The easiest way to test the memory in your Intel-based PC!


Most admins have a series of tools they use to check for faulty hardware. This toolkit most likely includes the ultimate boot disk, a network accessible memtest and preclear_disk.sh on a USB stick. I was always curious why Linux disitrubtions didn’t integrate these items into their install / live CDs, since it would make debugging flakey hardware a whole lot easier. Well, I was pleasantly surprised this week when I booted the Fedora 14 installation DVD and saw the following screen:

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Once I selected the memory test option I was thrown directly into memtest:

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This is solid, since one CD can now be used to test the memory in a server and repair things that go south. The Fedora 14 CD can be downloaded from the Fedora project website, and it’s definitely something that every Fedora admin should burn and store in a readily accessible location.

This article was posted by Matty on 2010-12-29 20:31:00 -0400 -0400