On my Intel Pentium D box running ~amd64, madwifi-driver causes, at random, a full system lockup, only recoverable by hard-restarting the system. I'm certain the madwifi modules are the cause, because I never experienced any problems until installing them. All versions in Portage seem to do it, even the latest hard-masked version (pre20050809-r1). The lockup happens at random: while sitting at a terminal, idling with an application open, or while compiling or doing other system-intensive tasks. With versions up to 0.1_pre20050420-r1, the system is actually able to establish a wireless connection, but, of course, the system eventually freezes. With the masked versions, no connection happens (I'm using wpa_supplicant-0.4.4, and the latest versions are masked because they don't seem to work with it), but the lockup still occurs. I haven't been able to find any other instances of such a problem. My wireless card is a D-Link DWL-520. lsmod output: Module Size Used by wlan_ccmp 6528 2 ath_pci 72608 0 ath_rate_sample 15888 1 ath_pci wlan 128116 4 wlan_ccmp,ath_pci,ath_rate_sample ath_hal 170352 3 ath_pci,ath_rate_sample vfat 12160 1 nls_cp437 7296 1 nls_ascii 5504 0 nls_utf8 2304 0 nls_iso8859_1 5504 1 binfmt_misc 10636 0 udf 77192 0 msdos 9344 0 isofs 32740 0 cifs 198556 0 fat 47280 2 vfat,msdos nls_base 8448 9 vfat,nls_cp437,nls_ascii,nls_utf8,nls_iso8859_1,udf,isofs,cifs,fat quota_v2 9728 0 autofs4 18568 0 anubis 10880 0 cast6 17536 0 tcrypt 83096 0 md5 4608 0 wp512 23808 0 sha1 3072 0 crc32c 2304 0 md4 4096 0 deflate 3456 0 serpent 17920 0 arc4 2304 0 sha512 5632 0 cast5 17152 0 tgr192 13312 0 michael_mic 3072 0 tea 2944 0 blowfish 8960 0 khazad 20096 0 crypto_null 2944 0 twofish 39552 0 sha256 8960 0 des 17152 0 raw1394 23576 0 dv1394 19576 0 video1394 18936 0 amdtp 10488 0 ohci1394 30796 3 dv1394,video1394,amdtp cmp 4224 1 amdtp sbp2 22024 0 ieee1394 89456 7 raw1394,dv1394,video1394,amdtp,ohci1394,cmp,sbp2 v4l2_common 6784 0 videodev 9728 0 v4l1_compat 12164 0 sr_mod 15140 0 dm_crypt 10768 1 dm_mod 50008 3 dm_crypt usb_storage 35204 0 usblp 12544 0 ehci_hcd 30600 0 uhci_hcd 30752 0 usbhid 33056 0 usbcore 110744 6 usb_storage,usblp,ehci_hcd,uhci_hcd,usbhid pktcdvd 25864 0 cdrom 36264 2 sr_mod,pktcdvd cfq_iosched 22424 0 floppy 61080 1 lm85 36644 0 cpufreq_conservative 8604 0 cpufreq_stats 5408 0 button 7840 0 fan 5256 0 thermal 18192 0 video 22280 0 evdev 10368 0 uinput 7808 0 pcspkr 4216 0 hw_random 5152 0 intel_agp 22208 1 tpm_nsc 6912 0 tpm 9504 1 tpm_nsc nvram 8584 0 hangcheck_timer 4376 0 i2c_dev 10368 0 eeprom 7440 0 i2c_sensor 3456 2 lm85,eeprom tun 9600 0 e100 35840 0 mii 5376 1 e100 microcode 6880 0 msr 3584 0 acpi_cpufreq 5008 1 freq_table 4368 2 cpufreq_stats,acpi_cpufreq processor 32992 2 thermal,acpi_cpufreq cpuid 3720 0 aes_x86_64 26024 4 snd_seq_oss 31872 0 snd_seq_midi_event 7296 1 snd_seq_oss snd_seq 53440 4 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi_event snd_seq_device 8080 2 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq snd_rtctimer 3360 0 rtc 12040 1 snd_rtctimer snd_pcm_oss 49056 0 snd_mixer_oss 16256 1 snd_pcm_oss snd_hda_intel 14912 0 snd_hda_codec 93696 1 snd_hda_intel snd_pcm 84744 3 snd_pcm_oss,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec snd_timer 21896 3 snd_seq,snd_rtctimer,snd_pcm snd 50504 9 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_seq_device,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_pcm,snd_timer snd_page_alloc 9488 2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm soundcore 8352 1 snd crc_ccitt 2432 0 libcrc32c 2944 1 crc32c zlib_inflate 16512 2 isofs,deflate zlib_deflate 21912 1 deflate xfrm_user 16264 0 ipcomp 7436 0 xfrm4_tunnel 3848 0 ah4 5888 0 tcp_diag 7944 0 ipt_ecn 2432 0 ipt_tcpmss 2688 0 ipt_multiport 2944 0 ipt_pkttype 2048 0 ipt_ULOG 8712 0 iptable_raw 2304 0 ipt_CLASSIFY 2432 0 ipt_ttl 2176 0 ipt_REJECT 5120 0 ipt_hashlimit 8088 0 ipt_recent 10008 0 ipt_tos 1920 0 ipt_addrtype 2304 0 ipt_ah 2304 0 ipt_sctp 3200 0 arpt_mangle 2688 0 ipt_comment 2048 0 iptable_mangle 2944 0 ipt_MARK 2816 0 arptable_filter 2432 0 ipt_LOG 7168 0 ipt_iprange 2176 0 ipt_ECN 3456 0 arp_tables 12672 2 arpt_mangle,arptable_filter ipt_limit 2688 0 ipt_length 2048 0 ipt_esp 2304 0 ipt_TCPMSS 4224 0 ipt_owner 3840 0 iptable_filter 3200 0 ipt_DSCP 2688 0 ipt_mark 2048 0 ipt_TOS 2688 0 ipt_mac 2304 0 ipt_realm 2304 0 ipt_dscp 2048 0 ip_tables 19456 33 ipt_ecn,ipt_tcpmss,ipt_multiport,ipt_pkttype,ipt_ULOG,iptable_raw,ipt_CLASSIFY,ipt_ttl,ipt_REJECT,ipt_hashlimit,ipt_recent,ipt_tos,ipt_addrtype,ipt_ah,ipt_sctp,ipt_comment,iptable_mangle,ipt_MARK,ipt_LOG,ipt_iprange,ipt_ECN,ipt_limit,ipt_length,ipt_esp,ipt_TCPMSS,ipt_owner,iptable_filter,ipt_DSCP,ipt_mark,ipt_TOS,ipt_mac,ipt_realm,ipt_dscp esp4 7552 0 af_packet 19084 4 fglrx 260576 0 agpgart 29676 2 intel_agp,fglrx unix 26392 16 emerge -v --info output: Gentoo Base System version 1.12.0_pre8 Portage 2.0.51.22-r2 (default-linux/amd64/2005.1, gcc-3.4.4, glibc-2.3.5-r1, 2.6.13-gentoo x86_64) ================================================================= System uname: 2.6.13-gentoo x86_64 Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU 3.00GHz dev-lang/python: 2.3.5, 2.4.1-r1 sys-apps/sandbox: 1.2.12 sys-devel/autoconf: 2.13, 2.59-r7 sys-devel/automake: 1.4_p6, 1.5, 1.6.3, 1.7.9-r1, 1.8.5-r3, 1.9.6 sys-devel/binutils: 2.16.1 sys-devel/libtool: 1.5.20 virtual/os-headers: 2.6.11-r2 ACCEPT_KEYWORDS="amd64 ~amd64" ACCEPT_LICENSE="" ARCH="amd64" AUTOCLEAN="yes" BASH_ENV="/etc/spork/is/not/valid/profile.env" CBUILD="x86_64-pc-linux-gnu" CDEFINE_amd64="__x86_64__" CDEFINE_x86="__i386__" CFLAGS="-march=nocona -O2 -pipe" CFLAGS_x86="-m32 -L/emul/linux/x86/lib -L/emul/linux/x86/usr/lib" CHOST="x86_64-pc-linux-gnu" CHOST_amd64="x86_64-pc-linux-gnu" CHOST_x86="i686-pc-linux-gnu" CLASSPATH="." CLEAN_DELAY="5" CONFIG_PROTECT="/etc /usr/kde/2/share/config /usr/kde/3/share/config /usr/lib/X11/xkb /usr/share/config /var/qmail/control" CONFIG_PROTECT_MASK="/etc/gconf /etc/splash /etc/terminfo /etc/texmf/web2c /etc/env.d" CVS_RSH="ssh" CXXFLAGS="-march=nocona -O2 -pipe" DEFAULT_ABI="amd64" DISTDIR="/usr/portage/distfiles" EDITOR="/bin/nano" ELIBC="glibc" EMERGE_WARNING_DELAY="10" FEATURES="autoconfig collision-protect distlocks sandbox sfperms strict userpriv usersandbox" FETCHCOMMAND="/usr/bin/wget -t 5 --passive-ftp -P ${DISTDIR} ${URI}" GCC_SPECS="" GDK_USE_XFT="1" GENTOO_MIRRORS="http://gentoo.osuosl.org/ ftp://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/gentoo/ http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/gentoo/ ftp://ftp.gtlib.cc.gatech.edu/pub/gentoo ftp://mirror.iawnet.sandia.gov/pub/gentoo/ ftp://ftp.ussg.iu.edu/pub/linux/gentoo http://gentoo.seren.com/gentoo http://gentoo.chem.wisc.edu/gentoo/ ftp://gentoo.chem.wisc.edu/gentoo/ http://cudlug.cudenver.edu/gentoo/ ftp://cudlug.cudenver.edu/pub/mirrors/distributions/gentoo/ http://gentoo.ccccom.com ftp://gentoo.ccccom.com http://gentoo.mirrors.tds.net/gentoo ftp://gentoo.mirrors.tds.net/gentoo http://gentoo.netnitco.net ftp://gentoo.netnitco.net/pub/mirrors/gentoo/source/ http://mirror.espri.arizona.edu/gentoo/ http://mirrors.acm.cs.rpi.edu/gentoo/ ftp://ftp.ndlug.nd.edu/pub/gentoo/ http://open-systems.ufl.edu/mirrors/gentoo http://gentoo.llarian.net/ ftp://gentoo.llarian.net/pub/gentoo http://gentoo.binarycompass.org http://mirror.datapipe.net/gentoo http://mirror.datapipe.net/gentoo http://gentoo.cs.lewisu.edu/gentoo/ ftp://linux.cs.lewisu.edu/gentoo/ http://prometheus.cs.wmich.edu/gentoo http://modzer0.cs.uaf.edu/public/gentoo/ http://mirror.usu.edu/mirrors/gentoo/ ftp://mirror.usu.edu/mirrors/gentoo/ ftp://lug.mtu.edu/gentoo http://mirror.phy.olemiss.edu/mirror/gentoo http://mirror.mcs.anl.gov/pub/gentoo/ ftp://mirror.mcs.anl.gov/pub/gentoo/ http://gentoo.mirrors.easynews.com/linux/gentoo/ http://gentoo.cites.uiuc.edu/pub/gentoo/ ftp://gentoo.cites.uiuc.edu/pub/gentoo/" G_BROKEN_FILENAMES="1" HOME="/root" HOSTNAME="tabatha" HUSHLOGIN="FALSE" INFOPATH="/usr/share/info:/usr/share/binutils-data/x86_64-pc-linux-gnu/2.16.1/info:/usr/share/gcc-data/x86_64-pc-linux-gnu/3.4.4/info" INPUT_DRIVERS="keyboard serialmouse" JAVAC="/opt/blackdown-jdk-1.4.2.02/bin/javac" JAVA_HOME="/opt/blackdown-jdk-1.4.2.02" JDK_HOME="/opt/blackdown-jdk-1.4.2.02" KERNEL="linux" LDFLAGS_x86="-m elf_i386 -L/emul/linux/x86/lib -L/emul/linux/x86/usr/lib" LESS="-R -M" LESSOPEN="|lesspipe.sh %s" LIBDIR_amd64="lib64" LIBDIR_x86="lib32" LOGNAME="root" MAIL="/var/mail/root" MAKEOPTS="-j3" MANPATH="/usr/local/share/man:/usr/share/man:/usr/share/binutils-data/x86_64-pc-linux-gnu/2.16.1/man:/usr/share/gcc-data/x86_64-pc-linux-gnu/3.4.4/man::/opt/blackdown-jdk-1.4.2.02/man" MULTILIB_ABIS="x86 amd64" MULTILIB_STRICT_DENY="64-bit.*shared object" MULTILIB_STRICT_DIRS="/lib /usr/lib /usr/kde/*/lib /usr/qt/*/lib /usr/X11R6/lib" MULTILIB_STRICT_EXEMPT="(perl5|gcc|gcc-lib|eclipse-3)" OPENGL_PROFILE="ati" PAGER="/usr/bin/less" PATH="/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/opt/bin:/usr/x86_64-pc-linux-gnu/gcc-bin/3.4.4:/opt/ati/bin:/opt/blackdown-jdk-1.4.2.02/bin:/opt/blackdown-jdk-1.4.2.02/jre/bin" PKGDIR="/usr/portage/packages" PORTAGE_ARCHLIST="alpha amd64 arm hppa ia64 m68k mips ppc ppc64 ppc-macos ppc-od s390 sh sparc x86 x86-fbsd x86-od" PORTAGE_BINHOST_CHUNKSIZE="3000" PORTAGE_CALLER="emerge" PORTAGE_GID="250" PORTAGE_MASTER_PID="12229" PORTAGE_TMPDIR="/var/tmp" PORTDIR="/usr/portage" PRELINK_PATH="" PRELINK_PATH_MASK="/usr/lib/klibc" PWD="/root" PYTHONDOCS="/usr/share/doc/python-docs-2.3.5/html" PYTHONPATH="/usr/lib/portage/pym" RESUMECOMMAND="/usr/bin/wget -c -t 5 --passive-ftp -P ${DISTDIR} ${URI}" RPMDIR="/usr/portage/rpm" RSYNC_RETRIES="3" RSYNC_TIMEOUT="180" SHELL="/bin/bash" SHLVL="1" SYMLINK_LIB="yes" SYNC="rsync://rsync.us.gentoo.org/gentoo-portage" TERM="linux" USE="X a52 aac aalib acl acpi adns aim alsa amd64 apache2 apm artworkextra audiofile authdaemond avi bash-completion bcmath berkdb big-tables bitmap-fonts bonobo browserplugin bzip2 c++ cairo calendar caps cdr chroot cjk clamav crypt cups curl curlwrappers dga dio directfb djbfft dlloader doc dri dv dvb dvd dvdr dvdread dynagraph eds emul-linux-x86 encode erandom esd ethereal evo examples exif extensions fam fastcgi fbcon ffmpeg flac flash floppyboot fontconfig foomaticdb fortran ftp gb gcj gd gdbm gif gimp gimpprint glitz glut gmp gnome gnustep gnutls gphoto2 gpm gstreamer gtk gtk2 gtkhtml guile hal howl hpn icq ieee1394 imagemagick imap imlib inifile inline ipv6 ithreads jabber java javascript jikes jpeg justify kerberos krb4 lcms ldap libcaca libclamav libgda libwww linuxthreads-tls lm_sensors lzw lzw-tiff mad madwifi mailwrapper matroska md5sum memlimit mikmod mime ming mng motif mozsvg mozxmlterm mp3 mpeg mpi msn mysql mysqli ncurses neXt netboot new-login nls nodrm nptl ntlm_unsupported_patch oav objc odbc offensive ogg openal opengl osc oscar oss pam pam_chroot pam_console pam_timestamp pcntl pcre pda pdflib perl php pic plotutils png posix ppds profile pwdb python quicktime quotas readline real recode ruby samba sample sasl savedconfig scanner sdk sdl sensord session sftplogging sharedext sharedmem shorten simplexml skey slang smartcard sndfile snmp soap sockets socks5 speex spell srp ssl svg symlink sysfs sysvipc szip tcltk tcpd tetex theora threads tidy tiff tokenizer toolbar truetype truetype-fonts type1-fonts ucs2 unicode urandom usb userlocales v4l vcd verbose videos vorbis wifi winbind wmf wxwindows xine xml xml2 xosd xpm xprint xv xvid yahoo zlib video_cards_radeon userland_GNU kernel_linux elibc_glibc" USER="root" USERLAND="GNU" USE_EXPAND="FRITZCAPI_CARDS FCDSL_CARDS VIDEO_CARDS INPUT_DEVICES LINGUAS USERLAND KERNEL ELIBC" VIDEO_CARDS="radeon" XARGS="xargs -r" XINITRC="/etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc" _="/usr/bin/emerge"
Just curious, if you eject the pcmcia card, does that "free up" the system?
Okay, I did more troubleshooting and it turns out the problem was bad RAM instead. That's what I get for jumping to conclusions.
