[CLE266] Console screens unusable, strange background

Bug #448911 reported by Peter Belew
This bug report is a duplicate of:  Bug #558569: Unable start as live cd Lucid Beta 2. Edit Remove
6
This bug affects 1 person
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
xserver-xorg-video-openchrome (Ubuntu)
Invalid
Low
Unassigned

Bug Description

Binary package hint: openchrome, viafb, vt8623fb

[Update 2010-02-03: See comments starting with #6. The TTY screen background is now a magnified image derived from the X screen background, and text is unreadable. Also I'm not sure this system is using openchrome.]

When I switch to a text console with ctrl-alt-Fn, I get a background screen filled with multicolored random pixels. I am able to log in (despite not being able to see what I'm typing), and can switch back to X with alt-F7, and see the login with 'who'. I believe this system is using a Openchrome driver. This has been happening at least since the Karmic beta release. This system has a Jetway 625EMPxxx or 625EMWxxx motherboard with a VIA chipset. The graphic controller is

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8623 [Apollo CLE266] integrated CastleRock graphics (rev 03)

Ubuntu version and kernel version
DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=9.10
DISTRIB_CODENAME=karmic
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu karmic (development branch)"
Linux lightning 2.6.31-13-generic #44-Ubuntu SMP Sat Oct 10 15:27:55 UTC 2009 i686 GNU/Linux
model name : VIA Samuel 2
cpu MHz : 798.000

This is also happening on my other Karmic test system, an Averatec 3280 laptop. The behavior switching into and out of a text console is identical to what I see on this system. The laptop's graphic controller is

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. K8M800/K8N800/K8N800A [S3 UniChrome Pro] (rev 01)

For that system, see Bug #447595.

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: i386
Date: Sun Oct 11 10:44:52 2009
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
Lsusb:
 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
 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
Package: xorg 1:7.4+3ubuntu5
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-2.6.31-13-generic root=UUID=abc294df-e770-44a1-a962-8b0f3305e343 ro quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-13.44-generic
RelatedPackageVersions:
 xserver-xorg 1:7.4+3ubuntu5
 libgl1-mesa-glx 7.6.0-1ubuntu2
 libdrm2 2.4.14-1ubuntu1
 xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.9.0-1ubuntu1
 xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.12.99+git20090825.fc74e119-0ubuntu3
SourcePackage: xorg
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-13-generic i686
XorgConf: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/etc/X11/xorg.conf'
fglrx: Not loaded
system:
 distro: Ubuntu
 architecture: i686kernel: 2.6.31-13-generic

Revision history for this message
Peter Belew (peterbe) wrote :
Revision history for this message
Peter Belew (peterbe) wrote :

See also bug #436341, comment #6 regarding the similar problem on the Averatec laptop.

summary: - Console screens unusable, filled with random colors
+ [CLE266] Console screens unusable, filled with random colors
affects: xorg (Ubuntu) → xserver-xorg-video-openchrome (Ubuntu)
Bryce Harrington (bryce)
Changed in xserver-xorg-video-openchrome (Ubuntu):
status: New → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
Peter Belew (peterbe) wrote : Re: [CLE266] Console screens unusable, filled with random colors

This seems to have stopped happening on this system with the Jetway motherboard, but it is still happening on my Averatec 3280 laptop (Bug #447595).

I'm adding Xorg.0.log for this Jetway system.

Revision history for this message
Bartosz Kosiorek (gang65) wrote :

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

Then use new mode switch by adding to your xorg.conf file following lines:
   Option "modeSwitch" "new"

Attach your /var/log/Xorg.0.log file.

Changed in xserver-xorg-video-openchrome (Ubuntu):
importance: Undecided → Low
status: Confirmed → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
Peter Belew (peterbe) wrote :

This system' OS has been upgraded to Lucid ... and now uses different drivers (viafb and vt8623bf) instead of openchrome.

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8623 [Apollo CLE266] integrated CastleRock graphics (rev 03)
 Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8623 [Apollo CLE266] integrated CastleRock graphics
 Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
 Status: Cap+ 66MHz+ UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
 Latency: 32 (500ns min)
 Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 11
 Region 0: Memory at e4000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=64M]
 Region 1: Memory at e8000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16M]
 [virtual] Expansion ROM at e9000000 [disabled] [size=64K]
 Capabilities: <access denied>
 Kernel driver in use: viafb
 Kernel modules: vt8623fb, viafb

Ubuntu version and kernel version
DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=10.04
DISTRIB_CODENAME=lucid
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu lucid (development branch)"
Linux lightning 2.6.32-11-generic #15-Ubuntu SMP Tue Jan 19 18:16:27 UTC 2010 i686 GNU/Linux
model name : VIA Samuel 2
cpu MHz : 798.000

The above drivers seem to have solved problems with this particular chipset, for me at least. Switching to consoles tty displays with ctl-alt-F6 etc works fine.

I just re-checked this bug report because I have another system with the same motherboard and chipset in which I have installed Gento, and haven't been able to get Openchrome to work in that; but Gentoo doesn't have the vg8623 and viafb drivers. (This is a different VIA chipset from the one in bug #495553.)

Revision history for this message
Peter Belew (peterbe) wrote :

This bug has reappeared today, with the most recent updates to Lucid. Instead of seeing random small colored pixel blocks, I now see a magnified portion of the X screen background (or the background for the login screen), when switching to a tty with CTL-ALT-F1 ...CTL-ALT-F6. I can login and type into the screen, but no text echos onto the screen, though a large block cursor appears. I can switch back to X with ALT-F1, open a shell window, and see that I indeed was able to log in. I suspect the problem is in the frame-buffer drivers, such as viafb and vt8623fb. This is similar to some aspects of Bug #49553, on another system with a different VIA chipset.

The X display (Gnome) appears Ok.

Screen hardware:

from lspci -vvk:
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8623 [Apollo CLE266] integrated CastleRock graphics (rev 03)
 Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8623 [Apollo CLE266] integrated CastleRock graphics
 Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
 Status: Cap+ 66MHz+ UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
 Latency: 32 (500ns min)
 Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 11
 Region 0: Memory at e4000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=64M]
 Region 1: Memory at e8000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16M]
 [virtual] Expansion ROM at e9000000 [disabled] [size=64K]
 Capabilities: <access denied>
 Kernel driver in use: viafb
 Kernel modules: vt8623fb, viafb

Ubuntu version and kernel version
DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=10.04
DISTRIB_CODENAME=lucid
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu lucid (development branch)"
Linux lightning 2.6.32-12-generic #16-Ubuntu SMP Wed Jan 27 18:34:19 UTC 2010 i686 GNU/Linux
model name : VIA Samuel 2
cpu MHz : 798.000

I'm attaching Xorg.0.log

Revision history for this message
Peter Belew (peterbe) wrote :

I'm adding .xsession-errors, but don't know if it's relevant to this problem (since the problem appears from the login screen as well as from the Gnome screen).

Peter Belew (peterbe)
description: updated
summary: - [CLE266] Console screens unusable, filled with random colors
+ [CLE266] Console screens unusable, strange background
Revision history for this message
Peter Belew (peterbe) wrote :

I am enclosing xorg.conf.new as created by executing 'Xorg -configure' before starting the X server.

This shows that the openchrome driver has been selected.

Revision history for this message
Peter Belew (peterbe) wrote :

As of about an hour ago, the tty console screens now work. (See bug #495553, which also seems to have been fixed)

Changed in xserver-xorg-video-openchrome (Ubuntu):
status: Incomplete → Confirmed
status: Confirmed → Invalid
Revision history for this message
Peter Belew (peterbe) wrote : Re: [Bug 448911] Re: [CLE266] Console screens unusable, strange background

This too has regressed.

On Fri, Feb 5, 2010 at 9:43 AM, Bartosz <email address hidden> wrote:
> ** Changed in: xserver-xorg-video-openchrome (Ubuntu)
>       Status: Incomplete => Confirmed
>
> ** Changed in: xserver-xorg-video-openchrome (Ubuntu)
>       Status: Confirmed => Invalid
>
> --
> [CLE266] Console screens unusable, strange background
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/448911
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>

--
It's completely normal that you lose data on "Windows" platforms.
That's why you have a UNIX or Linux or BSD server for backups.

SMAUG: http://scruz.org/
My Web:http://littlegreenmen.armory.com/~peterbe/
UBUNTU 10.04 LTS April 2010
  https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LucidLynx

Revision history for this message
Peter Belew (peterbe) wrote :

After a system update earlier today, I found that this is definitely still happening, and, since I couldn't immediately find this bug report, I reposted it as #538893. There are additional problems when booting, and I added a screen photo in that report, showing what happens to the text console screen.

To post a comment you must log in.
This report contains Public information  
Everyone can see this information.

Other bug subscribers

Remote bug watches

Bug watches keep track of this bug in other bug trackers.