Bulletproof-X configuration repeatedly restarts

[earthforce_1]

The automated X configuration does not work with Radeon X850 + Compaq P1100 monitor. Would repeatedly boot into garbled login screen with wrong sync again and again - only way to stop it was to repeatedly <CTL><ALT><BS> the X server until it gave up and quickly delete xorg.conf and replace it with an old manually generated working version that uses the proprietary driver. This used to be working fine with FGLRX drivers + Beryl under Feisty, now FGLRX is unusable for this card. Thankfully I had backed up a working xorg.conf or I would be in a real mess. The "bulletproof" X was worse than useless, since I couldn't easily shut it off to fix things!

Also, the automated configuration does not have a Compaq P1100 and there is no way to manually enter information for a monitor that isn't in the list. If it helps, here is the contents of my manually tweaked xorg.conf that actually works. With this file I can get my monitor to work at 2048x1536 with a 66 Hz vertical sync. Regrettably, I need the proprietary drivers to make it work, since fglrx is now busted - at least for my card.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

# /etc/X11/xorg.conf (xorg X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the /etc/X11/xorg.conf manual page.
# (Type "man /etc/X11/xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
# sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "ServerLayout"
 Identifier "Default Layout"
 Screen 0 "aticonfig-Screen[0]" 0 0
 InputDevice "Generic Keyboard"
 InputDevice "Configured Mouse"
 InputDevice "stylus" "SendCoreEvents"
 InputDevice "cursor" "SendCoreEvents"
 InputDevice "eraser" "SendCoreEvents"
EndSection

Section "Files"

 # path to defoma fonts
 FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/misc"
 FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/cyrillic"
 FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
 FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
 FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/Type1"
 FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/100dpi"
 FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/75dpi"
 FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/misc"
 FontPath "/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType"
EndSection

Section "Module"
 Load "i2c"
 Load "bitmap"
 Load "ddc"
 Load "dri"
 Load "extmod"
 Load "freetype"
 Load "glx"
 Load "int10"
 Load "type1"
 Load "vbe"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
 Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
 Driver "kbd"
 Option "CoreKeyboard"
 Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
 Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
 Option "XkbLayout" "us"
 Option "XkbOptions" "lv3:ralt_switch"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
 Identifier "Configured Mouse"
 Driver "mouse"
 Option "CorePointer"
 Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
 Option "Protocol" "ExplorerPS/2"
 Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
 Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

                                                      # /dev/input/event
                                                      # for USB
 Identifier "stylus"
 Driver "wacom"
 Option "Device" "/dev/wacom" # Change to
 Option "Type" "stylus"
 Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" # Tablet PC ONLY
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

                                                      # /dev/input/event
                                                      # for USB
 Identifier "eraser"
 Driver "wacom"
 Option "Device" "/dev/wacom" # Change to
 Option "Type" "eraser"
 Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" # Tablet PC ONLY
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

                                                      # /dev/input/event
                                                      # for USB
 Identifier "cursor"
 Driver "wacom"
 Option "Device" "/dev/wacom" # Change to
 Option "Type" "cursor"
 Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" # Tablet PC ONLY
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
 Identifier "aticonfig-Monitor[0]"
 Option "VendorName" "ATI Proprietary Driver"
 Option "ModelName" "Generic Autodetecting Monitor"
 HorizSync 28.0 - 121.0
 VertRefresh 43.0 - 66.0
 Option "DPMS" "true"
EndSection

Section "Device"
 Identifier "aticonfig-Device[0]"
 Driver "fglrx"
 Option "VideoOverlay" "on"
 Option "OpenGLOverlay" "off"
 Option "FSAAEnable" "on"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
 Identifier "aticonfig-Screen[0]"
 Device "aticonfig-Device[0]"
 Monitor "aticonfig-Monitor[0]"
 DefaultDepth 24
 SubSection "Display"
  Viewport 0 0
  Depth 24
  Modes "2048x1536" "1600x1200" "1280x1024" "800x600" "640x480"
 EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "DRI"
 Mode 0666
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
 Option "Composite" "Disable"
EndSection

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Thanks for reporting these issues in X and helping to make Ubuntu better. For better tracking purposes, in the future please report each independent issue as a separate bug report.

It sounds like the principle main issue is that the bulletproof-x mode was looping and could not be easily shut off. So let's focus this bug report on that.

I've made some alterations to the way bulletproof-x works, such that it now keeps track of the last time it tried running, and if it tried already within 30 seconds, to exit and go to the old gdm error screen. That's not ideal but it's certainly better than looping endlessly.

For the other issues you reported...

Regarding the custom monitor detection issue, a mechanism has been added to upload the *.inf from your windows driver disk in this situation. However you are correct there should also be a way to manually type in this info. I have moved this sub-issue to bug 148841 against displayconfig-gtk.

Regarding the specific lack of a Compaq P1100, please enter a new bug on this against the displayconfig-gtk package, and upload your *.inf (if you have it). This way we can add it to Ubuntu's database so you don't need to manually enter it in the future.

Note that bulletproof-x always backs up your original (seemingly broken) xorg.conf to /etc/X11/xorg.conf.N, so you will be able to recover it manually, so loss of your previous xorg.conf should not be an issue.

Regarding the fglrx breakage with X850, this should be filed against linux-restricted-modules-2.6.22. In that report please include your /var/log/Xorg.0.log and the output from lspci -vvnn. Note though that since flgrx is a proprietary binary driver, there is a limited amount we can do to help solve issues with it.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

xorg (1:7.2-5ubuntu11) gutsy; urgency=low

  * debian/local/Failsafe/failsafeXinit: Switch to use of new
    'xfailsafedialog' script instead of displayconfig-gtk
    (closes LP: #146186)
  * debian/local/Failsafe/failsafeXServer:
    + Use :10 instead of :0 to avoid overwriting the (failed)
      Xorg.0.log. (Temporary but regression-safe fix for 148122)
    + Add failure logging, so we can track past failures and avoid
      re-running Bulletproof-X if it's already proven unable to fix the
      issue. In this (rare but possible) case, we'll just get out of
      the way and let gdm handle it. (closes LP: #146603)
  * Drop debian/local/Failsafe/failsafeInstall as it is no longer used
  * debian/local/dexconf: Fix problem preventing touchpad scrolling
    from being able to be enabled by switching HorizEdgeDelta for
    HorizEdgeScroll, as suggested by Matthew Garrett).
    (closes LP: #147249, and probably many more.)

 -- Bryce Harrington <email address hidden> Thu, 04 Oct 2007 03:30:32 -0700