Stability issues with XBian (sporadic hangs)

[mk01]

nothing like to be 100% sure, but you got my attention with the USB traffic / utilization.

there seems to be few issues with the RPIs usb design causing problems starting from usb devices not found to problems with IRQ/timings ending with kernel panics - related to some usage pattern / usb devices combinations.

FIQ split should be a help there, now by default turned on with 3.10.y kernels. this wasn't the case with older branches (or months ago). XBian B1 / 1.1 wasn't using those patches - but Raspbian does use them / has patched kernels.

nevertheless it is my assumption, not proof of something, but generally speaking there are not much other relevant differences, if any.

for example there was an issue opened at github recently https://github.com/xbianonpi/xbian/issues/457 which would make it (together with you and one other) three 'reported' cases with similar symptoms I know of.

I will just tell you the same as in the comment to the issue - Beta1 branch will retire very soon. If you have reasons to go for XBMC bundled distro like XBian or RaspBMC (I have the feeling it won't be OpenELEC), give it a week or two until Beta2 is released and give it a try then.