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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: improved Crash Dialog needed
From:       Christian Lavoie <clavoie () bmed ! mcgill ! ca>
Date:       2002-08-30 14:29:35
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> My X-server just crashed on me, and I got an idea:
> Why don't we monitor the X-Server with a watchdog. If it doesn't repond,
> switch to a console, give the user a message on the console to login and
> restart the x-server or reboot the system. I could even imagine to be able
> to save the stuff I was working on with the help of dcop. A quick try
> didn't work though, and I'm not very well into the internals of the dcop
> stuff.

Pretty good idea, but you face one main problem: XFree86 crashes often leave 
the videocard in some weird state, in some extreme cases hopeless states. (S3 
ViRGE 325 PCI cards are always extreme cases =P)

You also have the 'server is alive but under extreme pressure and will occupy 
the CPU (and not respond to your watchdog) for $WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT + 1 
millisecond' case that's a problem.

It's actually a great idea, but I still don't see that being part of KDE, as 
opposed as being part of XFree86 itself ;)

Mind you, a good patch will beat my opinion anytime.

Have fun,
Chris

-- 
Maybe computer science ought to be taught in the School of Philosophy

Christian Lavoie, clavoie@bmed.mcgill.ca
http://www.christianlavoie.com
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