Installer fails to recognize display on Averatec 3280

[Peter Belew]

Binary package hint: xserver-xorg-video-openchrome

An attempt to install or run Intrepid 8.10 from the desktop CD fails while the system is trying to identify the display hardware.

System: Averatec 3280 laptop
Display controller: ATI Technologies Inc Rage XL rev 39 (see Xorg.0.log below)
Display: 12.1" XGA LCD

When attempting to run the desktop CD as a live CD, the installation finally seem to hang up, after some cursor flashing. I was unable to switch to a console to get information.

However, when selecting the Install choice, eventually the screen started to function, showing an Ubuntu screen background and a pointer; at this point I was able to ctrl-alt-F2 into a console, and was able to save the Xorg.0.log and xorg.conf files which had been generated. Xorg.0.log shows that the system goes into an infinite loop while trying to find a screen mode.

This is an extension and rewrite of bug 186103, which was created for Gutsy. Back then, I gave up on installing Ubuntu, since I was able to install Debian etch (4.0). Since the old bug was marked as being for xserver-xorg-video-openchrome, I have chosen that package for the new bug.

I have attached Xorg.0.log and xorg.conf files from my attempt to install Intrepid, also the same files from the Debian etch that is now installed on the system. The first attachment (here) is the Xorg.0.log file.
[lspci]
00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: VIA Technologies, Inc. K8M800 Host Bridge [1106:0204]
     Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. K8M800 Host Bridge [1106:0204]
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: VIA Technologies, Inc. K8M800/K8N800/K8N800A [S3 UniChrome Pro] [1106:3108] (rev 01) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
     Subsystem: TWINHEAD INTERNATIONAL Corp Device [14ff:0315]

[Peter Belew (peterbe)]

This is the generic xorg.conf file generated during the installation attempt. Nothing exciting here!

[Peter Belew (peterbe)]

This is the Debian etch Xorg.0.log file, from the system actually running on this Averatec laptop.

[Peter Belew (peterbe)]

This is the Debian etch xorg.conf file, from the system actually running on this Averatec laptop.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

[This is an automated message]

Hi peterbe,

Please attach the output of `lspci -vvnn` too.

[Peter Belew (peterbe)]

output of "lspci -vvnn"

system is now running Debian 5.0.

[Peter Belew (peterbe)]

The previous run of lspci was done in user mode - Here I re-did that as root, providing a bit more information about the video controller, for example.

[Peter Belew (peterbe)]

I was finally able to boot the live CD, by booting in text mode with the display selection set to vesa.

Then I had to run startx to start the vesa X server.

After that it is possible to click on the install icon and install.

after rebooting, there were some difficulties getting the X server to start. I changed the link to gdm in /etc/rc3.d to keep X from starting immediately, then updated the system over the internet. After that, I was able to start the X server with startx, logged in either as root or as a user.

There are still some problems shutting the system down - the screen flashes in a multicolor pattern, and it seems the system has to be shut down with the power switch.

I'll provide more details later on.

[Aeb1barfo (aeb1barfo)]

I had to back off the UniChrome driver and use the via driver on an Averatec 3280 ( 3270-EH1 ).

The UniChrome driver was unstable; it would frequently blank display windows and you had to use the mouse to redraw then.

I have installed the via drivers in it's place. They appear to function normally.

I had to modify the xorg.conf to get the system to start; that is listed under another bug.

[Peter Belew (peterbe)]

I tried to get the UniChrome driver to work on my Averatec 3280
yesterday; the end result was a grey screen with pieces of the round
"waiting" cursor stuck at edges of the screen...

On Sun, Jan 25, 2009 at 8:28 PM, Aeb1barfo <email address hidden> wrote:
> I had to back off the UniChrome driver and use the via driver on an
> Averatec 3280 ( 3270-EH1 ).
>
> The UniChrome driver was unstable; it would frequently blank display
> windows and you had to use the mouse to redraw then.
>
> I have installed the via drivers in it's place. They appear to function
> normally.
>
> I had to modify the xorg.conf to get the system to start; that is listed
> under another bug.
>
> --
> Installer fails to recognize display on Averatec 3280
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/296142
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>

[Aeb1barfo (aeb1barfo)]

I booted up the Averatec 3280 this morning; I have had no problems with it  using the via driver.

-Art

" Those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it " - Santayana

I hold to the FATALIST PORCINE philosophy of life:

 " I PINK, therefore I HAM "

--- On Mon, 1/26/09, Peter Belew <email address hidden> wrote:
From: Peter Belew <email address hidden>
Subject: Re: [Bug 296142] Re: Installer fails to recognize display on Averatec 3280
To: <email address hidden>
Date: Monday, January 26, 2009, 7:19 AM

I tried to get the UniChrome driver to work on my Averatec 3280
yesterday; the end result was a grey screen with pieces of the round
"waiting" cursor stuck at edges of the screen...

On Sun, Jan 25, 2009 at 8:28 PM, Aeb1barfo <email address hidden> wrote:
> I had to back off the UniChrome driver and use the via driver on an
> Averatec 3280 ( 3270-EH1 ).
>
> The UniChrome driver was unstable; it would frequently blank display
> windows and you had to use the mouse to redraw then.
>
> I have installed the via drivers in it's place. They appear to
function
> normally.
>
> I had to modify the xorg.conf to get the system to start; that is listed
> under another bug.
>
> --
> Installer fails to recognize display on Averatec 3280
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/296142
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>

--
Installer fails to recognize display on Averatec 3280
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/296142
You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
of the bug.

[Peter Belew (peterbe)]

Aeb1barfo - could you post your /etc/X11/xorg.conf file and the
version of the xserver-xorg-video-openchrome driver you have installed
(you can find the version by using Synaptic Package Manager, for
example). That's the driver that supports via.

On Mon, Jan 26, 2009 at 11:26 AM, Aeb1barfo <email address hidden> wrote:
> I booted up the Averatec 3280 this morning; I have had no problems with
> it using the via driver.
>
> -Art
>
> " Those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it " -
> Santayana
>
>
> I hold to the FATALIST PORCINE philosophy of life:
>
>
> " I PINK, therefore I HAM "
>
> --- On Mon, 1/26/09, Peter Belew <email address hidden> wrote:
> From: Peter Belew <email address hidden>
> Subject: Re: [Bug 296142] Re: Installer fails to recognize display on Averatec 3280
> To: <email address hidden>
> Date: Monday, January 26, 2009, 7:19 AM
>
> I tried to get the UniChrome driver to work on my Averatec 3280
> yesterday; the end result was a grey screen with pieces of the round
> "waiting" cursor stuck at edges of the screen...
>
> On Sun, Jan 25, 2009 at 8:28 PM, Aeb1barfo <email address hidden> wrote:
>> I had to back off the UniChrome driver and use the via driver on an
>> Averatec 3280 ( 3270-EH1 ).
>>
>> The UniChrome driver was unstable; it would frequently blank display
>> windows and you had to use the mouse to redraw then.
>>
>> I have installed the via drivers in it's place. They appear to
> function
>> normally.
>>
>> I had to modify the xorg.conf to get the system to start; that is listed
>> under another bug.
>>
>> --
>> Installer fails to recognize display on Averatec 3280
>> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/296142
>> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
>> of the bug.
>>
>
> --
> Installer fails to recognize display on Averatec 3280
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/296142
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>
> --
> Installer fails to recognize display on Averatec 3280
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/296142
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>

[Peter Belew (peterbe)]

To add to information I've posted above:

My Averatec 3280 laptop is now a dual-boot system - my primary OS is Debian:

Linux xxxx 2.6.26-1-486 #1 Sat Jan 10 17:46:23 UTC 2009 i686 GNU/Linux
Debian GNU/Linux 5.0

xserver-xorg-video-openchrome 1:0.2.902+svn5 X.Org X server -- VIA display driver

I'm attaching the xorg.conf file from Debian. This file specifies the selection of screen modes.

The other OS is 8.10 Ubuntu, set up to start in text mode

- Peter

[Peter Belew (peterbe)]

 Bug #186103 gives some information on the original xorg.conf file from an earier attempt to run Ubuntu on this system. I didn't provide an Xorg.0.log file then.

[Peter Belew (peterbe)]

My current installation on this Averatec 3200 is the second Linux on the system. I have set it up to boot in text mode (by renaming the gdm symlink in /etc/rc2.d from S30gdm to K30gdm. Then I type 'startx' to start the X server.

I am still having problems getting the right driver for VIA to work, so I still am using the vesa driver.

Here is my xorg.conf file. I'll follow this with the Xorg.0.log file resulting from running in this mode.

[Peter Belew (peterbe)]

Here is the /var/log/Xorg.0.log file from using the vesa driver, started with 'startx', see the xorg.conf file in the previous comment.

[Peter Belew (peterbe)]

Here's another experiment: I booted the jaunty alpha-3 CD in text mode, then mounted a disk volume and created a directory to save the resulting xorg.conf and the soon-to-be generated /var/log/Xorg.0.log file in. I opened a second console (ctl-alt-F2) and changed to the new directory in both consoles, logged in as root. I ran the following commands in the 2nd console

  sleep 60; cp /var/log/Xorg.0.log . ; sync

then immediately switched to the first console and executed "startx".

after a while, the screen turned all gray, with a tiny round 'wait' cursor appearing near the top of the screen (rotating as normal for such a cursor). After several minutes, there was no further change to the screen, so I shut the system down with the power button.

After restarting the system into one of the working Linux versions on the system, I found a generic xorg.conf file (which I manually saved on the hard disk before I did the above steps) and the Xorg.0.log file which was saved after the startx command.

The xorg.conf file contains the following "Device" section

Section "Device"
 Identifier "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

and I am attaching the log file.

[Aeb1barfo (aeb1barfo)]

Here are the xorg files that have worked for me.

xorg.#1 is the INITIAL file that got me into the Averatec 3280; it is a modified version of the generic xorg file.

xorg.#2 is the file that I am running now with no problems. It is the output from the KDE 3 video hardware setup.

" Those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it " - Santayana

I hold to the FATALIST PORCINE philosophy of life:

 " I PINK, therefore I HAM "

--- On Tue, 1/27/09, Peter Belew <email address hidden> wrote:
From: Peter Belew <email address hidden>
Subject: [Bug 296142] Re: Installer fails to recognize display on Averatec 3280
To: <email address hidden>
Date: Tuesday, January 27, 2009, 1:36 AM

Here's another experiment: I booted the jaunty alpha-3 CD in text mode,
then mounted a disk volume and created a directory to save the resulting
xorg.conf and the soon-to-be generated /var/log/Xorg.0.log file in. I
opened a second console (ctl-alt-F2) and changed to the new directory in
both consoles, logged in as root. I ran the following commands in the
2nd console

  sleep 60; cp /var/log/Xorg.0.log . ; sync

then immediately switched to the first console and executed "startx".

after a while, the screen turned all gray, with a tiny round 'wait'
cursor appearing near the top of the screen (rotating as normal for such
a cursor). After several minutes, there was no further change to the
screen, so I shut the system down with the power button.

After restarting the system into one of the working Linux versions on
the system, I found a generic xorg.conf file (which I manually saved on
the hard disk before I did the above steps) and the Xorg.0.log file
which was saved after the startx command.

The xorg.conf file contains the following "Device" section

Section "Device"
 Identifier "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

and I am attaching the log file.

** Attachment added: "Xorg.0.log from starting X from text mode, jaunty
alpha-3"
   http://launchpadlibrarian.net/21672337/Xorg.0.log

--
Installer fails to recognize display on Averatec 3280
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/296142
You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
of the bug.

[j.eason (jane-easonmail)]

I also have an averatec 3280 that had this problem when installing intrepid. I installed it anyway from the desktop cd in safe graphics mode.

After reading <a href="https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xserver-xorg-video-openchrome/+bug/299631">bug #299631</a>, I compiled openchrome from svn as described <a href="https://help.ubuntu.com/community/OpenChrome">here</a> and that solved the X freeze (at least so far). I can also shut down without the screen flashing etc.

[Peter Belew (peterbe)]

I followed those instructions on my Averatec 3280, and it seems to
work now (I am still booting into text mode and using 'startx' to
start the X server. The only problem I have now is that X starts in a
very high res screen mode that doesn't work properly on this system -
the screen contents are magnified past the edges of the screen. Also
when I selected 1024x768, the refresh rate shows as 0 (but it works
ok, apparently. So I edited xorg.conf to specify the monitor
characteristics more closely - I've attached that.

On Sun, Feb 8, 2009 at 11:00 AM, j.eason <email address hidden> wrote:
> I also have an averatec 3280 that had this problem when installing
> intrepid. I installed it anyway from the desktop cd in safe graphics
> mode.
>
> After reading <a href="https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source
> /xserver-xorg-video-openchrome/+bug/299631">bug #299631</a>, I compiled
> openchrome from svn as described <a
> href="https://help.ubuntu.com/community/OpenChrome">here</a> and that
> solved the X freeze (at least so far). I can also shut down without the
> screen flashing etc.
>
> --
> Installer fails to recognize display on Averatec 3280
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/296142
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>

[Peter Belew (peterbe)]

Here is the xorg.conf file again

[Peter Belew (peterbe)]

After restoring the normal S30gdm symlink in /etc/rc2.d, I find that Ubuntu now boots normally into a 1024x768 screen.

Thanks to j.eason for pointing out the instructions for building the openchrome driver!

[Peter Belew (peterbe)]

Also the newly-built driver solves the problem of the screen flashing in multiple colors when the X server shuts down. This is the first time this has stopped with either Ubuntu or Debian on this laptop!

[Peter Belew (peterbe)]

This also works in Debian 5.0 (lenny) on the same laptop (dual boot into either Linux) - I recompiled the driver in that system too.

An essential thing here is that the system properly recognized the video controller and that reasonable screen modes are set up in xorg.conf. Here, I did that manually.

[Peter Belew (peterbe)]

I have just tried booting the Ubuntu 9.04 Beta CD (as a live CD) on this Averatec 3280 laptop. There is a significant improvement in the situation, but it is not quite perfect. What happens is that a large range of resolutions, above and below the optimum resolution of 1024x768 for the LCD display on this laptop. Initially the largest resolution is displayed, which has a problem: the display only shows the 1024x768 upper-left corner of this virtual display. Under Gnome, this is not a disaster, since the screen resolution can be set to 1024x768 from the System menu.

However this would be a serious problem under distros using KDE, such as Kubuntu or Knoppix, since the panel is at the bottom of the screen, and would disappear. I have experienced that problem with the latest Knoppix, in fact.

Also, I have not checked to see if something can be done about this at boot time, or when actually installing. And I have not yet checked to see what I can do by editing xorg.conf, for 9.04 Beta.

Incidentally, there are some other displays which I've reported similar bugs about, which show up with a maximum 600x800 resolution - erring the other way - on a 1024x768 display.

[Peter Belew (peterbe)]

Note that the 1024x768 resolution setting shows as having a 0 Hz refresh rate.

I've attached the Xorg.0.log as it was before I changed the screen resolution.

[Peter Belew (peterbe)]

Here is the Xorg.0.log after the screen resolution was changed from 1600x1200 to 1024x768.

Note that the driver actually changes the refresh rate to 60 Hz, according to the log.

[Peter Belew (peterbe)]

Adding display-resolution parameters to xorg.conf allows one to select resolution from a specified list. In this case, I have specified 1024x768, 800x600,and 640x480.

There is still an anomaly - 720x576 and 720x480 show up - both showing 0 Hz.

I've attached the new xorg.conf.

[Peter Belew (peterbe)]

On trying to run Ubuntu 9.04, Xubuntu 9.04, and Kubuntu 9.04, Beta and RC versions from live CDs, I have these observations: The initial screen resolution is something like 1600 x 1200, but the display only shows the top left 1024x768 portion of this. This is barely acceptable in Ubuntu and Xubuntu, since the user can access the screen-resolution menu, but it's a near-disaster for Kubuntu, since the KDE menus are on the bottom of the virtual screen, out of sight, with this Averatec laptop's screen.

For those familiar with KDE, there is a GUI workaround: right-click on the screen, use the menu that pops up to create a panel at the top of the screen, right-click on that to add the KDE 'gear' start menu to that panel, then use THAT to get to the configuration dialog for setting screen resolution.

I think that a better solution would be to start with the same range of resolutions, possibly, but to set the initial resolution to a 'safe' 800x600, and let the user choose an appropriate resolution.

Another would be to have a list of initial resolutions available in the startup command line, as I've seen in at least one Ubuntu-derived distro. But I think this is best defered to the GUI.

At any rate, the current situation is not acceptible for Kubuntu, at least.

[Bartosz Kosiorek (gang65)]

This is some information taken from your Xorg.log:

[ 2.408227] (WW) CHROME(0): Panel on K8M800, PM800 and VM800 is currently not supported.
[ 2.408234] (WW) CHROME(0): Using VBE to set modes to work around this.

[Bartosz Kosiorek (gang65)]

Please apply this patch to the latest openchrome driver according to:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/OpenChrome

Is it works for you?
Please attach Xorg.0.log file.

[Bartosz Kosiorek (gang65)]

What is your native panel resolution?