If it hasn’t happened to you yet, you must have a wired network connection because posts about Ubuntu’s disappearing wifi are all over the Internet. This has gotten remarkably worse with 24.04 LTS.
Normally I hardware all of my desktops to the network. Since I’m working on another novel I brought an old HP Elite 8300 with if-3470 into the house and set it up in the basement. Nights are still cold here and I don’t feel like getting dressed to schlep over to my office when a bathroom call or an idea wakes me in the wee hours. Yes, I could have jumped through a lot of hoops to drill a hole through the floor then strung a cable from the upstairs router, but why? I just stuck in a USB dongle I knew would work.
This old i5 is my favorite writing computer. I don’t care how out of date you think it is. Using the LS-120 for backups of work in progress gives me peace of mind.
I’ve also written about these cheap things before. I like things that are reasonably priced and just work. Honestly, if PCLinuxOS hadn’t had a most unfortunate update that tanked LS-120 support (I think someone deleted IDE support) I wouldn’t even be running 24.04.
Finding Root of Problem
Disappearing wifi is most annoying. It happens at the most inopportune moments making Ubuntu a non-choice for anything critical. This is also a shining example of why Agile and TDD are not Software Engineering.
Check your power settings.
Isn’t that just a fine fine kick to the groin? High operating temperature? Yes, I have BOINC running so I don’t waste electricity like a Microsoft Data Center when not writing and I just might cure cancer, but seriously, I limit how much of the machine BOINC can use. Never had this problem with PCLinuxOS. Install psensors. Install it from the repo, not a SNAP!
Now take a look.
High my ass! I take a look at system information to get determine CPU is i5-3470 then do a search for core operating temperature for that model.
I would like to inform you that the temperature you are getting is normal when using the system at full load. It could reach up to the 85c.
An intel employee
Legacy Bug
Disappearing wifi has been a legacy bug with Ubuntu on this machine back to at least 14, if not 12. Ubuntu appears to never be properly tested with HP BIOS. When an OS triggers a high temp alarm, one of the first things it does is shut down the USB ports. Learned that the hardware while working on an iteration of IPOS for the marketing agency which had it. Go to lunch, come back, neither mouse nor keyboard would work. Took days until out of frustration I hooked up a PS/2 keyboard and mouse.
The whole temperature monitoring thing built into the Linux kernel is just sad. If someone finds documentation of how to tweak the “default” max temperature please let me know and I will update this post. Intel designed this CPU to run at 85c under full load. Do not trigger high temperature alarms at 35c. According to Tom’s Hardware, the throttle temp for this processor is 105c.
