No video on VTs

Bug #42974 reported by Richard Laager
6
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
linux-restricted-modules-2.6.15 (Ubuntu)
New
Medium
Unassigned

Bug Description

Binary package hint: nvidia-glx

With the nvidia-glx drivers loaded, I don't see any video on my virtual terminals (consoles). I noticed that if gdm fails to start (an unrelated configuration error on my part), there is output on the terminal. There is also output during booting if for example, it has to run a fsck. Either way, once X starts, there is no longer any video displayed from the terminal. X works fine.

Someone in #ubuntu-laptop suggested that I try NvAGP. I enabled it in xorg.conf, blacklisted agpgart and intel_agp in /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist, and rebooted. agpgart was still loaded, as it's a dependency of the nvidia module. Perhaps I missed something and so NvAGP still wasn't working?

/proc/driver/nvidia/cards/0 indicates I have a GeForce Go 7400 on IRC 169 with a Video BIOS version of 05.72.22.31.04. My system is an HP dv8000 with an Intel Core Duo processor.

Revision history for this message
kko (kko) wrote :

There are numerous reports on seemingly identical issues, all related to the framebuffer VTs / consoles not working when X is run. This occurs with varying hardware (and varying kernel versions), so the issue may be wider than previously suspected, and possibly related to something that these occurrences have in common.

However, even as these reports have much in common, I am hesitant to mark any as duplicates, since the hardware varies (e.g. four different graphics cards), and because the cause may or may not be the same.

As I summarised these reports, I find it beneficial to attach the summary to each report. Apologies to recipients of Ubuntu Bugs & Ubuntu X SWAT for having to receive multiple copies of the same.

A brief summary follows:

Four reports, with the common behaviour that the framebuffer consoles stop working _as soon as X starts_:
- Bug 21416 - reported by felix.rommel. Acer Aspire 1350 with a Via KN400 Unichrome graphics card.
- Bug 29407 - unsure if original report is related or caused by a different issue, but all comments are related. Comments by Ignacio Lago Fontán, Compaq Evo N600c, ATI Radeon Mobility M6 LY; also by Thilo Six.
- Bug 40297 - reported by kko. Matrox G450 graphics card.
- Bug 42974 - reported by Richard Laager. HP dv800 with a GeForce Go 7400 graphics card.

A fifth report, with identical behaviour (fb stops working with X running), but only after hibernate + resume):
- Bug 36904 - reported by kamome with "dapper flight5 on a via mII12000".

A further report that may or may not be related, but lacks details (i.e. does the fb not work at all, or only stop working after X has been started? what equipment?):
- Bug 42168 - reported by vertiger.

Revision history for this message
AJ Slater (aj-slater) wrote :

I get this on the ATI on my MacBookPro 15 as well.

It may have something to do with usplash:

<a href="https://launchpad.net/ bug/63558">Bug 63358</a> - usplash corrupts VTs

Revision history for this message
Tormod Volden (tormodvolden) wrote :

Aj, your link was corrupted: https://launchpad.net/bugs/63558

Revision history for this message
doclist (dclist) wrote :

I also have no video on my virtual consoles.

GeForce Go 6800 Ultra, Dapper with 2.6.15-27-386 Kernel
Nvidia glx drivers.
17in widescreen.
XPS Gen 2 Laptop (Similar to Insprion 9200)

This can be pretty frustrating for me when X locks up, because without a virtual console I need to reboot.

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