X Server freezes except for mouse, machine accessible remotely

[Greg Baumgartel]

I believe this thread deals with the same issue:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1331607

Most likely I do think it's an X / GPU issue as suggested. This usually happens on the affected machine within minutes of trying to do anything with X, sometimes even prior to logging in so I don't think it's pinned to any application.

X consumes 100% of the CPU when this happens, and there's a slight blurring of parts of the screen. The mouse responds to movements but nothing else does. Without remote SSH the machine requires a hard reset (can't ctrl-alt-bksp out of X) however if I've set up openssh-server I am able to log in remotely and generate the bug report and restart that way. I can kill -9 the X process and it comes back.

Machine in question has an Asus A8N-SLI motherboard and an nVidia card. 'lspci' reports:

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation G70 [GeForce 7800 GT] (rev a1)

This happens on 9.10, but also happens when I tried installing 9.04. I had run 8.04 successfully on this machine for more than a year, however, when I try and reinstall 8.04, this issue crops up right when I try and enter the manual partitioning step of the graphical install for that distro. 9.04 and 9.10 generally work during the graphical install. Originally I upgraded to 8.04 via the network. Happens both before and after getting all needed updates after the initial install. The bug report generated was from 9.10

xserver-xorg-core:
  Installed: 2:1.6.4-2ubuntu4.1
  Candidate: 2:1.6.4-2ubuntu4.1
  Version table:
 *** 2:1.6.4-2ubuntu4.1 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-updates/main Packages
        500 http://security.ubuntu.com karmic-security/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     2:1.6.4-2ubuntu4 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic/main Packages

I had to kill -9 the X process before ubuntu-bug would report anything, as it was just spinning.

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDmesg:
 [ 28.895652] usplash:368 freeing invalid memtype ffffffffc0000000-ffffffffd0000000
 [ 32.762517] eth0: no IPv6 routers present
 [ 43.854049] usb 2-2: USB disconnect, address 3
 [ 78.995579] Intel AES-NI instructions are not detected.
 [ 79.043172] padlock: VIA PadLock not detected.
Date: Wed Mar 10 19:44:09 2010
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
ExecutablePath: /usr/bin/Xorg
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release amd64 (20091027)
Lsusb:
 Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
 Bus 002 Device 004: ID 046d:c316 Logitech, Inc. HID-Compliant Keyboard
 Bus 002 Device 002: ID 0557:7000 ATEN International Co., Ltd Hub
 Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
MachineType: System manufacturer System Product Name
Package: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.6.4-2ubuntu4.1
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-20-generic root=UUID=01050d96-14f0-4521-a430-adcb9c93acc3 ro quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 PATH=(custom, no user)
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-20.57-generic
RelatedPackageVersions:
 xserver-xorg 1:7.4+3ubuntu10
 libgl1-mesa-glx 7.6.0-1ubuntu4
 libdrm2 2.4.14-1ubuntu1
 xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.9.0-1ubuntu2.1
 xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.12.99+git20090929.7968e1fb-0ubuntu1
SourcePackage: xorg-server
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-20-generic x86_64
XorgConf: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/etc/X11/xorg.conf'
Xrandr: Error: command ['xrandr', '--verbose'] failed with exit code 1: Can't open display
dmi.bios.date: 10/21/2005
dmi.bios.vendor: Phoenix Technologies, LTD
dmi.bios.version: ASUS A8N-SLI Premium ACPI BIOS Revision 1009
dmi.board.name: A8N-SLI Premium
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
dmi.board.version: 1.02
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: 123456789000
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Chassis Manufacture
dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnPhoenixTechnologies,LTD:bvrASUSA8N-SLIPremiumACPIBIOSRevision1009:bd10/21/2005:svnSystemmanufacturer:pnSystemProductName:pvrSystemVersion:rvnASUSTeKComputerINC.:rnA8N-SLIPremium:rvr1.02:cvnChassisManufacture:ct3:cvrChassisVersion:
dmi.product.name: System Product Name
dmi.product.version: System Version
dmi.sys.vendor: System manufacturer
fglrx: Not loaded
glxinfo: Error: command ['glxinfo'] failed with exit code 255: Error: unable to open display
setxkbmap: Error: command ['setxkbmap', '-print'] failed with exit code 255: Cannot open display "default display"
system:
 distro: Ubuntu
 architecture: x86_64kernel: 2.6.31-20-generic
xdpyinfo: Error: command ['xdpyinfo'] failed with exit code 1: xdpyinfo: unable to open display "".
xkbcomp:
 Error: command ['xkbcomp', ':0', '-w0', '-'] failed with exit code 1: Error: Cannot open display ":0"
                   Exiting

[Greg Baumgartel (greg-baumgartel)]

Just as an addition, once I got the nVidia restricted modules/drivers installed and activated via command line, it worked fine.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

[This is an automatic notification.]

Hi Greg,

This bug was reported against an earlier version of Ubuntu, can you
test if it still occurs on Lucid?

Please note we also provide technical support for older versions of
Ubuntu, but not in the bug tracker. Instead, to raise the issue through
normal support channels, please see:

    http://www.ubuntu.com/support

If you are the original reporter and can still reproduce the issue on
Lucid, please run the following command to refresh the report:

  apport-collect 537080

If you are not the original reporter, please file a new bug report, so
we can work with you as the original reporter instead (you can reference
bug 537080 in your report if you think it may be related):

  ubuntu-bug xorg

If by chance you can no longer reproduce the issue on Lucid or if you
feel it is no longer relevant, please mark the bug report 'Fix Released'
or 'Invalid' as appropriate, at the following URL:

  https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/537080

[Greg Baumgartel (greg-baumgartel)]

I have the machine on Lucid now, but the upgrade automatically has me using the nVidia drivers, which have worked fine, and continue to work fine. Again, I think the problem is the generic Xorg server which does not contain the accelerated drivers. I can try the other Xserver, once I figure out how....I'd like to do it without uninstalling the nVidia ones, I have to imagine this isn't that difficult.

[Greg Baumgartel (greg-baumgartel)]

It still happens in Lucid.

I had to remove the nvidia-glx packages. System -> Administration -> Hardware Drivers, which should allow me to turn it off, received an error when I tried to 'Remove' the current nVidia proprietary driver. So I was left with no choice but to remove the packages.

I tried the "apport-collect 537080" on the machine, but after logging in, I got this:

"should be opening in your browser. After you have authorized
this program to access Launchpad on your behalf you should come
back here and press <Enter> to finish the authentication process.

Package xorg-server not installed and no hook available, ignoring"

Which is true. The package is xserver-xorg. In fact xorg-server doesn't appear to exist. So apport isn't allowing me to update this. I'm going to try messing around with the bug report to see if maybe it'll allow me to add that package but the upshot is that it's still an issue with Lucid non-accelerated X server.

[Greg Baumgartel (greg-baumgartel)]

Added the VESA driver, I think. Whatever driver is the default when doing the installs or when no accelerated driver is present is what's causing the problem. Anyway, apport still won't allow me to do an automated update on this due to the confusion over packages.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for xorg-server (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]