[Dell Precision M4700] No display after Precise installation finished.

[TienFu Chen]

System: Dell Precision M4700.
The display in the Precise 12.04.2 installer works fine, but after rebooting, screen can't display anything.
Append "nomodeset" to kernel can make screen display at minimal resolution.
After installing nvidia-experimental-310.14-0ubuntu0.3, the display works fine.

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: NVIDIA Corporation Device [10de:0ffb] (rev a1)

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: linux-image-3.5.0-23-generic 3.5.0-23.35~precise1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.5.0-23.35~precise1-generic 3.5.7.2
Uname: Linux 3.5.0-23-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.25.
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu17.1
Architecture: amd64
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: STAC92xx Analog [STAC92xx Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC1: ubuntu 1629 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC0: ubuntu 1629 F.... pulseaudio
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'PCH'/'HDA Intel PCH at 0xf7730000 irq 46'
   Mixer name : 'IDT 92HD93BXX'
   Components : 'HDA:111d76df,1028053e,00100203'
   Controls : 20
   Simple ctrls : 10
Card1.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:1 'NVidia'/'HDA NVidia at 0xf6080000 irq 17'
   Mixer name : 'Nvidia GPU 42 HDMI/DP'
   Components : 'HDA:10de0042,1028053e,00100100'
   Controls : 12
   Simple ctrls : 2
Date: Wed Mar 13 03:06:46 2013
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=c6558630-430e-4a84-b91d-ac70fe18594b
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04.2 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20130213)
MachineType: Dell Inc. Precision M4700
MarkForUpload: True
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcFB:

ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.5.0-23-generic root=UUID=00deb858-a5dc-4eb2-a5e8-d3e0d6e28098 ro quiet splash initcall_debug
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.5.0-23-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.5.0-23-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.79.1
SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 06/21/2012
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A01
dmi.board.name: 04D9Y2
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: X03
dmi.chassis.type: 9
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA01:bd06/21/2012:svnDellInc.:pnPrecisionM4700:pvr01:rvnDellInc.:rn04D9Y2:rvrX03:cvnDellInc.:ct9:cvr:
dmi.product.name: Precision M4700
dmi.product.version: 01
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[Robert Hooker (sarvatt)]

Can you attach /var/log/kern.log (or an older copy of it aka kern.log.1) that has the info from the failed boots please?

[TienFu Chen (ctf)]

Hi Robert,
kern.log is attached.

[Robert Hooker (sarvatt)]

Thanks Tim! So it looks like nouveau fails to work for you but from the log it appears to be starting up correctly. A few questions.. Can you switch VTs successfully when it fails? If so, does sudo service lightdm stop then sudo service lightdm start correct it? Do you see a mouse pointer or is it completely black after booting? Does raising the backlight bring it up? Is it possible you could attach the /var/log/Xorg.0.log{,.old} from the failed boot, or does it not even write one out?

[Po-Hsu Lin (cypressyew)]

Hello Robert.
To your questions:
1. The screen is completely black after removing the proprietary driver and reboot, can't see a mouse pointer either.
2. Nothing shows up when switching VTs.
3. sudo service lightdm stop/start does not help.
4. Raising the backlight does not help.

However, external monitor works fine (that's how I test 2, 3 and 4)
In the Display Configuration utility, the Laptop screen is set to ON, but still nothing there.

[Po-Hsu Lin (cypressyew)]

Xorg.0.log.old attached.

[Ara Pulido (ara)]

Po-Hsu, can you try if it works in Precise with the 3.8 kernel? (raring-backport)

[Po-Hsu Lin (cypressyew)]

Verified with 12.04.2 + 3.8.0- kernel on 201205-11050
This problem does not exist anymore.

[Ara Pulido (ara)]

Great news, thanks Po-Hsu. We will certify the system then with 12.04.3

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Tim Chen, this bug report is being closed due to Po-Hsu Lin's last comment https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1154457/comments/9 regarding this being fixed with an update. For future reference you can manage the status of your own bugs by clicking on the current status in the yellow line and then choosing a new status in the revealed drop down box. You can learn more about bug statuses at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Status. Thank you again for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. Please submit any future bugs you may find.