[KM400]black screen after logout

[Robert Moerland]

Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 8.10
Release: 8.10
Codename: intrepid
Linux wuppie 2.6.27-9-generic #1 SMP Thu Nov 20 21:57:00 UTC 2008 i686 GNU/Linux

I've experienced a couple of times that after I've logged out of a graphical session and am supposed to see the gdm login screen, I only get a black screen with even the backlight of my lcd switched off. The machine is not dead as I could switch to a TTY and log in there. I assumed that something was wrong with gdm so I tried 'sudo killall gdm' and 'sudo /etc/init.d/gdm start', but that again led to a black screen. In the kern.log files there's something about 'putting AGP V2 device into 0x mode' for every time I tried to restart gdm. Only after rebooting I could get to see the gdm login screen again.

Additionally, I've occasionally had a black screen after a resume as well, but then the machine was completely dead and I needed to reset it. Nevertheless, I do believe it is the same bug. I am using the open source openchrome driver. Hardware is an Acer 1352XC laptop with Athlon MP 2200+ processor.

Though this bug happens 1 out of 5 times, I cannot see a pattern. Only thing I'm sure of is that the black screen has always occured after the laptop has (either successfully or not) resumed from suspend mode.

Thanks,
Robert

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: i386
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 8.10
LsUsb:
 Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
 Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
 Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
 Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Package: linux-image-2.6.27-9-generic 2.6.27-9.19
ProcCmdLine: root=UUID=0be270a0-14a2-49d0-ad75-8db20bca2efa ro splash
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/games
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.27-9.19-generic
SourcePackage: linux

[Robert Moerland (veel-mail)]

Some additional log files right after getting the black screen

[Bartosz Kosiorek (gang65)]

Hi.
Please check if this error exist also in Ubuntu Jaunty

[Robert Moerland (veel-mail)]

Hi,

At the moment I'd say that the first symptom (no gdm login screen after logout) seems to have been solved, but I only recently upgraded to jaunty. I still do have the issue of a dead machine with a black screen every now and then, but I'm currently less convinced that it's the same bug. Apparently suspend/resume is a miracle if it works anyway :) The version of the openchrome driver I have is 1:0.2.903+svn741-1.

Thanks!

[Robert Moerland (veel-mail)]

Well, I unfortunately spoke too soon. After writing the previous comment, I thought: 'Let's try one more time.' I logged of from my desktop session and got just a black screen again. Machine was still running, as TTY were available, but I had to reboot to get a gdm login screen.

So, yes, this issue still exists in jaunty.
Sorry.

[Bartosz Kosiorek (gang65)]

Hi.
Check if this error also exist with vesa driver.

Next please build/install the latest openchrome driver and enable debug mode.
The detail build instruction for Ubuntu/Debian is available at:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/OpenChrome

Please attach your /var/log/Xorg.0.log file.
If you can from after reproducing this issue (or /var/log/Xorg.log.old).

[Robert Moerland (veel-mail)]

I've tried getting the VESA driver to work with my laptop, but I only get an error message from X stating: "Screen(s) found, but none have a usable configuration." The symptoms are the same as those reported in bug #258764. I did not find a workaround.

Then, I downloaded svn version 774 of the openchrome source code and performed the build/install cycle. I immediately got a working desktop back. I logged out and was able to log in with gdm again. Subsequently I removed all Xorg.0.log files, suspended the laptop and resumed it after a few seconds. This went just fine, I had a fully working desktop. Then I logged out of my desktop session and the screen remained black. Through a TTY i tried to start X directly which showed that X was already running for display 0. The resulting Xorg.0.log file that was created after logging out is attached.

I'd be happy to do more testing if necessary.

[Bartosz Kosiorek (gang65)]

Please attach your /etc/X11/xorg.conf file

[Robert Moerland (veel-mail)]

Here you go :)

[Bartosz Kosiorek (gang65)]

I think this bug exist because the TV is enabled.
Try disable TV and try again.

Here is very old patch, which should help with TV problem:
http://www.openchrome.org/trac/attachment/ticket/141/OpenChrome_VT1625_a.patch

It need update (it was created for revision 748, now we have revision 775).
You can try to update this patch, apply and check if it works for you.

[Robert Moerland (veel-mail)]

Er, do I need to update the patch first before I can try and disable the TV output? Or is there an option I can put in the xorg.conf file to do this? I found the "ActiveDevice" option, but it seems to be used only for enabling certain hardware. Any help on this is appreciated.

[Robert Moerland (veel-mail)]

Dear people, I'd love to continue to help, but to do that I need an answer on my question above (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/313701/comments/13)

Thanks,
Robert

[Bartosz Kosiorek (gang65)]

Hello Robert.
What type of the monitor do you have?
Is it CRT connected to VGA port or panel?

Try to check if this option works for you?

Option "ActiveDevice" "CRT"

[Robert Moerland (veel-mail)]

Well, the chipset is in my laptop and connected to the built-in LCD. No external screens are attached. Should I try the above anyway?

[Robert Moerland (veel-mail)]

I've checked the BIOS of the machine I'm experiencing difficulties with, it has an option for 'Display', which I can set to 'auto' or 'both'. I *think* this has to do with the possible external display. However, no external display is connected.

[Robert Moerland (veel-mail)]

Here's a status update on this issue with karmic koala: in the meanwhile, I've upgraded the machine to karmic alpha 6 + latest updates, and I've installed a self-built openchrome driver. The driver's version is 0.2.903+svn798. The issue still arises in karmic in combination with this revision of the openchrome driver.

Cheers,
Robert

[Bartosz Kosiorek (gang65)]

Please build/install the latest openchrome driver and enable debug mode.
The detail build instruction for Ubuntu/Debian is available at:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/OpenChrome

Attach your /var/log/Xorg.0.log file.
If you can from after reproducing this issue (or /var/log/Xorg.0.log.old).

Add "Option ModeSwitchMethod new" to xorg.conf and check if it works correctly.

[Robert Moerland (veel-mail)]

Ok, short answer: yes and no.

Full story:

I've updated my copy of the openchrome source to svn revision 817. I ran './configure --enable-debug --prefix=/usr' and then proceeded with make. I uninstalled the xserver-xorg-video-openchrome package and installed the self-built openchrome driver with checkinstall. Then the machine was rebooted.

Things that worked before still worked, so I could log in to my desktop with GDM. I suspended the machine, resumed it and logged out. I got the, to me, familiar black screen instead of the GDM login screen. The corresponding Xorg.0.log file is attached as Xorg.0.log.before.

Then it hit me that I did not, as requested, put in the Option "ModeSwitch" "new" in the xorg.conf file. I went to a console and logged in, added the necessary Option line to the Device section and did a 'sudo restart gdm'. Amazingly, life got back into my dead login screen: the backlight turned on and I could see, well, colors. I've attached a picture I took with my camera of the screen so show what I mean (gdm_restart.jpg). The corresponding log file is attached as Xorg.0.log.after. So, this Option does make a big difference. Unfortunately the display is unreadable.

I then rebooted the machine to report on this issue here, but unfortunately I could log in at all anymore, since the login screen was garbled and mostly black. I made a picture of this as well (gdm_boot.jpg). I couldn't even get to a console anymore, and had to reboot in single mode to comment out the Option "ModeSwitch" "new" line in xorg.conf. After a reboot, everything is back to the way they were.

Thank you for your continuing effort!

Robert