[nvidia] System freeze using nvidia-470 but nvidia-460 is fine

[Baris Basturk]

System randomly freezes, no clue how to reproduce it. Multiple people have the same issue. Dell Precision 5550 running Ubuntu 20.04.3 LTS.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
Package: xorg 1:7.7+19ubuntu14
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.11.0-37.41~20.04.2-generic 5.11.22
Uname: Linux 5.11.0-37-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_modeset nvidia
.proc.driver.nvidia.capabilities.gpu0: Error: path was not a regular file.
.proc.driver.nvidia.capabilities.mig: Error: path was not a regular file.
.proc.driver.nvidia.gpus.0000.01.00.0: Error: path was not a regular file.
.proc.driver.nvidia.registry: Binary: ""
.proc.driver.nvidia.suspend: suspend hibernate resume
.proc.driver.nvidia.suspend_depth: default modeset uvm
.proc.driver.nvidia.version:
 NVRM version: NVIDIA UNIX x86_64 Kernel Module 470.63.01 Tue Aug 3 20:44:16 UTC 2021
 GCC version: gcc version 9.3.0 (Ubuntu 9.3.0-17ubuntu1~20.04)
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu27.20
Architecture: amd64
BootLog: Error: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/var/log/boot.log'
CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
CompositorRunning: None
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Fri Oct 1 10:41:30 2021
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: focal
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus:
 nvidia, 470.63.01, 5.11.0-36-generic, x86_64: installed
 nvidia, 470.63.01, 5.11.0-37-generic, x86_64: installed
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes, if not too technical
GpuHangFrequency: Several times a week
GpuHangReproducibility: Seems to happen randomly
GpuHangStarted: Immediately after installing this version of Ubuntu
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation UHD Graphics [8086:9bc4] (rev 05) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:097e]
   Subsystem: Dell TU117GLM [Quadro T1000 Mobile] [1028:097e]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2021-08-27 (34 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Release amd64 (20200423)
MachineType: Dell Inc. Precision 5550
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-5.11.0-37-generic root=UUID=42e96b11-9efb-45e0-ace2-85fe35b2047b ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
Title: Xorg freeze
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 08/11/2021
dmi.bios.release: 1.9
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 1.9.1
dmi.board.name: 0V6K79
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: A03
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvr1.9.1:bd08/11/2021:br1.9:svnDellInc.:pnPrecision5550:pvr:sku097E:rvnDellInc.:rn0V6K79:rvrA03:cvnDellInc.:ct10:cvr:
dmi.product.family: Precision
dmi.product.name: Precision 5550
dmi.product.sku: 097E
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.
version.compiz: compiz N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.105-3~20.04.2
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 21.0.3-0ubuntu0.3~20.04.2
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx N/A
version.nvidia-graphics-drivers: nvidia-graphics-drivers-* N/A
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.20.11-1ubuntu1~20.04.2
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev N/A
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:19.1.0-1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.99.917+git20200226-1
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.16-1

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Thanks for the bug report. Next time the problem happens, please:

1. Wait 10 seconds.

2. Reboot.

3. Run:

   journalctl -b-1 > prevboot.txt

4. Attach the resulting text file here.

5. Check for crash reports using these instructions: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Responses#Missing_a_crash_report_or_having_a_.crash_attachment

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

If it is an actual freeze rather than a crash then it might be bug 1945367.

[Baris Basturk (barisbasturk-commencis)]

Hi Daniel,

I will attach the file you requested next time it happens and will also look into the bug you mentioned.

Thanks a lot.

[Baris Basturk (barisbasturk-commencis)]

I actually had the same freeze last night and after reboot saved the journalctl logs to a file to look into it a bit myself. I think this is exactly what you wanted me to attach so here you go.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Yes that looks related, and looks like a problem in the Nvidia driver. Please still follow the instructions in comment #2 so we can confirm.

[Baris Basturk (barisbasturk-commencis)]

I had the same freeze moments ago, attached the requested file.

[Baris Basturk (barisbasturk-commencis)]

I had yet another freeze...

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Thanks but I can't see any relevant errors in those logs.

Next please follow: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Responses#Missing_a_crash_report_or_having_a_.crash_attachment

[Baris Basturk (barisbasturk-commencis)]

Hi Daniel,

https://errors.ubuntu.com/oops/b0a77a90-23bd-11ec-b3fd-fa163e6cac46
https://errors.ubuntu.com/oops/fff3b31a-2023-11ec-b459-fa163ee63de6
https://errors.ubuntu.com/oops/9d40eec4-1d63-11ec-b3e2-fa163ee63de6
https://errors.ubuntu.com/oops/ba6ac63a-1211-11ec-b21c-fa163ee63de6
https://errors.ubuntu.com/oops/f746ff84-1094-11ec-b1eb-fa163ee63de6
https://errors.ubuntu.com/oops/520722ce-0734-11ec-ae9b-fa163e6cac46

These are the error reports sent from my system. If there is anything else I can do, I'm all ears.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Unfortunately none of those crashes are related to the display.

Since all the evidence we have so far is that this is some silent graphics freeze, I would recommend trying to uninstall the Nvidia 470 driver and install 460 instead, in the 'Additional Drivers' app.

[Baris Basturk (barisbasturk-commencis)]

My previous laptop (Dell Precision 5530, Ubuntu 20.04) was using the Nouveau display drivers If I remember correctly before switching to Dell Precision 5550 and I had same sort of crashes. If this bug is really related to graphics driver, which I'm not so sure at this point to be honest, I suspect that it will also happen when I switch to 460.

I will switch to 460 just to be sure.

Thanks.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Well we have no evidence of which process or component is crashing or freezing so anything is possible at this stage.

[Baris Basturk (barisbasturk-commencis)]

It's been 3 days since I switch to nvidia drivers 460 and there have been no freeze or crash so far. I really hope that it is not a coincidence since most freeze/crash seemed to happen randomly.

If this is indeed a problem with the specific version of the nvidia driver, is there anything I can do to fix this issue?

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

You can either:

  * Stay on Nvidia-460; or

  * Wait and just test each new update of Nvidia-470.xx as it is released; or

  * Report the problem to Nvidia directly.

[Baris Basturk (barisbasturk-commencis)]

I've send and email to <email address hidden> regarding the issue. I'm also planning to stay on nvidia-460 for some time just to avoid unnecessary headache until the issue is resolved by the nvidia.

Thanks a lot, Daniel.

[Baris Basturk (barisbasturk-commencis)]

I'm still on 460 and changed nothing, yet I had another freeze today out of the blue right after booting up...

[Vincenzo Simeone (guilty-p01nt3r)]

Is this issue still present?
Did you resolve it anyhow?

The same symptoms: random freezes, sometimes I can only move the mouse and nothing else, and other times everything freezes.
In either case, nothing responds, neither the ssh nor CTRL+ALT+F2, I've to hard reset with the power button.

My current specs: (I initially had the bug with Ubuntu 21.04, then tried Arch Linux (with LTS kernel/driver and non), now I'm with Debian but didn't solve)

OS: Debian GNU/Linux 11 (bullseye) x86_64
Host: MS-7C02 1.0
Kernel: 5.10.0-18-amd64
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 (12) @ 3.600GHz
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER with driver ver. 470.141.03
Memory: 15991MiB - CMK16GX4M2B3200C16