Help needed building SMP kernel

Sorry if this is off topic for this NG. I have already posted to
comp.os.linux.hardware - but no luck. Since I use Slackware I am going
to ask for help here...

I'm trying to build an SMP kernel that will boot on my laptop.
The laptop is HP Pavilion DV9408 with an Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core TK-53
cpu.
The problem I'm having is that with an SMP kernel, the machine freezes
during bootup 8 times out 10. However on those rare occasions when the
SMP kernel boots up successfully, it runs very well. A uniprocessor
kernel boots-up with no problems.

The freeze at bootup occurs as follows:
"Total of 2 processors activated (6835.77 BogoMIPS)
ExtINT not setup in hardware but reported by MP table
ENABLING IO-APICS IRQs
....TIMER: vector=0x31 apic1=-1 pin1=-1 apic2=0 pin2=0
....trying to set up timer (IRQ0) through 8259A...
.... (found pin 0)...failed
....trying to set up timer as Virtual Wire IRQ...failed
....trying to set up timer as ExtINT IRQ... works"

(freeze occurs at his point and I have to use the power button
to turn machine off, then on again)

I've tried kernels 2.6.22.10, 2.6.22.12, 2.6.23.1, and 2.6.23.8 with
the same results.
Re. building the kernel I have set the pertinent parts of the kernel
config as follows:
> Processor family=Opteron/Athlon64/Hammer/K8
> Symmetric multi-processing support=y
> Subarchitecture Type=pc-compatible
> HPET timer support=y
> Max number of CPUs=2 (there are only 2 cores)
> Multi-core scheduler support=y

As far as I can understand, the above are the only items related to
an SMP kernel. Are there any others?
(If it will help I can provide output of lspci, usb, etc...)

I have observed the following:
(1) Vista boots OK on the same machine everytime.
(2) Uniprocessor kernels boot OK everytime.
(3) Usually after booting up Vista, an SMP kernel boots up OK,
but may not the next time. Have had a maximum of 4 consecutive
successful bootups with an SMP kernel (2.6.23.1), after which
a freeze occurs. Then I reboot to Vista, and keep trying to
boot the SMP kernel. Usually I just give up after 3 tries and
use the uniprocessor kernel.
(4) If I try boot an SMP kernel after running a uniprocessor
kernel machine *WILL* freeze.
(5) If I try boot an SMP kernel after running an SMP kernel
the machine *MAY* freeze.
(6) Once it boots successfully, an SMP kernel is just as
reliable as a single processor kernel.

Any insight into this problem would be really appreciated!

BTW - I've searched for "problems+linux+IO-APIC" and though there were
quite a few hits none helped me since those had nothing to do with SMP
kernels.

Thanks all.

On 2007-11-20, Manimoto wrote:
>
> The freeze at bootup occurs as follows:
> "Total of 2 processors activated (6835.77 BogoMIPS)
> ExtINT not setup in hardware but reported by MP table
> ENABLING IO-APICS IRQs
> ...TIMER: vector=0x31 apic1=-1 pin1=-1 apic2=0 pin2=0
> ...trying to set up timer (IRQ0) through 8259A...
> ... (found pin 0)...failed
> ...trying to set up timer as Virtual Wire IRQ...failed
> ...trying to set up timer as ExtINT IRQ... works"


Try booting the supplied Slackware SMP kernel with the "noapic"
option.

-RW