[vox-tech] ECC memory --- is it worth it? (semi-OT)

[Bill Broadley]

Rick Moen wrote:
> Quoting hajhouse (hajhouse at houseag.com):
> 
>> How many of you are using non-ECC (standard) memory on long-uptime
>> machines? Are you having any problems because of it? Do you think ECC is
>> worth the premium?
> 
> Generally not on a Linux box -- because Linux boxen tend to give off
> unmistakeable signs when the RAM develops defects, e.g., patterns of
> kernel panics, segfaulting apps, and/or spontaneous reboots that you

I'd agree on bad dimms, but bad dimms aren't the only cause of
memory errors.

> Most other PeeCee OSes I've played with (NT-based systems, NetWare, to
> some extent OS/2) are much more oblivious about bad RAM, but Linux tend
> to throw a tantrum and let you know.
> 

Indeed, windows had a bug where it crashed at, er, 32 days?  Took years for
anyone to notice.  Amusingly my linux box had wrapped it's uptime
counter at 2^32 quickies (497 days) before that happened.