In message <200001220322.WAA18396@zippy.bernstein.com>, maximum entropy writes:
>Every time my system has hung with 1.4P it has been during a "make
>build" -- high disk IO and lots of process creation.

Seconded!  Most interestingly, I've completed a number of them successfully,
but the system seems to die if I'm *using* it during a make build - more often
if I use X.  Typical failure mode would be to start Netscape or Acroread and
then suddenly lose the system.

>Under normal load the system is fine.  High CPU utilization by itself
>doesn't seem to trigger it.

Yup.  I can leave it alone with a load of 1.9 for hours with no trouble.

-s