[X4U] Tiger: random kernel panics

[DZ-Jay]

On May 29, 2005, at 08:27, Alex wrote:
> It's not that simple. First, V.92 is a little more complex [1]. 
> Second, much may depend on what the modem script actually does and 
> what init strings is using (if you're a CCL expert, you can check it 
> yourself with a text editor). If your ISP does not specifically offer 
> V.92 service, you should use the V.90 script.

I wouldn't call myself a 'CCL expert', but I know my way around the 
UNIX environment.  However, the Mac environment is alien to me, so 
where would I find the modem scripts?

> Again, it's not that simple. First, we don't know that it's the PPP 
> NKE which causes the problem -- that's an assumption. Second, the 
> modem is actually a "softmodem", the Mac equivalent of a Winmodem [2]. 
> So it's entirely possible for an error during intialization or 
> handshake stages to cause it to hang later and lead to a KP.

Although I agree that anything is quite possible, given enough 
probability, I suspect that this is a red herring (I could be wrong, of 
course).  Like I have mentioned before, I am becoming more and more 
convinced that the problem lies in the 10.4.1 update; I have already 
erase/installed the system 3 times, and restored some of my preferences 
and configured the system to my liking, yet this last time I did not 
install the 10.4.1 update, so in a very empirical way, that is the only 
difference to the previous installations -- and it hasn't crashed once 
while performing exactly the same operations as before.  In the 
previous 2 installations, I was not able to reproduce the problem at 
will, but it *did* occur in a more or less reliable way after certain 
events, mainly going to sleep and waking up.  It certainly occurred 
more than once in a 24 hour period.

I will, though, for the sake of thoroughness, play with the modem 
scripts, just to not leave any stones unturned.

>> I am really keen on holding the 10.4.1 update as a suspect
>
> That's a possibility, of course. Have you checked the usual places? I 
> don't recall seeing this kind of problem reported. But, if the update 
> caused it, it may still be that it caused it by changing or updating 
> the modem script, or introducing NKE changes that make some setting on 
> your machine not work well with your ISP. So it's still something you 
> want to look into.

Being new to the Mac community, I'm not sure I know all "the usual 
places", but I have certainly looked in obvious places like some Mac 
discussion groups, the Apple.com knowledge base (or whatever its 
called), and just general googling.  Like you, I have not found 
anything on the subject.  And, according to the 10.4.1 update article, 
it doesn't seem to have any changes in the PPP module, although it 
mentions some unrelated Networking changes.  I even contacted Apple 
support and they referred my case to an "engineer" (whatever that 
means) and will get back to me some other day.  But I'm not holding my 
breath on that one, since the technician didn't even seem interested in 
getting a copy of the panic.log.

Do you know if there is a way to rollback an installed update?  What I 
would like to do is install the 10.4.1 update, then go through 
different modem scripts or other configuration changes to try to 
isolate and reproduce the problem, but erase/install the system is 
taking way too long in between for my taste.

	Thanx again!
	dZ.