Zorin 17.3 freezing when streaming from YouTube, Rumble, etc

General Help
1

Disclaimer: I know almost nothing about computers, I'm winging it...biggly

tldr; switched from GNOME to Xfce using instructions "sudo apt-get install xfce4", now system will stay up for at least a few hours before crashing

Here's the longer story

Recently, at some point in the past few weeks I think I upgraded to Zorin 17.3 and then when streaming videos screen would eventually freeze -- mouse would not respond, keyboard no response, hard reboot using power button required.

Time took to freeze would vary depending on streaming service (Twitch, YouTube, Rumble, etc), but would usually happen within 60 minutes, but could be 30 minutes or might go as long as 90 minutes.

Previous to this, whichever version of Zorin I was using (not sure if it was 17, 16.3 or another version) would run flawlessly for weeks at a time with no need to power down. Just put it on standby at end of the day before bed and then wakeup the following day and good to go.

PC is an older (2013?) Compaq desktop with AMD CPU and two sticks of Samsung 2G RAM in 2 slots for total 4G RAM (max capacity of this PC) and uses a NVIDIA GeForce 210, 250G SSD, loaded standalone on SSD with Windows on original WDC 500G HDD, dual boot. Connects to Sceptre monitor with HDMI cable. Runs Brave browser and only one tab open at a time and one lowest resolution (usually 160p or 360p).

TRIED EVERYTHING (only summary below because it was so many things I can't even remember them all):

  • Downgrading to older Zorin versions = NG
  • Played around with all sorts of GPU driver options = NG
  • Switched back to Windows 7 = Worked just fine
  • Tried a bunch of other digital witchcraft I found by searching around online, result=NG
  • Messed around with swappiness and all things swap elated, result=NG
  • Tested SSD using various tools, result=Pass
  • Tested RAM using MemTest86+. result=Pass

But I also have a slightly newer Compaq PC (2015?) Win 8 desktop that runs Zorin FOR MONTHS without a reboot, similar setup, dual boot SSD, 8G of RAM (max capacity on this PC), stock video card going VGA to a Samsung monitor. The only reboot it gets is if the power goes out in the house. Runs smooth as glass with MANY (10-30) tabs open and video playing -- never any issues.

So after weeks of unsuccessful attempts to fix I started to suspect that the 4G of RAM is just not enough anymore (still think that's the crux of the issue). It's almost like the RAM (cache?) is filling up and then crashing the system as opposed to emptying out used or old buffered data (if that's even the way things work....LOLZ :zany_face:)

But during my search for a solution I came across this link

https://askubuntu.com/questions/125062/how-can-i-find-which-desktop-enviroment-i-am-using

From that I determined that my "good" 8G PC was running Xfce and my "bad" 4G PC was running GNOME. So I changed the "bad" PC to Xfce (using "sudo apt-get install xfce4" per link below) and problem has been greatly improved, can now go 3+ hours or more depending on streaming site.

https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=84376

Conclusion:

I'm guessing that 4G just isn't enough anymore, or maybe I have a chance of saving it by going to LXDE.

Any thoughts appreciated.

2

Do you use Wayland or Xorg? With nvidia card it is recommended to switch to Xorg. You can do this, when you reboot and at login click on your profile. Then a gear icon on the screen appears where you can set "Zorin Desktop on Xorg".

3

Ah, yes. I remember doing that at one point earlier but that was before I "downgraded" to Xfce. Just rebooted and it was Wayland, switching it to Xorg.

I'll see how long it lasts and report back...thanks for the tip/reminder!

4

Yes, for your old hardware xfce is much better than gnome. You could also make a fresh install with Zorin lite or when you like the appearance of Zorin and miss it now as you have installed the pure xfce4 desktop, you can install the zorin-os-lite-desktop (it is XFCE Desktop with Zorin look):

Do you have still the gnome desktop or do you have removed it? If you don't have it on the system any more, please don't use the following commands and wait for the advice of a moderator.

"sudo apt remove xfce4*"

"sudo apt install zorin-os-lite-desktop"

Which graphic driver do you use?

LXDE will no longer be developed further. The successor is LXQT.

5

I'm on Xfce switched and to Xorg. Graphic driver is nouveau.

As I type this on my "good" PC, 4G unit just crashed, so Xorg switch = no bueno.

Back to square one

6

When you want to use your nvidia card with nvidia drivers, you can install the kernel 5.15 LTS (which is an older kernel that supports the nvidia 340 driver) or add this ppa to your system:
ppa:kelebek333/nvidia-legacy
This ppa makes that you can use the nividia 340 driver with the normal kernel of Zorin 17. Then install nvidia 340 driver metapackage.

If you want to do some of this we can give you more detailed information.

Edit: If you have upgraded from Zorin 16, you can simply select the older 5.15 kernel in the grub boot menu at advanced options and set it as the default kernel. You do not need to reinstall it.

2 Likes
7

Only to say that: With Your command, you have installed the normal xfce Desktop. The xfce Desktop offered from Zorin - the Zorin Lite Desktop - needs a different Command what @Forpli already wrote for You:

Because of Your older Nvidia Graphic, You could take a Look at this Thread:

There is someone with a similar Issue and there are Descriptions for Drivers and Kernels.

8

[SOLVED] (I think)

"Downgraded" Xfce to LXDE seems to have solved the problem.

Guessing will have to move to LXQT at some point given note made above about LXDE not being developed further. But I'll burn that bridge when I get to it.

For now, everything running buttery smooth.

Thanks all.

9

NOT Solved :face_with_head_bandage: - Final Update

Even "downgraded" to LXDE screen will still freeze, anywhere from 3-5 hours. Not bad, but again, even a just a few months ago this unit was running flawlessly.

I'm going to attribute it to unit being OLD, only 4GB RAM, and possible Nvidia video card conflicts.

So I went on Ebay and plopped down $55 on a Dell Optiplex 5040 SFF Core i5-6500 8GB 128GB SSD Windows 11 Pro PC.

Fast as lightening (LOLZ) compared to my old Compaq.

So I'll just run Windows 11 for now on this new unit and Zorin on my other "less old" Compaq.

I'll dedicate the busted Compaq for home movie, picture and misc files backup.

10

Me thinks the problem might be due to overheating. Since XFCE and LXDE consume fewer resources than Gnome, it explains the delay until the crash but without preventing it entirely.
This would also explain why this is happening now while it didn't before: it's an old computer, and hardware components wear down over time, heat exposure being a main source of problems.

You might want to try to open the laptop and give it a good clean with compressed air to clear out any dust accumulated inside. Use isopropyl alcohol and cotton swabs to gently rub the contacts of every thing you see exposed. Finally, replace the thermal paste on both the CPU and GPU.

11

You could be on to something, as the problem started the beginning of summer. I also thought the same thing at one point, checked the temps for CPU and SSD using CrystalDiskInfo (? or something similar, I forget) and I recall them being well within spec, but I didn't write them down (so it doesn't count :face_with_peeking_eye:). As for the CPU, I redid the thermal paste, but that was years ago. I usually take the covers of the desktops and blow out with canned air once a year, so they are pretty clean.

Wish I did a better job of documenting the temps (as in, any notes at all would have been nice! - ugh). Still summer, so I might fire the old pig back up and see what I can see, temp-wise.

Lastly, by no means am I suggesting that any of this effort is worth it for a 13 year-old unit. At this point -- it's the principle of the thing.

1 Like
12

When your computer was working fine the whole time before the upgrade, the problems could be caused through the new kernel. If I were you, I would try going back to the previous kernel 5.15. This is not difficult, it is still stored in the system and it will get updates until Dec 2026. You can simply select it when booting (choose advanced options there).
If grub menu isn't displayed at boot press the left shift key (when you have MBR) or ESC or TAB (with EFI), then grub menu appears.

Try it a few times and look if it helps. When it works you can make this kernel booting by default.

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13

Then it would be worth a Thought of apply new Paste.

1 Like
14

Yeah, even if it turns out to be something else it won't hurt to give it a good tune-up anyway.

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15

^^^ This honestly makes the most logical sense to me. ^^^

Would I be able to do a clean install of the Zorin OS 17 Lite and have it revert to kernel 5.15 (using the procedure you describe above)?

16

No, when you make a fresh install you won't have kernel 5.15 because now you only have it because you had installed Zorin 16.

But you can make a fresh install, best with Zorin lite, and then install kernel 5.15 and set it as default at boot.

On your fresh installation you can install kernel 5.15 with this commands:

"sudo apt install linux-headers-5.15.0-141-generic linux-image-5.15.0-141-generic linux-modules-5.15.0-141-generic linux-modules-extra-5.15.0-141-generic"

Then reboot into this kernel and set it as default.

1 Like
17

Which version? Going to try this after lunch.

18

Zorin lite 17.3. You could also install Zorin lite 16.3, perhaps mark-hold the kernel so that it doesn't upgrade to 6.8 (but I am not sure if then a upgrade to Zorin 17 is possible, nonetheless you can easily go back to kernel 5.15 afterwards) and then upgrade the system to 17.3. But this would leave more "rubbish" on the system and the installation takes longer, so I think the first method would be better.

19

When I used the upgrader to go from Z16.3 to Z17.3, kernel 5.15 was still available initially to select via Grub "Additional Options for Zorin".

20

welp....I think she's cooked boys

  • Did a fresh install on the 250GB SSD - wiped everything option.
  • Followed your (Forpli) steps above for 5.15, Result=NG, stream (in Brave browser) froze after about 15 min
  • Did a reboot and tried starting 5.15 from the drop down option, Result=NG, froze at about 15 minutes

Keep in mind I was able to repeatedly run it for 3 hours or more using LXDE. Crashing on LXDE seemed more related to the streaming service, i.e., Rumble=bad, YouTube=good.

Not worried about it and not going to pursue it any further.

Again, thanks for all the support! :face_with_spiral_eyes:

1 Like