stuck at kernel_thread_helper+0x7/0x10

I have a friend whose computer we are trying to upgrade from the status of 'paperweight'. It won't boot the XP it had installed on it anymore; it cycles through the boot-up page over and over again. We decided to try Linux -- I've gone through install CDs, Live CDs, bootable USB images (Sugar On A Stick, anyone?)

However, the computer always hangs at the same place --

[<c04041a7>] kernel_thread_helper+0x7/0x10

...help? Is the computer too damaged to install Linux? Is there a way to work around the damage?

The OS versions that we were looking at (other than the blueberry version of Sugar On A Stick)
-ubuntu (just because I figured, this one might have the most support)
-puppy linux
-knoppix
-DSL (damn small linux)

Hi,

Can you give us a little background on the computer, what the guts are inside. This will help us with figuring out a way to fix your error. Also, are you getting the same error with all of them or is it just a few of them?

Cheers!

It's a Dell Latitude D810; it has a different hard drive than it did originally (I think... 80gigs? Because the original one did a header, and died spectacularly).

That's generally the error it gets stuck with -- kernel_thread_helper+0x7/0x10. (Be it Ubuntu based or Fedora based, CD boot based or USB based).

It doesn't like to boot from CDs very much (it's really... ornery?) but when it does, regardless of the system, that seems to be the problem.

When it's trying to boot windows, it gave off errors that apparently indicate that an installed memory module could be faulty/improperly seated. Is there a way to work around that? This could be a stupid question, it's just -- sometimes programs like ZBrush expand into the actual harddisk space for fake 'RAM', so I thought maybe I could get Linux system to section off part of the harddrive to work as RAM. (This is probably a stupid assumption, but I don't actually know). This could be related to the error, or not -- it's just that I pretty consistently get that error.

a copy of what the screen says the last time I tried to boot the blueberry version of Sugar on a Stick (sorry if I make any stupid typos):

[<c0767010>] oops_end+0x99/0xa1
[<c0420083>] no_context+0x10d/0x117
[<c04201ac>] __bad_area_nosemaphore+0x11f/0x127
[<c0563141>] ? avc_has_perm+0x41/0x4b
[<c0594778>] ? idr_get_empty_slot+0x13c/0x1e7
[<c0564721>] ? inode_has_perm+0x69/0x84
[<c0764f88>] ? _cond_resched+0x8/0x2b
[<c0767ead>] ? do_page_fault+0x0/0x298
[<c04201c6>] bad_area_nosemaphore+0x12/0x15
[<c0767fe1>] do_page_fault+0x134/0x298
[<c0767ead>] ? do_page_fault+0x0/0x298
[<c0766663>] error_code+0x73/0x78
[<c04b00d8>] ? end_swap_bio_read+0x5a/0x62
[<c04ba94d>] ? kmem_cache_create+0xf4/0x23e
[<c09a4f29>] ? eventpoll_init+0x0/0xc1
[<c09a4fb3>]  eventpoll_init+0x8a/0xc1
[<c055dc28>] ? security_sb_kern_mount+0x12/0x15
[<c0498646>] ? free_pages+0x8/0x24
[<c09a4619>] ? init_pipe_fs+0x0/0x3d
[<c09a4639>] ? init_pipe_fs+0x20/0x3d
[<c0401143>] do_one_initcall+0x51/0x13f
[<c0989372>] kernel_init+0x19c/0x1ed
[<c0989id6>] ? kernel_init+0x0/0x1ed
[<c04041a7>] kernel_thread_helper+0x7/0x10

...it gave off errors that apparently indicate that an installed memory module could be faulty/improperly seated. Is there a way to work around that?

It seems you simply have bad RAM and you need to replace it; it is needed in order for the computer to work correctly. RAM is cheap nowadays, so this shouldn't be too difficult to fix.

Also, the Linux CDs should come with Memtest86 or something similar to check the RAM for errors.

This could be a stupid question, it's just -- sometimes programs like ZBrush expand into the actual harddisk space for fake 'RAM', so I thought maybe I could get Linux system to section off part of the harddrive to work as RAM.

Linux sections off a part of the HDD for swap space, which functions as extra RAM when the computer runs out of memory in the main RAM. This cannot replace the actual RAM, however, as the computer will not boot without RAM modules installed.

Edited by MadDawg, 29 December 2009 - 04:29 AM.

SOLVED!!! (Partially)

I found a way to get your computer back up and running!

What you need is a Boot Key. If you dont already have one, ask a buddy with a working computer if he could help. All you are basically doing is installing the OS onto the USB Key. What you then do is plug it into your computer, open BIOS, tell it to first try booting off the USB key FIRST and it will work (from my knowledge.. here is proof).

Exactly how to make a boot key is slightly out of my range at the moment because I made the boot key a LONG time ago in case of such an error. As I RECALL you need to download some software and the Linux Mint ISO file (or Linux Puppy. Linux Puppy is a compact version of Mint which is made to go on USB Keys). Computers with Linux Mint installed, as I recall, has a built in program just for that. It will Download AND install the OS onto where ever you tell it to go.

Next thing about the BIOS, in most cases it does work; However, there are the few exceptions where the BIOS is a POS and will not give you the option to boot off your key. I personally never have run into that problem through the bunch of computers I toasted over the years but I've heard of exceptions.

At the current moment, I am trying to figure out where exactly this problem lies and how to fix it without erasing all my data off my computer.