X displays nothing instead of login screen

[Nicholas]

The kernel version in the auto-generated information is wrong, because when using the kernel with the problem, I can't do anything, including send bug reports. This happened with the newest kernel update to 3.13.0-61. I am using -59, which still works, to send the report. Since this is at least possibly graphics related bug I should also state that the update automatically changed the nvidia driver from 331-updates to 340-updates, however Nvidia's page for the 340 driver does not include my graphics card (GeForce 610M). I do use

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: linux-image-3.13.0-59-generic 3.13.0-59.98
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-59.98-generic 3.13.11-ckt22
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-59-generic i686
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.11
Architecture: i386
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: trun 2629 F.... pulseaudio
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Fri Aug 7 09:22:29 2015
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=6d121e03-2523-4564-ab73-f600c35a6142
InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-11-23 (256 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release i386 (20140722.2)
Lsusb:
 Bus 002 Device 002: ID 8087:0020 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub
 Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
 Bus 001 Device 003: ID 1bcf:288a Sunplus Innovation Technology Inc.
 Bus 001 Device 002: ID 8087:0020 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub
 Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
MachineType: Acer Aspire 7739G
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-3.13.0-59-generic root=/dev/mapper/vg_hydra-lv_root ro noplymouth
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.13.0-59-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.13.0-59-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.127.14
SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
WifiSyslog:

dmi.bios.date: 10/11/2011
dmi.bios.vendor: Insyde Corp.
dmi.bios.version: V1.04
dmi.board.asset.tag: Type2 - Board Asset Tag
dmi.board.name: HMA71_CP
dmi.board.vendor: Acer
dmi.board.version: Type2 - Board Version
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Chassis Manufacturer
dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnInsydeCorp.:bvrV1.04:bd10/11/2011:svnAcer:pnAspire7739G:pvrV1.04:rvnAcer:rnHMA71_CP:rvrType2-BoardVersion:cvnChassisManufacturer:ct10:cvrChassisVersion:
dmi.product.name: Aspire 7739G
dmi.product.version: V1.04
dmi.sys.vendor: Acer

[Nicholas (boydstnp)]

Well for some reason it submitted it in the middle of typing. The end of that last sentence was that it I normally use the integrated Intel graphics card for my desktop, and anything not specially high performance.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Would it be possible for you to test the latest upstream stable kernel? Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Please test the latest v3.13 stable kernel[0].

If this bug is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tag 'kernel-fixed-upstream'.

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the tag: 'kernel-bug-exists-upstream'.

If you are unable to test the mainline kernel, for example it will not boot, please add the tag: 'kernel-unable-to-test-upstream'.
Once testing of the upstream kernel is complete, please mark this bug as "Confirmed".

Thanks in advance.

[0] http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.13.11-ckt24-trusty/

[Nicholas (boydstnp)]

Sorry I took so long. Trying to test the upstream kernel took some figuring out and I had to go on a trip. I could not get the upstream kernel to install the nvidia driver (or the kernel headers), without the nvidia driver (presumably using the Intel integrated graphics) it did give me a graphical login screen (So I may have tagged it incorrectly. I wasn't sure).

I hope this is at least sort of useful. (even if only because it tells you to tell me that (and hopefully how) I need to go bother someone else.)

[Nicholas (boydstnp)]

Sorry for the delay. I am still working up the nerve to update my BIOS. In the meantime, I thought it might be useful if I mentioned that the most recent set of updates I got broke this for kernel version 3.13.0-59 as well, I luckily still had -58 which is working. If you want me to tell you exactly which updates then I would appreciate a pointer to information on how to extract that information from the package manager. It was the updates from the last weekend. Downloaded sometime on Monday Sept 28 after not having internet since the Friday before (Sept 25). I remember that it included a kernel package, as well as packages labeled for nvidia, both 340 and 331.

[Nicholas (boydstnp)]

Okay so I updated my BIOS. Summary: I detect no change.

On my first restart I tried using the latest kernel I have installed (3.13.0-63), and got the black screen. I noticed that the backlight stays off when I get the blank screen. Unfortunately I cannot say whether or not this is new. I feel that it was the case before, and thus not new, but I never consciously noticed before.

I then restarted in -58, which is still working so far as I can tell.

The output from the command is:
V1.06
08/10/2012

As per your instructions I will mark this as confirmed.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Nicholas, could you please test the latest upstream kernel available from the very top line at the top of the page from http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/?C=N;O=D (the release names are irrelevant for testing, and please do not test the daily folder)? Install instructions are available at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/MainlineBuilds . This will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue.

If the latest kernel did not allow you to test to the issue (ex. you couldn't boot into the OS) please make a comment in your report about this, and continue to test the next most recent kernel version until you can test to the issue. Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please comment on which kernel version specifically you tested. If this issue is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tags by clicking on the yellow circle with a black pencil icon, next to the word Tags, located at the bottom of the report description:
kernel-fixed-upstream
kernel-fixed-upstream-X.Y-rcZ

Where X, Y, and Z are numbers corresponding to the kernel version.

If the mainline kernel does not fix the issue, please add the following tags:
kernel-bug-exists-upstream
kernel-bug-exists-upstream-X.Y-rcZ

Please note, an error to install the kernel does not fit the criteria of kernel-bug-exists-upstream.

Once testing of the latest upstream kernel is complete, please mark this report's Status as Confirmed. Please let us know your results.

Thank you for your understanding.

[Nicholas (boydstnp)]

I know I took a long time again. My primary observation is that this bug does not appear when the nvidia driver is not installed.

I tested the upstream kernel version that matches the most recent repository kernel update(as well as the most recent upstream kernel version) before installing the most recent repository kernel update(3.13.11-031311ckt27 which the package manager calls 3.13.0-66.108). With both of the kernels from the upstream source, the nvidia module failed to install, and neither exhibited the bug, but when installed from the package manager the bug did occur in that same kernel version.

Unfortunately I don't know how to make the nvidia driver install for the upstream kernels, if it is even possible, and thus cannot test them properly. This is complicated by the fact that this bug appeared when the package manager forced an update to the nvidia module from 331 which supports my video card to 340 which makes no such claim.

Other than the nvidia driver not installing, the upstream kernels worked fine, though with a lot of warnings when I booted them, all about apparmor rules not being enforced. If you want, I ran a dmesg with each of them booted into a file, but I hesitate to post them, and thus pollute the associated data without your say so.

Given this information I fully expect that the answer here is either, "go report this to ___ instead of here.", "Sorry but your hardware is not supported by the newer kernel versions. Have a nice day." or possibly a "Well, see if it happens with the repository kernels if you uninstall the ndivia drivers." (I made a half hearted attempt to do that even before I posted this bug, but I didn't figure out how to tell the package manager to uninstall all the nvidia drivers without trying to install some random other version.)

Another thing that might provide some clues: some time ago I had installed the CUDA develpoment tools, and made a simple test
program. On the version of the kernel for which the desktop works, that CUDA program will not run (it says that there is no device), however, when switched over to a virtual terminal from the blank screen caused by the bug, the program runs just fine. This tells me that perhaps the bug isn't occurring for this kernel version because the nvidia driver isn't working for it.

So I hope this is somewhat useful even though technically the response is unable to test upstream. As per the instructions I will mark it as confirmed again. I hope that that is the right thing to do, even though I wasn't really able to test what you wanted well.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Nicholas, the latest mainline kernel is 4.3-rc7 (not 3.13.x).

[Nicholas (boydstnp)]

Sorry, my comment wasn't clear. I tested both 3.13.whatever and linux-image-4.3.0-040300rc7-generic_4.3.0-040300rc7.201510260712_i386. Both gave the same results.

[Nicholas (boydstnp)]

And here I am realizing I should have said more. Both versions performed identically, but I wrote a lot more about the 3.13 because I could compare the effects of installing it from the upstream source with the effects of installing it from the package manager. Whereas the most I could say about the other was, "I couldn't install the nvidia kernel module for it, and thus couldn't really test it properly."

[Nicholas (boydstnp)]

Just in case anyone's still listening. The most recent update, which included an nvidia driver update (340.96-0ubuntu0.14.04.1), pushed back the version of the latest kernel that worked. 3.13.0-58 no longer works. 57 gives bad resolution, I am testing 55, 32 still works. So it seems like whatever is causing my problem is being updated to work with earlier kernel versions.

[Nicholas (boydstnp)]

More information: I found that 352.63 also claimed to support my nvidia graphics card. I installed it. It made me reconfigure my xorg.conf.
Putting "Intel" as the default driver allowed me to see the login screen. But whenever I entered the correct password, X would crash and send me back to the login screen (On several kernel versions including the then most recent one).

I have somewhat worked around the problem by installing a blatantly incompatible nvidia driver and the machine behaves as if it only had the Intel graphics.

[Nicholas (boydstnp)]

And I just remembered that I have some logs from the newer failure that might help. I will post short excerpts here as otherwise there is nothing to distinguish them from the logs of the older failure.

From kern.log:

Nov 29 11:36:53 hydra kernel: [ 35.815890] bbswitch: version 0.7
Nov 29 11:36:53 hydra kernel: [ 35.815898] bbswitch: Found integrated VGA device 0000:00:02.0: \_SB_.PCI0.GFX0
Nov 29 11:36:53 hydra kernel: [ 35.815904] bbswitch: Found discrete VGA device 0000:01:00.0: \_SB_.PCI0.P0P2.PEGP
Nov 29 11:36:53 hydra kernel: [ 35.815918] ACPI Warning: \_SB_.PCI0.P0P2.PEGP._DSM: Argument #4 type mismatch - Found [Buffer], ACPI requires [Package] (20131115/nsarguments-95)
Nov 29 11:36:53 hydra kernel: [ 35.815983] bbswitch: detected an Optimus _DSM function
Nov 29 11:36:53 hydra kernel: [ 35.815993] bbswitch: Succesfully loaded. Discrete card 0000:01:00.0 is on
Nov 29 11:37:04 hydra kernel: [ 46.064217] type=1400 audit(1448825824.113:73): apparmor="STATUS" operation="profile_replace" profile="unconfined" name="/usr/lib/cups/backend/cups-pdf" pid=2217 comm="apparmor_parser"
Nov 29 11:37:04 hydra kernel: [ 46.064225] type=1400 audit(1448825824.113:74): apparmor="STATUS" operation="profile_replace" profile="unconfined" name="/usr/sbin/cupsd" pid=2217 comm="apparmor_parser"
Nov 29 11:37:04 hydra kernel: [ 46.064640] type=1400 audit(1448825824.113:75): apparmor="STATUS" operation="profile_replace" profile="unconfined" name="/usr/sbin/cupsd" pid=2217 comm="apparmor_parser"
Nov 29 11:37:04 hydra kernel: [ 46.549245] nvidia 0000:01:00.0: irq 46 for MSI/MSI-X
Nov 29 11:37:04 hydra kernel: [ 46.552471] ACPI Warning: \_SB_.PCI0.P0P2.PEGP._DSM: Argument #4 type mismatch - Found [Buffer], ACPI requires [Package] (20131115/nsarguments-95)
Nov 29 11:37:04 hydra kernel: [ 46.552514] ACPI Warning: \_SB_.PCI0.P0P2.PEGP._DSM: Argument #4 type mismatch - Found [Buffer], ACPI requires [Package] (20131115/nsarguments-95)
Nov 29 11:37:04 hydra kernel: [ 46.552531] ACPI Warning: \_SB_.PCI0.P0P2.PEGP._DSM: Argument #4 type mismatch - Found [Buffer], ACPI requires [Package] (20131115/nsarguments-95)
Nov 29 11:37:04 hydra kernel: [ 46.552558] ACPI Warning: \_SB_.PCI0.P0P2.PEGP._DSM: Argument #4 type mismatch - Found [Buffer], ACPI requires [Package] (20131115/nsarguments-95)
Nov 29 11:37:04 hydra kernel: [ 46.552575] ACPI Warning: \_SB_.PCI0.P0P2.PEGP._DSM: Argument #4 type mismatch - Found [Buffer], ACPI requires [Package] (20131115/nsarguments-95)
Nov 29 11:37:04 hydra kernel: [ 46.552590] ACPI Warning: \_SB_.PCI0.P0P2.PEGP._DSM: Argument #4 type mismatch - Found [Buffer], ACPI requires [Package] (20131115/nsarguments-95)
Nov 29 11:37:04 hydra kernel: [ 46.552628] ACPI Warning: \_SB_.PCI0.P0P2.PEGP._DSM: Argument #4 type mismatch - Found [Buffer], ACPI requires [Package] (20131115/nsarguments-95)
Nov 29 11:37:04 hydra kernel: [ 46.552645] ACPI Warning: \_SB_.PCI0.P0P2.PEGP._DSM: Argument #4 type mismatch - Found [Buffer], ACPI requires [Package] (20131115/nsarguments-95)
Nov 29 11:37:09 hydra kernel: [ 51.216680] NVRM: failed to copy vbios to system memory.
Nov 29 11:37:09 hydra kernel: [ 51.217022] NVRM: RmInitAdapter fa...