Support for console rotation with fbcon in linux-image is erroneously disabled

[ajonat]

Binary package hint: linux-image

Hi!
I would like to suggest the inclusion of console rotation with fbcon in the linux-image-2.6.24 package.
The kernel option is CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE_ROTATION. It has _no_ effect on the system unless it is explicity turned on as a boot option or with "echo 1 > /sys/class/graphics/fbcon/rotate_all".

Pros:
* console rotation support with fbcon

Cons:
* none

Thank you!
Alex.

[Leann Ogasawara (leannogasawara)]

[This is an automated message. Apologies if it has reached you inappropriately.]

This bug was reported against the linux-meta package when it likely should have been reported against the linux package instead. We are automatically transitioning this to the linux kernel package so that the appropriate teams are notified and made aware of this issue. Thanks.

[Leann Ogasawara (leannogasawara)]

Still looks to be disabled for Karmic:

ogasawara@yoji:~/ubuntu-karmic/debian/config$ grep -rn "CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE_ROTATION" *
amd64/config:973:# CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE_ROTATION is not set
armel/config:355:# CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE_ROTATION is not set
i386/config:1023:# CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE_ROTATION is not set
lpia/config:930:# CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE_ROTATION is not set

[ajonat (ajonat)]

Thank you for your comments Leann.
The option is disabled in all linux-image packages available for any release of ubuntu.
As the option is harmless unless it is explicitly enabled, I think it is a safe change in the default config and I would appreciate it very much (I use a dell monitor in portrait mode, so the console rotation is really helpful for me).
Thank you for your time,
Alex.

[Bryan Wu (cooloney)]

I will keep eyes on this. And I will discuss with other kernel developers about this. It is OK for me, IMO.

-Bryan

[Bryan Wu (cooloney)]

@ajonat, i built the jaunty kernel for you testing. Please downloading the from this URL:
http://people.ubuntu.com/~roc/lp239479/ and let's us know your test result.

But according to the SRU policy of Jaunty kernel, we are not going to enable this option in Jaunty, probably for Karmic kernel. And I noticed that this option is only useful for framebuffer console not for X or other GUI, right. So it is not very common option for common users.

Thanks,
-Bryan

[Bryan Wu (cooloney)]

@ajonat, there is no updates for 1 month. I will close this, so I think we will not add enable this config in the future.

Thanks
-Bryan

[H.-Dirk Schmitt (dirk-computer42)]

Please consider to add this feature.
I have here a workstation for document processing with rotated displays.
The connected HP Monitors couldn't be easily rotated.

If something went wrong and X11 isn't fired up, it is hard for my neck to rotate 90°.
It would be much nicer to rotate the console by software.

[Václav Šmilauer (eudoxos)]

I re-open this since I bumped into the same problem with Oneiric kernel. Please enable this option in official builds, people with rotated screen, who also know how to give the appropriate option to grub, will appreciate it.

[Matthias Czapla (dermatsch)]

One reason we use Ubuntu is because it works on almost any hardware out-of-the-box, as well as it's excellent package and updates management facilities. I hate having to compile and support a custom kernel package just for this single feature. Please consider enabling frame buffer console rotation, if it indeed has no negative impact on anyone else.

Kind Regards
Matthias Czapla

[buhtz (buhtz)]

I really need this, too.
I can not see any argument against this enabling this option.

[H.-Dirk Schmitt (dirk-computer42)]

Current status for precise: Bug still in default and quantal-backport kernel.

From the fbcon documentation:

. fbcon=rotate:<n>

        This option changes the orientation angle of the console display. The
        value 'n' accepts the following:

              0 - normal orientation (0 degree)
              1 - clockwise orientation (90 degrees)
              2 - upside down orientation (180 degrees)
              3 - counterclockwise orientation (270 degrees)

        The angle can be changed anytime afterwards by 'echoing' the same
        numbers to any one of the 2 attributes found in
         /sys/class/graphics/fbcon

                rotate - rotate the display of the active console
                rotate_all - rotate the display of all consoles

        Console rotation will only become available if Console Rotation
        Support is compiled in your kernel.

        NOTE: This is purely console rotation. Any other applications that
        use the framebuffer will remain at their 'normal'orientation.
        Actually, the underlying fb driver is totally ignorant of console
        rotation.

[21M (21m-deactivatedaccount)]

I too have a rotated display and therefore could use rotated terminals as well. Please enable the kernel option for this in the next release. Thanks in advance!

(Using Ubuntu 12.10 64-bit.)

[buhtz (buhtz)]

What is about the current state of this bug?

Is there a plan to activate it in 13.x?

[HerbCSO (herb-earthling)]

I too am running a vertical-orientation LCD and would love to see this enabled by default. I guess in the meantime I'll have to recompile my kernel. Ain't open source grand!? ;]

[Cory F. Cohen (cfcohen)]

I would also like to see this feature enabled. It seems that there is no harm for the people who do not need it, while those with physically rotated monitors find it extremely uncomfortable to trouble shoot kernel boot failures with their head turned 90 degrees the entire time. Why wouldn't this kernel option be turned on by default?

[H.-Dirk Schmitt (dirk-computer42)]

Just tested agains raring backport kernel to precise:

 echo 3 > /sys/class/graphics/fbcon/rotate_all

No effect - still missing in raring.

---
Ubuntu Bug Squad volunteer triager
http://wiki.ubuntu.com/BugSquad

[H.-Dirk Schmitt (dirk-computer42)]

seems to be still in saucy

[jl451 (jl451)]

yes, actual in saucy (netinstall)

[Dylan Justice (dsjstc)]

Still exists in 13.10, 3.11.0-15-generic.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package linux - 3.13.0-6.23

---------------
linux (3.13.0-6.23) trusty; urgency=low

  [ Andy Whitcroft ]

  * [Config] fix up architecture for linux-tools

linux (3.13.0-6.22) trusty; urgency=low

  [ Andy Whitcroft ]

  * [Packaging] limit linux-udebs-<flavour> to matching arch
  * [Config] powerpc -- disable perf to fix FTBFS
  * [Config] ppc64el -- fix up missing udebs

linux (3.13.0-6.21) trusty; urgency=low

  [ Andy Fleming ]

  * SAUCE: net: Add support for handling queueing in hardware
  * SAUCE: of_mdio: Add of_phy_attach function
  * SAUCE: phylib: Add generic 10G driver
  * SAUCE: phylib: Support attaching to gen10g_driver
  * SAUCE: phylib: Add Clause 45 read/write functions

  [ Andy Whitcroft ]

  * SAUCE: fix fmd headers
  * [Packaging] lowlatency -- merge out of tree flavours
  * SAUCE: allow IRQs to be irq-threaded by default via config
  * [Config]: enable CONFIG_IRQ_FORCED_THREADING_DEFAULT for lowlatency
  * [Config] powerpc -- fix up Build-depends:
  * Release Tracking Bug
    - LP: #1273747

  [ Ben Collins ]

  * SAUCE: PPC: PCI: Fix pcibios_io_space_offset() so it works for 32-bit
    ptr/64-bit rsrcs
  * SAUCE: Revert "phy: vitesse make vsc824x_add_skew static"
  * SAUCE: Fixup freescale usb phy driver to work on ppc64
  * SAUCE: xgmac_mdio: Silence read errors
  * SAUCE: Provide booke stub for kvmppc_is_bigendian()
  * SAUCE: Fix stack overflow on ppc32
  * SAUCE: Use resource_size_t instead of long for PCI resource address
  * SAUCE: net/phy: Export function for use by dpaa_eth
  * [Packaging] powerpc -- merge out of tree powerpc arch

  [ Bjorn Helgaas ]

  * SAUCE: Revert "EISA: Log device resources in dmesg"
    - LP: #1251816
  * SAUCE: Revert "EISA: Initialize device before its resources"
    - LP: #1251816

  [ Emil Medve ]

  * SAUCE: phylib: Minimum hack to get the generic 10G PHY driver to work
    with 10G "fixed-link"s

  [ Kumar Gala ]

  * SAUCE: fsl_qbman: Add drivers for Freescale DPAA Qman & Bman
  * SAUCE: fsl_pme2: Add support for DPAA PME
  * SAUCE: fmd: FMD14 integration
  * SAUCE: dpaa_eth: Ethernet driver for Freescale QorIQ DPA Architecture
  * SAUCE: powerpc/85xx: Add DPAA/networking support for CoreNet

  [ Madalin Bucur ]

  * SAUCE: net/flow: remove sleeping and deferral mechanism from
    flow_cache_flush
  * SAUCE: net/phy: abort genphy_read_status when link changes during speed
    and duplex reading

  [ Stefan Bader ]

  * [Config] move some VMWare related modules into main package
    - LP: #1271669

  [ Tim Gardner ]

  * [Config] Add r815x to nic-modules
    - LP: #1273735
  * [Config] CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE_ROTATION=y
    - LP: #239479

  [ Upstream Kernel Changes ]

  * mmc: sdhci-pci: break out definitions to header file
    - LP: #1239938
  * mmc: sdhci-pci: add support of O2Micro/BayHubTech SD hosts
    - LP: #1239938
  * powerpc/book3e: rename interrupt_end_book3e with __end_interrupts
  * powerpc/book3e: support CONFIG_RELOCATABLE
  * book3e/kexec/kdump: enable kexec for kernel
  * book3e/kexec/kdump: create a 1:1 TLB mapping
  * book3e/kexec/kdump: introduce a kexec kernel flag
  * book3e/kexec/kdump: implement ppc64 kexec specfic
  * book3e/...

[Matthias Czapla (dermatsch)]

Woohoo! Thanks! :)

[H.-Dirk Schmitt (dirk-computer42)]

May this be fix be also applied to precise and saucy ?

[H.-Dirk Schmitt (dirk-computer42)]

Just a hint - the console rotation works only for me if I remove the proprietary nvidia drivers and use nouveau instead.