corrupted graphics on unity login

[Marcelo Ruiz]

I tried to use Ubuntu 12.04 from a pen drive, but even though I can see the Ubuntu splash, as soon as Unity should be shown the screen gets video garbage and I cannot use the desktop. I can switch to TTY1, so the system is not crashed.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: unity 4.24.0-0ubuntu3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-7.13-generic 3.2.0-rc7
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-7-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 1.90-0ubuntu1
Architecture: amd64
CasperVersion: 1.296
CompizPlugins: No value set for `/apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/active_plugins'
Date: Thu Dec 29 20:48:21 2011
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: precise
DistroVariant: ubuntu
GraphicsCard:
 nVidia Corporation GT215 [GeForce GTS 360M] [10de:0cb1] (rev a2) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems Device [1179:ff50]
LiveMediaBuild: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Alpha amd64 (20111229)
MachineType: TOSHIBA Qosmio X500
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: noprompt cdrom-detect/try-usb=true persistent file=/cdrom/preseed/hostname.seed boot=casper initrd=/casper/initrd.lz --
SourcePackage: unity
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 12/10/2010
dmi.bios.vendor: TOSHIBA
dmi.bios.version: V2.90
dmi.board.name: Qosmio X500
dmi.board.vendor: TOSHIBA
dmi.board.version: Not Applicable
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Tag
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: TOSHIBA
dmi.chassis.version: N/A
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnTOSHIBA:bvrV2.90:bd12/10/2010:svnTOSHIBA:pnQosmioX500:pvrPQX33U-03Q022:rvnTOSHIBA:rnQosmioX500:rvrNotApplicable:cvnTOSHIBA:ct10:cvrN/A:
dmi.product.name: Qosmio X500
dmi.product.version: PQX33U-03Q022
dmi.sys.vendor: TOSHIBA
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.6+bzr20110929-0ubuntu8
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.27-1ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 7.11-0ubuntu4
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 7.11-0ubuntu4
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.10.4-1ubuntu6
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.6.0-1ubuntu13
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.14.99~git20110811.g93fc084-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.15.901-1ubuntu4
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20111201+b5534a1-1

[Omer Akram (om26er)]

you should try to use the nvidia-binary driver, it seems the free driver does not work correctly for your card.

[Marcelo Ruiz (marcelo-javier-ruiz-yahoo)]

I couldn't install the nvidia-current drivers in the pendrive due to size restrictions (1Gb). I will buy a 4Gb one, do install nvidia-current drivers and report back. I do hope this problem is solved before Precise is released, cause it affected Ubuntu since Maverick and the problem is still there.

[Marcelo Ruiz (marcelo-javier-ruiz-yahoo)]

Well, I managed to install the nvidia-current package but the problem persists. Until this release, that would have solved the problem, but this is not the case anymore...
I am willing to help to debug and solve the problem.

[Marcelo Ruiz (marcelo-javier-ruiz-yahoo)]

I noticed the status of this bug is still Incomplete. What else should I try to confirm it? Thanks!

[Marcelo Ruiz (marcelo-javier-ruiz-yahoo)]

Adding "nomodeset" to the kernel boot options allowed me to see Unity.
From there I installed nvidia-current and rebooted. Now instead of having the corrupted graphics after the splash screen, I get a blank screen and the computer freezes.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Please attach a photo of the screen showing the corruption.

[Marcelo Ruiz (marcelo-javier-ruiz-yahoo)]

Sorry it took me a while, I am travelling and didn't have the computer with me.
Here is the picture showing the corrupted graphics.
Let me know if I can help!

[Marcelo Ruiz (marcelo-javier-ruiz-yahoo)]

I changed the status to Confirmed, because the attached picture shows the corruption.

[Omer Akram (om26er)]

Not nouveau specific as I see it with nvidia-current enabled.

[Marcelo Ruiz (marcelo-javier-ruiz-yahoo)]

The bug is present with NO nvidia-current installed. In fact, the picture I attached a few days ago was taken after booting from a live CD (well, pen drive). If I install nvidia-current the screen goes completely black, but it can be corrected by adding "intel_iommu=off" to the kernel options. Adding it when nvidia-current NOT installed doesn't change the screen corruption.

[Omer Akram (om26er)]

@Marcelo, seems I confused this with another bug, my bad.

[Jan Rathmann (kaiserclaudius)]

I am also seeing this and can confirm that it appears with both Nouveau and Nvidia propritary drivers.
For me it is a bit of less serious, since the corrupted screen content goes away after a few seconds and the Unity desktop is shown properly afterwards.

I also took a photo with my camera of the screen during login (directly after entering my password) which I'm attaching here. Note that the screen obviously shows a random dump of previous content of the graphic card memory, some parts even contain "screenshots" of my previous Oneiric session where I downloaded the Precise daily image and prepared my pen drive (three or four reboots ago!).

Kind regards,
Jan

[Ubuntu QA Website (ubuntuqa)]

This bug has been reported on the Ubuntu ISO testing tracker.

A list of all reports related to this bug can be found here:
http://iso.qa.ubuntu.com/qatracker/reports/bugs/909926

[Omer Akram (om26er)]

thanks for your bug report. Is that still an issue in Ubuntu 12.04? Can you please test that and let us know?

[Jan Rathmann (kaiserclaudius)]

Oh, I already forgot about this report, because I'm using Precise on a daily base and haven't seen this bug anymore since alpha stage.

Kind regards,
Jan

[Marcelo Ruiz (marcelo-javier-ruiz-yahoo)]

Yes, it is still an issue in 12.04. It gets corrected after installing nvidia-current package or setting "nomodeset" during live Cd / Usb boot.