[PLUG] Dead machine

[Denis Heidtmann]

On Mon, Jun 2, 2014 at 4:42 PM, Loren M. Lang <lorenl at north-winds.org> wrote:
> On Sun, 1 Jun 2014 08:07:43 -0700, Denis Heidtmann
> <denis.heidtmann at gmail.com> wrote:
...
>> My focus now is on the intrusion detection system.  The pins are
>> jumpered and always have been.  ...
>
> As far as the IDS warning always showing up, I believe it's designed
> to
> remain active until explicitly cleared by an administrator in the
> BIOS/CMOS
> setup. ...


Not so on my system.  There is no reference to it in the BIOS.  When
the machine halts the boot sequence with the error, pressing the power
switch shuts it down immediately.  A second press of the power switch
reboots the machine with no further mention of the intrusion.  The
occurrence of the error is random, sometimes two times in one week,
other times a couple of months passes before a recurrence. It was
these errors, plus one error message of the RTC needing to be set,
that indicated that the battery needed to be changed.  It has been
changed; we will see if the IDS warning recurs.  The old battery
measures about 1.34V.  Should be 3V.

I have not explored what happens if I simulate an intrusion event by
pulling the jumper off.  When I perform the test that Galen suggested
(when I get a cable) I will be doing that.

(Perhaps) none of this addresses the bizarre event of the thing
refusing to start, yet the next morning everything seemed normal.
BTW, the battery change was done after "the next morning".


-Denis