just happened again, this time I waited and the system recovered - dunno if this is relevant, but this is what the kernel logged:
Nov 5 11:11:40 desktop1 kernel: [17272377.204000] <c01491cf> softlockup_tick+0x9f/0xf0 <c012bee1> update_process_times+0x31/0x80 Nov 5 11:11:40 desktop1 kernel: [17272377.204000] <c0139320> hrtimer_get_res+0x0/0x60 <c0114d13> smp_apic_timer_interrupt+0x53/0x60 Nov 5 11:11:40 desktop1 kernel: [17272377.204000] <c010413c> apic_timer_interrupt+0x1c/0x30 <c0139320> hrtimer_get_res+0x0/0x60 Nov 5 11:11:40 desktop1 kernel: [17272377.204000] <c010ec9a> get_offset_pmtmr+0x8a/0xb0 <c0139320> hrtimer_get_res+0x0/0x60 Nov 5 11:11:40 desktop1 kernel: [17272377.204000] <c0106959> do_gettimeofday+0x19/0xc0 <c0139320> hrtimer_get_res+0x0/0x60 Nov 5 11:11:40 desktop1 kernel: [17272377.204000] <c0126f3d> getnstimeofday+0xd/0x30 <c0135697> sys_clock_gettime+0x77/0x90 Nov 5 11:11:40 desktop1 kernel: [17272377.204000] <c0102fbb> sysenter_past_esp+0x54/0x79 Nov 5 11:11:40 desktop1 kernel: [17272399.636000] <c01491cf> softlockup_tick+0x9f/0xf0 <c012bee1> update_process_times+0x31/0x80 Nov 5 11:11:40 desktop1 kernel: [17272399.636000] <c0139320> hrtimer_get_res+0x0/0x60 <c0114d13> smp_apic_timer_interrupt+0x53/0x60 Nov 5 11:11:40 desktop1 kernel: [17272399.636000] <c010413c> apic_timer_interrupt+0x1c/0x30 <c0139320> hrtimer_get_res+0x0/0x60 Nov 5 11:11:40 desktop1 kernel: [17272399.636000] <c010ec9a> get_offset_pmtmr+0x8a/0xb0 <c0139320> hrtimer_get_res+0x0/0x60 Nov 5 11:11:40 desktop1 kernel: [17272399.636000] <c0106959> do_gettimeofday+0x19/0xc0 <c0139320> hrtimer_get_res+0x0/0x60 Nov 5 11:11:40 desktop1 kernel: [17272399.636000] <c0126f3d> getnstimeofday+0xd/0x30 <c0135697> sys_clock_gettime+0x77/0x90 Nov 5 11:11:40 desktop1 kernel: [17272399.636000] <c0102fbb> sysenter_past_esp+0x54/0x79 -- Some library used by skype can freeze system https://launchpad.net/bugs/68109 -- ubuntu-bugs mailing list ubuntu-bugs@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs
