[Dell Studio XPS 1340] Desktop components don't appear when using proprietary NVidia drivers

[Daniel Manrique]

By default this system uses the Nouveau drivers, with which Unity and the desktop work correctly, but the system becomes unresponsive when trying to resume from suspend (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/754711). The usual workaround is to use the proprietary drivers. However, when I tried using them on this system running Ubuntu 12.10 (first time I test this release), they didn't work.

Only the desktop background is shown; the desktop folders, Unity dash and top menu bar/panel are not present. I was able to launch a terminal by ctrl-alt-t, but this window (and any others) I launch appear without title bars or controls. I can't even alt-tab through them. So I guess compiz isn't running either.

What I did:

- Install 12.10
- from a terminal, sudo ubuntu-drivers autoinstall

it installed a broadcom driver and nvidia-current. Then I rebooted and got the described behavior.

I also tested nvidia-current-updates and nvidia-experimental-304 with the same results.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.10
Package: xorg 1:7.7+1ubuntu4
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.5.0-17.28-generic 3.5.5
Uname: Linux 3.5.0-17-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.6.1-0ubuntu3
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: No value set for `/apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/active_plugins'
CompositorRunning: compiz
Date: Mon Oct 22 11:41:01 2012
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: quantal
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus:
 bcmwl, 5.100.82.112+bdcom: added
 nvidia-experimental-304, 304.48: added
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes, including running git bisection searches
GraphicsCard:
 NVIDIA Corporation GT218 [GeForce G210M] [10de:0a74] (rev a2) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:0271]
 NVIDIA Corporation C79 [GeForce 9400M G] [10de:0866] (rev b1) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:0271]
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.10 "Quantal Quetzal" - Release amd64 (20121017.5)
MachineType: Dell Inc. Studio XPS 1340
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.5.0-17-generic root=UUID=c5095644-c642-4630-a000-d7db64fa87f2 ro quiet splash initcall_debug vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: xorg
UnitySupportTest:
 Error: command ['/usr/lib/nux/unity_support_test', '-p', '-f'] failed with exit code 5: Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0".
 Error: GLX is not available on the system
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 09/08/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A11
dmi.board.name: 0Y525R
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: A11
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: 1234567890
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: A11
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA11:bd09/08/2009:svnDellInc.:pnStudioXPS1340:pvrA11:rvnDellInc.:rn0Y525R:rvrA11:cvnDellInc.:ct8:cvrA11:
dmi.product.name: Studio XPS 1340
dmi.product.version: A11
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.8.4-0ubuntu2
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.39-0ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 9.0-0ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 9.0-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.13.0-0ubuntu6
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.7.3-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.99.99~git20120913.8637f772-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.20.9-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.2-0ubuntu3

[Timo Aaltonen (tjaalton)]

For one reason or another, the nvidia kernel module isn't available, likely failed to build. Please attach /var/lib/dkms/nvidia-current/<version>/build/make.log to this bug.

[Daniel Manrique (roadmr)]

Hi Timo,

Sorry for not catching this on my own. You're right, when installing the nvidia_current package, it logs being unable to build the driver due to kernel source not being present. Once I installed linux-headers-generic, then reinstalled nvidia drivers, the system came up fine with the prop drivers running (and is even able to suspend!).

I'm surprised linux-headers-generic was not installed automatically, but that's a different issue in any case, so I'll mark this bug invalid, as it was my fault for not having the correct dependencies.

Thanks!