TP750 Fails on AC Power (?!)

["Peter C. Olsen" <pcolsen@n2ell.columbia.md.us>]

I have a strange problem: I have a TP750Cs running Linux that runs
fine on batteries but will not run reliably on AC power, either from
the Dock I or from the power brick.  

For example, I recently installed Slackware 3.0 from floppy disks and
compiled a custom kernal.  While on AC power, I repeatedly observed
"segmentation faults", "swapper task failures", and the inability to
"free pages" --- while on battery power, I had no problems.  I have
since observed the same behaviour compiling several large application
packages: on battery power I have never had a problem; on AC power
(from either the Dock I or the power brick), I almost always have one.

Can anyone offer any ideas as to why this is so?

Peter Olsen

-- 
Peter Olsen, P.E.,                                        pcolsen@acm.org
        P.O. Box 410, Simpsonville, MD 21150-0410 USA, 410-997-8584
       "Engineering is the art of applying a professional knowledge
  of mathematics and the physical sciences to improve the quality of life."