[nvidia-glx-new] no more display with nvidia drivers due to screen defaulting to second display, can't switch to console

[Rominet7777]

Hi,

I upgraded from edgy to feisty : I had the latest nvidia drivers in edgy, and after upgrade, I had a blank screen...
I can start in safe mode, I can init 3, but then I can't find back the console when CTRL+ALT+F1. Still, I'm able to reboot blindly, and last time I tried I sucessfully restored (blindly) the "nv only" xorg.conf

I tried the nvidia-glx , nvidia-glx-new drivers without sucess.
I tried the .run nvidia file without sucess (9755 driver version).
I tried having the Option "ConnectedMonitor" with "DFP" or "CRT" without success even if when I use DFP it seems to me there are small lines showing some artificial refresh rate (my LCD monitor is plugged on VGA, not DVI)...
I tried to add a modeline for my monitor, refresh rate, but this did not change anything.

I noticed 2 things in the xorg.log.old file :
(II) LoadModule: "wfb"
(WW) Warning, couldn't open module wfb
(II) UnloadModule: "wfb"
(EE) Failed to load module "wfb" (module does not exist, 0)

But it seems to me this is not what's causing the problem, given other bug reports.

and :
(--) NVIDIA(0): Connected display device(s) on GeForce 7600 GS at PCI:1:0:0:
(--) NVIDIA(0): CRT-0
(--) NVIDIA(0): CRT-0: 400.0 MHz maximum pixel clock
(II) NVIDIA(0): Assigned Display Device: CRT-0
(II) NVIDIA(0): Validated modes:
(II) NVIDIA(0): "1280x1024"
(II) NVIDIA(0): "1024x768"
(II) NVIDIA(0): "800x600"
(II) NVIDIA(0): "640x480"
(II) NVIDIA(0): Virtual screen size determined to be 1280 x 1024
(WW) NVIDIA(0): Unable to get display device CRT-0's EDID; cannot compute DPI
(WW) NVIDIA(0): from CRT-0's EDID.
(==) NVIDIA(0): DPI set to (75, 75); computed from built-in default

You'll notice my card is detected as a nvidia 7600GS, whereas it is a 7300 GT... edgy was detecting a 7600 GS also but had no problem with the nvidia drivers though.

Now details on my config :
Kubuntu 7.04
kernel : 2.6.20-15-386

$ dpkg -l | grep restricted
rc linux-restricted-modules-2.6.17-10-generic 2.6.17.7-10.1 Non-free Linux 2.6.17 modules on x86_64 gene
rc linux-restricted-modules-2.6.17-11-generic 2.6.17.7-11.2 Non-free Linux 2.6.17 modules on x86_64 gene
rc linux-restricted-modules-2.6.20-15-386 2.6.20.5-15.20 Non-free Linux 2.6.20 modules on 386
rc linux-restricted-modules-2.6.20-15-generic 2.6.20.5-15.20 Non-free Linux 2.6.20 modules on x86/x86_64
ii linux-restricted-modules-common 2.6.20.5-15.20 Non-free Linux 2.6.20 modules helper script
rc restricted-manager 0.20 manage non-free hardware drivers

fred@Rominet:~$ modinfo /lib/modules/2.6.20-15-386/volatile/nvidia_new.ko
filename: /lib/modules/2.6.20-15-386/volatile/nvidia_new.ko
license: NVIDIA
alias: char-major-195-*
alias: pci:v000010DEd*sv*sd*bc03sc02i00*
alias: pci:v000010DEd*sv*sd*bc03sc00i00*
depends: agpgart,i2c-core
vermagic: 2.6.20-15-386 mod_unload 486
parm: NVreg_VideoMemoryTypeOverride:int
parm: NVreg_EnableVia4x:int
parm: NVreg_EnableALiAGP:int
parm: NVreg_ReqAGPRate:int
parm: NVreg_NvAGP:int
parm: NVreg_EnableAGPSBA:int
parm: NVreg_EnableAGPFW:int
parm: NVreg_SoftEDIDs:int
parm: NVreg_Mobile:int
parm: NVreg_ModifyDeviceFiles:int
parm: NVreg_DeviceFileUID:int
parm: NVreg_DeviceFileGID:int
parm: NVreg_DeviceFileMode:int
parm: NVreg_ResmanDebugLevel:int
parm: NVreg_FlatPanelMode:int
parm: NVreg_DevicesConnected:int
parm: NVreg_RmLogonRC:int
parm: NVreg_RemapLimit:int
parm: NVreg_UseCPA:int
parm: NVreg_DetectPrimaryVga:int
parm: NVreg_RegistryDwords:charp
parm: NVreg_VbiosFromROM:int
parm: NVreg_SaveVBios:int
parm: NVreg_EnableBrightnessControl:int
parm: NVreg_PanelPWMFrequency:int
parm: NVreg_PanelBrightnessLimits:int
parm: NVreg_UseVBios:int
parm: NVreg_RMEdgeIntrCheck:int
parm: nv_disable_pat:int

$ls -al /lib/linux-restricted-modules
total 20
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4096 2007-05-16 22:19 .
drwxr-xr-x 18 root root 8192 2007-05-12 20:47 ..
drwxr-xr-x 19 root root 4096 2007-05-16 22:19 2.6.20-15-386
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 58 2007-05-13 10:44 .nvidia_new_installed

$ ls -al /lib/linux-restricted-modules/2.6.20-15-386/nvidia_new/
total 8016
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 2007-05-16 22:19 .
drwxr-xr-x 19 root root 4096 2007-05-16 22:19 ..
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 88204 2007-04-13 20:33 nv-i2c.o
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 47648 2007-04-13 20:33 nvidia.mod.o
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 7434012 2007-04-13 20:33 nv-kernel.o
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 194290 2007-04-13 20:33 nv.o
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 86072 2007-04-13 20:33 nv-vm.o
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 86216 2007-04-13 20:33 os-agp.o
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 114856 2007-04-13 20:33 os-interface.o
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 90948 2007-04-13 20:33 os-registry.o

... I hope you'll be able to help me debug this strange problem !
Can I provide you with more information (I'll post the xorg.conf and log asap)

Cheers

[Sitsofe Wheeler (sitsofe)]

Thank you for your bug report.

Rominet7777:
Looks like you did some thorough research before filing this. You've already got the Horiz and Vert sync lines, you've already tried "ConnectedMonitor", you've indicated your monitor is a flat panel but connected via VGA, you've included a listing of /lib/linux-restricted-modules, you have included your Xorg.0.log and xorg.conf AND you've tried both nvidia-glx and nvidia-glx-new. Very impressive!

I'm near enough out of ideas unfortunately. Can you indicate whether disabling EDID detection as described in Bug #111894 made any difference...

[Sitsofe Wheeler (sitsofe)]

By the way the misreported card version sounds like a similar problem that was mentioned in passing within Bug #107646 . It might be worth spinning off a separate bug and posting the output of lspci and lspci -vnn (assuming it is wrong in the first lspci output too).

[Rominet7777 (fred-schaer)]

Hi tried disabling EDID : same thing...
using the nvidia .run installed driver (I removed the nvidia-glx-new and restricted drivers) : I copied the EDID I got from the NV driver into a binary file, and used it in the nvidia driver using option CustomEDID - this time, it detects the monitor (i.e : does not complain about DPI nor EDID), but still a blank screen.

I noticed I strange thing : the nvidia driver always says in the logs there are 2 screens connected : CRT0 and CRT1... but I only have one screen connected...??

It's a pity I don't have an adapter to plug the screen on DVI, to see if it feels better there...
I'm not going to reinstall from scratch for now : I'd like to help solve this if possible... or maybe checking the install from scratch would also help (if it still fails) ;)

I'll fill a bug for the card detection also, the lspci is also happily reporting a 7600GS card ;)

[Sitsofe Wheeler (sitsofe)]

Rominet7777:
Could you attach the Xorg.0.log that is produced when running the open source nv driver?

[Rominet7777 (fred-schaer)]

Sure...
Here it is

[Sitsofe Wheeler (sitsofe)]

Rominet7777:
You mentioned you had the latest nvidia drivers in edgy - did you manually install them/use a 3rd party tool to get them?

[Rominet7777 (fred-schaer)]

Mmmhhh... good question ;)
I had downloaded latest nvidia installer, but it seems to me I did only use the edgy packages : appart from my latest tries on feisty, I don't remember seeing this nice nvidia installer before...

Could I have messed up the feisy fawn from edgy ?
Don't know if I can try installing these nvidia drivers on the livecd... killing the X server would probably cause the computer to reboot.

[Sitsofe Wheeler (sitsofe)]

Rominet7777:
The "nice" nvidia installer is new to Feisty.

The LiveCD idea would be excellent. After activating the binary driver through restricted-manager don't log out or reboot. Instead press Ctrl-Alt-Backspace . This should make X restart with the new configuration (assuming the driver downloaded over the network and installed correctly).

[Rominet7777 (fred-schaer)]

Hi, bad news...

I tried the livecd :
- using restricted manager, it installed nvidia-glx --> blank screen --> blind reboot
- by hand, I installed nvidia-glx-new ran nvidia-xconfig --> blank screen --> blind reboot

... Herrr.... ??? I'm doomed ;)

Next step would be ... the kernel ? Or another older nvidia restricted driver...
I'll try the second solution first I think (shoud I say : I fear ? ;) )

[Sitsofe Wheeler (sitsofe)]

Punting from Ubuntu -> linux-restricted-modules-2.6.20 and setting back to unconfirmed.

Rominet7777:
You are going to struggle to find a pre-packaged version of the older drivers (and they probably won't compile on newer kernels anyway if you go the manual way (PS: if you do go the manual way then we will probably have to close this bug as problems that arise after you have installed 3rd party software aren't covered by bugs.launchpad.net)).

Could you temporarily edit grub on your hard disk install and remove the splash and vga options form the kernel line?

[Rominet7777 (fred-schaer)]

MMhhh OK, then I won't go for th emanual install for now then :]

I didn't tell you : I already edited my grub menu when I saw in other bugs there could be a problem with the consoles and the nvidia driver.
My entries look like this ...

title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.20-15-386
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.20-15-386 root=/dev/md1 ro
initrd /initrd.img-2.6.20-15-386
quiet
savedefault

[Sitsofe Wheeler (sitsofe)]

Rominet7777:
Interesting... You are running a 386 kernel on what must be be i586 or later hardware (which CPU/motherboard do you have?). You may find you get a speed boost (or maybe just new problems) if you install
linux-image-generic
which should be a better match for your hardware (you will also need to install linux-restricted-modules-generic ). Is there any change?

[Sitsofe Wheeler (sitsofe)]

(By the way, there's nothing wrong with installing things manually on your computer - it is under your control after all! The only thing to be aware of is that your support options change and that problems shouldn't be reported to bugs.launchpad.net but to whoever provided you the software or one of the places listed on http://www.ubuntu.com/support/communitysupport )

[Rominet7777 (fred-schaer)]

Well, I have the generic kernel installed also, but did not see a boost when launching it ;)
I'll try the nvidia drivers with the generic kernel also, I can't remember if I already tried...

You're indeed right about the hadware : I have a core 2 duo on a p5b motherboard.
By the way, the graphic card is a Albatron Geforce 7300GT, and is also reported in windows as a 7600GS... weird.

I didn't know until recently about the support options, but it seems very logical after all... anyway : I can still try the manual install for older nvidia drivers also : if this works, this will show that this is the latest drivers that are the problem, and I doubt anyone but Nvidia will be able to fix it... I'll report as soon as I try all of that :)

P.S : I think that I'll reinstall from scratch one day or the other :'(
I'm very unlucky with the upgrade... now I discovered that java causes my firefox to hang (and no matter what I try -sun-java5, sun-java6, gij plugin and so on- I can't get any applet loading...)

[Sitsofe Wheeler (sitsofe)]

Rominet7777:
Re: Java
Sounds like a worthy candidate for a new bug report - how can you be suer that reinstalling will help? I've noticed that reinstalling on Linux rarely fixes problems. Check to see if everything works with a brand new user as that helps narrow down where the problem lies (but all this discussion should go into a separate bug report).

Could you try booting with the following option:
vga=795
and see if there is any difference?

[Rominet7777 (fred-schaer)]

Sitsofe:
good news :)

first : the difference with vga=795 is... that the console is tooooo sloooowww ;)
Appart from that, no change.

Now, the good news : I ran the X server using option "-logverbose 5".
There, I've seen that, as previous, the driver was reporting 2 screens instead of one.
Thing is that the driver is not detecting the EDID for screen 0, but it is actually detecting the EDID for CRT1 !

Now, I added in the graphic card Device section this line :
Option "UseDisplayDevice" "CRT-1"

And... now I have the nvidia-glx-new drivers bundled with ubuntu running.

As an example, I'm joining the log with the nvidia driver 9746 that I manually tried

Finally, I really don't understand :
- why the driver is detecting 2 screens
- why it's using the first screen, which is indeed the one that's not plugged

[Sitsofe Wheeler (sitsofe)]

Rominet7777:
I have no idea. You may be better off asking NVIDIA directly. Do the open source nv drivers get it right?

[Rominet7777 (fred-schaer)]

Hi,

Yes the open source drivers are OK... I guess this is more an nvidia bug than ubuntu related, after all...

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

This package has become obsolete so we're closing out the bug report as WONTFIX.
Thanks for reporting it though!