Xorg sessions fail to start on Intel Core 2 T5800: modeset(0): drmSetMaster failed: Permission denied

[Dan Ross]

Description: Ubuntu 20.10
Release: 20.10
5.8.0-25-generic #26-Ubuntu SMP Thu Oct 15 10:30:38 UTC 2020 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

After upgrading to Groovy Gorilla, my laptop hangs on the Ubuntu splash screen after login. Workaround: Press CTRL+ALT+DEL then select recovery mode for the 5.8 kernel, then select 'Resume'. Also, the screen resolution seems to be lower than normal.

xorg:
  Installed: 1:7.7+19ubuntu15
  Candidate: 1:7.7+19ubuntu15
  Version table:
 *** 1:7.7+19ubuntu15 500
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu groovy/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.10
Package: xorg 1:7.7+19ubuntu15
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.8.0-25.26-generic 5.8.14
Uname: Linux 5.8.0-25-generic x86_64
.tmp.unity_support_test.1:

ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu50
Architecture: amd64
BootLog: Error: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/var/log/boot.log'
CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
CompositorRunning: None
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Sat Oct 24 14:47:47 2020
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: groovy
DistroVariant: ubuntu
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes
GpuHangFrequency: Continuously
GpuHangReproducibility: Yes, I can easily reproduce it
GpuHangStarted: Immediately after installing this version of Ubuntu
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:2a42] (rev 07) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Acer Incorporated [ALI] Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller [1025:015e]
   Subsystem: Acer Incorporated [ALI] Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller [1025:015e]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2019-01-01 (662 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 18.10 "Cosmic Cuttlefish" - Release amd64 (20181017.3)
MachineType: Acer Aspire 6930
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, no username)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-5.8.0-25-generic root=UUID=1fca13f7-f9c9-45fe-8e1c-3c88c19237d4 ro recovery nomodeset dis_ucode_ldr
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
Title: Xorg freeze
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 07/28/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: Acer
dmi.bios.version: v0.3238
dmi.board.name: Makalu
dmi.board.vendor: Acer
dmi.board.version: Not Applicable
dmi.chassis.type: 1
dmi.chassis.vendor: Acer
dmi.chassis.version: N/A
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAcer:bvrv0.3238:bd07/28/2009:svnAcer:pnAspire6930:pvrNotApplicable:rvnAcer:rnMakalu:rvrNotApplicable:cvnAcer:ct1:cvrN/A:
dmi.product.name: Aspire 6930
dmi.product.version: Not Applicable
dmi.sys.vendor: Acer
version.compiz: compiz N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.102-1ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 20.2.1-1
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 20.2.1-1
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.20.9-2ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev N/A
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:19.1.0-1ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.99.917+git20200714-1
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.16-1

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Please:

1. Reboot and reproduce the freeze again.

2. Reboot into recovery mode and then run:

   journalctl -b-1 > prevboot.txt

   and attach the resulting text file here.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Also, as a workaround try selecting 'Ubuntu on Wayland' on the login screen, just before you enter your password.

[Dan Ross (danross33)]

Attached prevboot.txt as instructed. Thanks for your assistance.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

As a workaround, try selecting 'Ubuntu on Wayland' on the login screen just before you enter your password.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

This looks like it might be related to bug 1872159, which can also occur on single monitor systems in theory.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

You said:

> After upgrading to Groovy Gorilla, my laptop hangs on the Ubuntu splash screen after login

Please clarify if "after login" means you have successfully entered your password.

[Dan Ross (danross33)]

Yes - "after login" means after I have successfully entered my password.

Also, I have not been able to locate the 'Ubuntu on Wayland' selection.

[Timo Aaltonen (tjaalton)]

you're using 'nomodeset' boot option which disables things, don't do that

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

No they're not really. That's just recovery mode, required to log this bug.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Thank you for reporting this bug to Ubuntu.
Ubuntu 20.10 (groovy) reached end-of-life on July 22, 2021.

See this document for currently supported Ubuntu releases:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases

We appreciate that this bug may be old and you might not be interested in discussing it any more. But if you are then please upgrade to the latest Ubuntu version and re-test. If you then find the bug is still present in the newer Ubuntu version, please add a comment here telling us which new version it is in.