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NVDA(OpenGL): Channel exception!

I have the error above on the intel iMac 24" when running Second Life.

Error lines from syslog can be:

avalon-3 kernel[0]: NVDA(OpenGL): Channel exception! status = 0xffff info32 = 0x3 = Fifo: Unknown Method Error
avalon-3 kernel[0]: 0000000b

and

avalon-3 kernel[0]: NVDA(OpenGL): Channel exception! status = 0xffff info32 = 0x6 = Fifo: Parse Error
Feb 23 01:53:22 avalon-3 kernel[0]: 0000000b

If this happens SL is going to freeze up and die

Hardware failure?
OSX bug?
Application bug?

iMac 24" Intel Core 2 Duo 2.16 GHz, Mac OS X (10.5.6), NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT

Posted on Feb 22, 2009 5:22 PM

Reply
457 replies

Dec 12, 2010 4:12 AM in response to netnothing

Hi,

I also filed a report through my Apple Care protection plan.

On my brand new MacBook Pro: 15", i7 2,66 GHz, 8 GB RAM, Intel HD Graphics, GeForce GT 330M 512 MB, the system freezes sporadically and I have to turn it off. 3 out of approx. 20 times I got a crash report/kernel panic after restarting it.

But: if I attach my external monitor (Mini-Display to DVI), everything is fine: the last crash was on tuesday when I talked to Apple Care and since then my MacBook was stable. I will now detach the monitor and see if the issue comes back.

-Ralf

Dec 14, 2010 4:01 PM in response to Witch

Having this same issue for the last several weeks on my MacBook Pro 3,1 (GeForce 8600M GT) running OSX 10.6.5

NVDA(OpenGL): Channel exception! exception type = 0xd = GR: SW Notify Error

It's happened a few times while I was doing nothing, this last one just happened when I switched apps, probably using Exposé. Getting the flickering strobe light screen and a hard crash, have to hold power to reboot. In the past I've had a few that just kicked me out back to the login window after a minute or two.

Saw this somewhere, maybe in this thread, but it doesn't seem like the same issue -
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2377

Hoping this is just a software update needed, and that it's coming soon! Hate to keep losing work like this.

Dec 16, 2010 7:38 PM in response to fastasleep

Well I think we found the connection, so my guess is we must have the same problem. Has it happened when you were using the built-in display?


Anyone else connected to a 30-inch ACD or any dual-link DVI display?

I still believe this is somehow a bug with connected dual-link DVI connections. I am going to go check in the Mac Pro area and see if there is the same problem over there. I just wish there was a way to fix it. Has anyone tried reinstalling SL as a fix? and if you did, does it solve the problem?

Edit: Nothing in the Mac Pro section about this exact problem.

Message was edited by: StephenCCH

Dec 16, 2010 7:31 PM in response to StephenCCH

No, I haven't yet seen it when using the MBP by itself. I've been using a 30" ACD for years with no problems, then didn't for a few months until I bought this one and have seen this issue just in the last two months maybe. First time it happened I left to grab lunch and came back to see the login screen, so it seems to be spontaneous in some cases.

Dec 17, 2010 12:00 PM in response to dwig365

My theory is that the 7300GT (and similar cards) just can't handle the OpenGL/OpenCL functionality that Apple is adding into the latest versions of OS X and apps like iPhoto. The problem is that they need to start excluding the 7300GT from advanced OpenGL functions, instead of trying to let it do things, and having the graphics driver crash.

Even Adobe, with CS5, only has the very basic limited OpenGL functionality with the 7300GT. They even note the problems it may have on their site.

These aren't failing cards. It's badly written software and drivers. Apple needs to not try OpenGL functions with the 7300GT. That would solve the iPhoto issue entirely.

-Kevin

Dec 17, 2010 12:56 PM in response to netnothing

I am having same type of problems with my new MBP (about 2 months old) : mainly applications "remains" on the other applications, white pixels on my solid blue background, screen freezing and one crash.
A friend of mine tipped me about a utility K64 which enables the 64bit kernel. When switched to 64 kernel things are far more stable, although occasionally I see the problem with the "remains".

By accident I discover that closing Skype things are very stable, when I am logged in Skype I am getting the "remains" plus the white pixels in my screen.

my feeling is that the NVIDIA drivers is the problem or there is a compatibility issue with the graphics card.

Thodoros


MBP 15 i7 2.66 4Gb 10.6.5

NVDA(OpenGL): Channel exception!

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