Linux Mint AMD freezes

[unknownpwn]

Hello!
I'm using Linux Mint 17.1 Cinnamon with an AMD Radeon HD 6950, driver version 14.6 beta 1, using oclHashcat64 version 1.37 and I'm trying to decrypt some phpass hashes but my computer freezes when doing it and I need to reset it to get it back working.

No input from keyboard or mouse works, but what's odd is that I can SSH to the computer when it's frozen. Although nothing seems to get it up and running again except for the resetting it physically. I'm fairly new to Linux/hashes so please let me know what kind of information I should provide or to try.

These are the different parameters I've tried:

Code:

oclHashcat64.bin

 ./oclHashcat64.bin -m 400 -a 0 -w 3 --username --gpu-temp-disable -r rules/InsidePro-PasswordsPro.rule ifkhashes /usr/share/wordlists/ifkultimate2.txt
    Freezes after a minute or so on clean install

 ./oclHashcat32.bin -m 400 -a 0 -w 3 --username --gpu-temp-disable -r rules/InsidePro-PasswordsPro.rule ifkhashes /usr/share/wordlists/ifkultimate2.txt
    Freezes instantly

 ./oclHashcat64.bin -m 400 -a 0 -w 3 --username --gpu-temp-disable ifkhashes /usr/share/wordlists/ifkultimate2.txt -o ifkcracked
    took 2 seconds, no freeze.

 ./oclHashcat64.bin -m 400 -a 0 -w 3 --username --gpu-temp-disable ifkhashes /media/unknownpwn/Backups/wordlists/Super-WPA -o ifkcracked
    Froze after caching the wordlist

 ./oclHashcat64.bin -m 400 -a 0 -w 2 --username --restore-disable --gpu-temp-disable ifkhashes /media/unknownpwn/Backups/wordlists/Super-WPA -o ifkcracked
    Froze after caching the wordlist

 cat /usr/share/wordlists/ifkultimate2.txt |  ./oclHashcat64.bin -m 400 ifkhashes --restore-disable --username
    Took 2 seconds, no freeze.

 cat /usr/share/wordlists/ifkultimate2.txt |  ./oclHashcat64.bin -m 400 ifkhashes --restore-disable --username -r rules/InsidePro-PasswordsPro.rule
    Freezes instantly

cat ifkultimate2.txt | ./oclHashcat64.bin -m 400 phpasshashes --force -r rules/best64.rule
    Removed drivers and installed beta drivers instead, downloaded oclHashcat again and tried with clean working directory. Took 2 seconds, no freeze

cat ifkultimate2.txt | ./oclHashcat64.bin -m 400 phpasshashes --force -r rules/InsidePro-PasswordsPro.rule
    Froze instantly

I've tried several versions of the graphic card driver, currently running the latest beta drivers from AMD ( linux-amd-catalyst-14.6-beta-v1.0-jul11 )
glxinfo

Code:

glxinfo
name of display: :0
display: :0  screen: 0
direct rendering: Yes
server glx vendor string: ATI
server glx version string: 1.4

uname -a

Code:

Linux unknown 3.13.0-37-generic #64-Ubuntu SMP Mon Sep 22 21:28:38 UTC 2014 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

fglrxinfo

Code:

display: :0  screen: 0
OpenGL vendor string: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
OpenGL renderer string: AMD Radeon HD 6900 Series
OpenGL version string: 4.4.12967 Compatibility Profile Context 14.20

lshw -C display

Code:

 *-display              
      description: VGA compatible controller
      product: Cayman PRO [Radeon HD 6950]
      vendor: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI]
      physical id: 0
      bus info: pci@0000:01:00.0
      version: 00
      width: 64 bits
      clock: 33MHz
      capabilities: pm pciexpress msi vga_controller bus_master cap_list rom
      configuration: driver=fglrx_pci latency=0
      resources: irq:52 memory:e0000000-efffffff memory:f7e20000-f7e3ffff ioport:e000(size=256) memory:f7e00000-f7e1ffff

lspci  -v -s  $(lspci | grep VGA | cut -d" " -f 1)

Code:

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Cayman PRO [Radeon HD 6950] (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
Subsystem: XFX Pine Group Inc. Device 3120
Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 52
Memory at e0000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]
Memory at f7e20000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=128K]
I/O ports at e000 [size=256]
Expansion ROM at f7e00000 [disabled] [size=128K]
Capabilities: <access denied>
Kernel driver in use: fglrx_pci

I've found no logs in /var/log/ that can point me in the right direction.

If anyone can assist me I'd be grateful.
Thank you

[FlippingGerman]

You're using -w 3, this essentially makes the GPU work as hard as you can get it to. Unfortunately simply running a window manager also requires a bit of GPU power. Try again using -w 1 for the lowest setting or -w 2 which is default. Only thing I can think of so far, based on how SSH still works but all windows freeze. You could give a go pressing Crtl+Alt+F1 to open a new desktop (although you only get a command line), I think Crtl+Alt+F7 gets you back to where you where.

Have you waited long enough to see if these attacks should finish running?

I'm probably barking up the wrong tree anyway.

[epixoip]

Driver version 14.6 is from June 2014, so it's well over a year old. The latest driver is 15.7, released July 2015 (you should be seeing a pattern in AMD's software versioning.) You should either be using 14.9 or 15.7.

FlippingGerman isn't necessarily barking up the wrong tree. You're using the same device to drive your display and crack hashes. Best-case scenario the display will lag, but more typically it will freeze. This is because your GPU is busy cracking passwords, and has no cycles to do pixely stuff. Lowering the workload can help. Try with -w 1 as FlippingGerman recommended.

However, if oclHashcat also freezes when ran over SSH, then you're experiencing an ASIC hang. Maybe your overclock is too aggressive, maybe the GPU is getting hot too quickly, or maybe the GPU itself is damaged.

[unknownpwn]

You're using -w 3, this essentially makes the GPU work as hard as you can get it to. Unfortunately simply running a window manager also requires a bit of GPU power. Try again using -w 1 for the lowest setting or -w 2 which is default. Only thing I can think of so far, based on how SSH still works but all windows freeze. You could give a go pressing Crtl+Alt+F1 to open a new desktop (although you only get a command line), I think Crtl+Alt+F7 gets you back to where you where.

Have you waited long enough to see if these attacks should finish running?

I'm probably barking up the wrong tree anyway.

I've tried with -w 2 without any difference, will try -w 1 as well,thanks. Ctrl+Alt+F<nuber> does not work from the computer since no input works at all from either keyboard nor mouse. Just SSH from another machine.

[unknownpwn]

Driver version 14.6 is from June 2014, so it's well over a year old. The latest driver is 15.7, released July 2015 (you should be seeing a pattern in AMD's software versioning.) You should either be using 14.9 or 15.7.

FlippingGerman isn't necessarily barking up the wrong tree. You're using the same device to drive your display and crack hashes. Best-case scenario the display will lag, but more typically it will freeze. This is because your GPU is busy cracking passwords, and has no cycles to do pixely stuff. Lowering the workload can help. Try with -w 1 as FlippingGerman recommended.

However, if oclHashcat also freezes when ran over SSH, then you're experiencing an ASIC hang. Maybe your overclock is too aggressive, maybe the GPU is getting hot too quickly, or maybe the GPU itself is damaged.

I must've forgotten to check the release dates, sorry. I've now tried with both 15.7 and 14.9, with -w 1 and I also tried via SSH, same problem.

I remember that I had overclocked the graphics card a long time ago in Windows turning it (kinda) from a Radeon HD 6950 to a Radeon HD 6970 so I downloaded the latest BIOS for my mobo (ASUS P8P67 LE) and flashed it.
The problem still persists though. Sometimes it seems to work until I switch focus to my browser or does anything else on the computer.

I downloaded AMDOverdriveCtrl and increased the fan speed and made sure no overdrive over 800mhz was being set but it did not help me unfortunately.
Thanks for the answers though guys.

[zkeng]

I've had similar issues with our amd workstations at the office. Some things to consider:

1. The apu might be faulty. I had one that caused frequent crashes. Thought it was the mobo so went to th reseller, but they found out it was a damaged apu.

2. Disable Core C6 state in the bios/uefi. It's been a stability improvement for me.

3. If on the proprietary AMD display driver:
Disable the DPMS and install/use xscreensaver software screensaver instead.
Add these three lines to "~/.xsession" (or where ever you add startup events to some new mac style desktop environment):
xset -dpms &
xset s off &
/usr/bin/xscreensaver -no-splash &
Set this option in the "Monitor" section of "/etc/X11/xorg.conf":
Option "DPMS" "false"
Finally configure xscreensaver to use 'Mode: Blank Screen Only', do NOT enable any 'Display Power Management' and uncheck 'Fading and Colormaps (to get a cleaner look without fading effects).