Ubuntu
xserver-xorg-video-openchrome package

[CLE266] Console screens unusable, strange background

Bug #448911 reported by Peter Belew on 2009-10-11

This bug report is a duplicate of: Bug #558569: Unable start as live cd Lucid Beta 2. Edit Remove

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

See original description

Tags:

Revision history for this message

Peter Belew (peterbe) wrote on 2009-10-11:

BootDmesg.txt Edit (26.0 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
CurrentDmesg.txt Edit (2.9 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
Dependencies.txt Edit (4.9 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
Lspci.txt Edit (6.7 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
PciDisplay.txt Edit (755 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
ProcCpuinfo.txt Edit (359 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
ProcInterrupts.txt Edit (842 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
ProcModules.txt Edit (1.9 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
UdevDb.txt Edit (69.3 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
UdevLog.txt Edit (144.8 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
XorgLog.txt Edit (73.1 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
XorgLogOld.txt Edit (57.3 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
Xrandr.txt Edit (4.7 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
XsessionErrors.txt Edit (676 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
glxinfo.txt Edit (6.6 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
setxkbmap.txt Edit (233 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
xdpyinfo.txt Edit (7.8 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
xkbcomp.txt Edit (44.0 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")

Revision history for this message

Peter Belew (peterbe) wrote on 2009-10-11:

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

Bartosz Kosiorek (gang65) on 2009-10-12

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) on 2009-10-12

Changed in xserver-xorg-video-openchrome (Ubuntu):
status:	New → Confirmed

Revision history for this message

Peter Belew (peterbe) wrote on 2009-10-14: Re: [CLE266] Console screens unusable, filled with random colors

/var/log/Xorg.0.log on 14 Oct 2009 Edit (69.0 KiB, text/plain)

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 on 2009-12-10:

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.

Bartosz Kosiorek (gang65) on 2009-12-23

Changed in xserver-xorg-video-openchrome (Ubuntu):
importance:	Undecided → Low
status:	Confirmed → Incomplete

Revision history for this message

Peter Belew (peterbe) wrote on 2010-01-25:

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 on 2010-02-03:

Xorg.0.log Edit (65.8 KiB, text/plain)

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 on 2010-02-03:

.session-errors Edit (2.5 KiB, text/plain)

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) on 2010-02-03

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 on 2010-02-04:

xorg.conf.new Edit (3.6 KiB, text/plain)

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 on 2010-02-04:

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

Bartosz Kosiorek (gang65) on 2010-02-05

Changed in xserver-xorg-video-openchrome (Ubuntu):
status:	Incomplete → Confirmed
status:	Confirmed → Invalid

Revision history for this message

Peter Belew (peterbe) wrote on 2010-02-05: Re: [Bug 448911] Re: [CLE266] Console screens unusable, strange background

#10

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 on 2010-03-15:

#11

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.