped and printed the screen shot, and voila, there was my memo.

I seriously considered scanning it in and using the scanner/text program, but the background was a bit blue and there was poor contrast.

So, I retyped it exactly as it was on the paper and emailed it out . . . . problem solved! :D ;) :D

I'd get a better operating system. ;) (see Avatar)

Just wondering: Can I use this as an illustration in Sunday's sermon? ;)

You would get +eleventy billion geek factor(tm) if you could somehow wedge that into a sermon.

And as the guy who totes the church laptop to and fro via bicycle, and records all the sermons into so-called "podcasts" on the Internet - I could seriously appreciate it.

You would get +eleventy billion geek factor(tm) if you could somehow wedge that into a sermon.

And as the guy who totes the church laptop to and fro via bicycle, and records all the sermons into so-called "podcasts" on the Internet - I could seriously appreciate it.
I was just teasing. I've been a bit geeky at times in a sermon but never with computer lingo. What do you use to carry "the church laptop" on your bike? When the weather is nice I've thought about riding to the church at least once a week, but I worry about my 6 year old laptop. Any pictures of your laptop mounted to the bike? Are those your sermons that you "podcast?" Digital Gee asked my about mine in this format, but I couldn't deliver, not even on cassette! :o

I have a seat-post-mounted rack with bungee web-style tie-downs.

http://www.focushacks.com/photo/sorrento.jpg

I just loosen the bungee web, put the padded laptop bag on the rack, under the web, and cinch the bungee web down with the little slider apparatus. I avoid big bumps and stuff like that and it's only 6 miles or so to church. I also have a few storage things that bolt down to the rack. When I rode 17 miles to my parents place for turkey day, I thought about just setting it in the milk crate "attachment".

My father's on the contemporary-style praise team and gets the lyrics ready for the songs. We use the laptop for lyrics and the occasional powerpoint or video for sermons. Anyways, I thought better of it, and ended up leaving it with my wife to bring down after she got off work.

The sermons are podcasts, but our web guy handles all that. I just take the recordings and make MP3's out of them. I am the A/V nerd that can fix absolutely anything with my Park Tool MTB-3 bike multitool and my spare inner-tube. So, the sermons are not spoken by me. I shouldn't even be in the 50+ forum. My dad, on the other hand... did a triathlon at the age of 51 a few years ago, and kind of stopped cycling after that. I'm trying to get him back into it. We did a 10 mile trail ride on Saturday, which is the longest ride he's had in 2 and a half years.

http://www.followthepath.org/media.htm

I can mount the laptop tonight and show you what it looks like on there.

Boy, how's THAT for off topic?

Hey axOn,

Thanks for the description. I still must say I'm a little nervous about transporting my laptop on a bike rack. Methinks I would have a crash if I tried!

It doesn't offset the balance too much. Or you could do what some of my fellow commuters are doing and get pannier bags (like saddle bags for motorcycles)

I just saved the weight loss thread on my computer in case the kernels get paniced again!

Nothing to that. Now when you have Colonels paniced, you have a REAL Problem...

Speaking of computers crashing - - - - -

Solve the puzzle time.

OK - my computer froze up completely just as I finished a full page very thoughtful email memo. There it was, on the screen. I could see every word, and the cursor wouldn't move, no print screen function, no key function - no nothing. My kernels were panicing all over the place.

SO?

I did not want to have to think up all those thoughtful words again, I didn't want to copy them down on paper by hand (my handwriting is unreadable, and I detest handwriting).

What to do?

The light bulb clicked on. IDEA!

So what was that idea? Your turn to guess.


I would have carried my monitor to the copier and copied the screen:rolleyes:

I just saw a cute video about that very thing...wish I could find it