Computer randomly crashes or shuts down.

[Adennris]

[I'm a software eng but not an ubuntu admin/expert]

Over the last few weeks, the computer has crashed suddenly about 10 times by jumping into console mode, displaying a stack-trace and not responding to anything.
See the few screen photos I have captured for 5 of those crashes: https://plus.google.com/photos/105540241924141497089/albums/5866912783964877793?authkey=CJHamI7B1LH7NQ
(Sorry for the low quality of some of the photos, 4 of them are easily readable, I can try to post-process the 5th to make it more readable if needed)

Also about another 10+ times, the computer has slowed down suddenly and incredibly for a few seconds (up to a minute) and then suddenly turned off by itself in an instant (not actually shutting down).

This has been happening more often when being on G+ hangouts (video conference) or watching a video (amazon video) than while doing other operations but it has also happened while simply browsing the net on sites which do neither sound nor video.

Note that I have dual-boot Win7 + Ubuntu 12.04 and while I am not using Windows much, I did use it a few times (video watching and browsing) and have not hit any issues.

I have run the ubuntu grub loader memtest last night. 7 full runs, all passes.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: linux-image-3.2.0-40-generic 3.2.0-40.64
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-40.64-generic 3.2.40
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-40-generic x86_64
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu17.1
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: jclilot 2099 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC1: jclilot 2099 F.... pulseaudio
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'PCH'/'HDA Intel PCH at 0xd0700000 irq 50'
   Mixer name : 'Intel CougarPoint HDMI'
   Components : 'HDA:10ec0269,102804d7,00100100 HDA:80862805,80860101,00100000'
   Controls : 25
   Simple ctrls : 12
Card1.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:1 'U0x46d0x991'/'USB Device 0x46d:0x991 at usb-0000:02:00.0-2.3, high speed'
   Mixer name : 'USB Mixer'
   Components : 'USB046d:0991'
   Controls : 2
   Simple ctrls : 1
Card1.Amixer.values:
 Simple mixer control 'Mic',0
   Capabilities: cvolume cvolume-joined cswitch cswitch-joined penum
   Capture channels: Mono
   Limits: Capture 0 - 8
   Mono: Capture 5 [62%] [25.50dB] [on]
Date: Sun Apr 21 14:07:48 2013
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=eaa73625-b4d6-4441-9ab4-ec3acc62ec81
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release amd64 (20110427.1)
MachineType: Dell Inc. Dell System Inspiron N4110
MarkForUpload: True
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-40-generic root=UUID=dcce4d71-24d6-4a15-8693-9cf4d6aef3cb ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.2.0-40-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.2.0-40-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.79.1
SourcePackage: linux
StagingDrivers: mei
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2012-06-08 (317 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 02/09/2012
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A11
dmi.board.name: 05TM8C
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: 0.1
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA11:bd02/09/2012:svnDellInc.:pnDellSystemInspironN4110:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn05TM8C:rvr:cvnDellInc.:ct8:cvr0.1:
dmi.product.name: Dell System Inspiron N4110
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.

[Adennris (adennris)]

I have also run the Dell system check (the full one) on Windows and everything passed.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[Adennris (adennris)]

The computer just crashed again (Slowed down significantly and then turned off suddently by itself)
I tried to grab the output of sysrq+ T, L, P, Q, W:
It looks like the first one (Alt+Sysreq+T) got truncated though. The two files attached should have the last part of T and the rest.
I hope it is useful.

[Adennris (adennris)]

And the second part of the dmesg output.

[Adennris (adennris)]

2 more notes:
A) I am wondering whether the shut-downs could be related to the temperature. It happened quite a bit more over the last few days while the weather was also warmer.

B)
I see the following in the output of dmesg (after a start up but without any actual symptoms). Could this be the reason for the shutdowns?
[ 33.898713] [drm:gen6_sanitize_pm] *ERROR* Power management discrepancy: GEN6_RP_INTERRUPT_LIMITS expected 180d0000, was 18000000
[ 49.437910] [drm:gen6_sanitize_pm] *ERROR* Power management discrepancy: GEN6_RP_INTERRUPT_LIMITS expected 000d0000, was 18000000
[ 649.970362] [drm:gen6_sanitize_pm] *ERROR* Power management discrepancy: GEN6_RP_INTERRUPT_LIMITS expected 18000000, was 00000000
[ 3116.026599] [drm:gen6_sanitize_pm] *ERROR* Power management discrepancy: GEN6_RP_INTERRUPT_LIMITS expected 000d0000, was 18000000

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Would it be possible for you to test the latest upstream kernel? Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Please test the latest v3.9 kernel[0].

If this bug is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tag 'kernel-fixed-upstream'.

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the tag: 'kernel-bug-exists-upstream'.

If you are unable to test the mainline kernel, for example it will not boot, please add the tag: 'kernel-unable-to-test-upstream'.
Once testing of the upstream kernel is complete, please mark this bug as "Confirmed".

Thanks in advance.

[0] http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.9-rc8-raring/

[Adennris (adennris)]

The new kernel is booting fine (amd64). I'll report if the problem re-occurs or within a week if it doesn't.

[Adennris (adennris)]

So far so good. I had significant slow downs but no crashes. I will report back if things do not remain stable.

[Adennris (adennris)]

Yesterday, the computer slowed down significantly but it then recovered.
Today, the computer suffered the sudden-shut-down again.
I am starting to wonder whether it could be linked to the temperature since part of the computer was too hot to touch. :-/

[Adennris (adennris)]

I noticed the CPU temperature reaching 100C (or close to it). I reached out to Dell (laptop is under warranty) to figure out whether the high temperature is expected or whether there is an hardware issue.

[Adennris (adennris)]

The mother board and the cooling system has been replaced by Dell and since then, the temperature of the CPU remains a lot lower. No more slow downs, no more sudden-death. Things look good now and I am guessing that the few kernel crashes that happened were the results of the CPU mis-behaving under high temperature.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Adennris, this bug report is being closed due to your last comment https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1171242/comments/14 regarding this being fixed via hardware replacement. For future reference you can manage the status of your own bugs by clicking on the current status in the yellow line and then choosing a new status in the revealed drop down box. You can learn more about bug statuses at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Status. Thank you again for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. Please submit any future bugs you may find.