[RV280] Corrupted screen

[Emmanuel Pacaud]

Binary package hint: xorg

After a while, my screen begins to be corrupted, showing bright pixels.

These pixels seems to be "attached" to the graphical object on which they appear. For example, the bright pixels on the windows title bar move when I move the window.

They are mostly randomly placed, and their place change each time a redraw of the graphical object occur. For example, the bright pixels on background of the time applet change every second.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: xorg 1:7.5+3ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-19.28-generic 2.6.32.10+drm33.1
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-19-generic i686
Architecture: i386
CurrentDmesg:
 [ 21.156013] eth0: no IPv6 routers present
 [ 55.488137] kjournald starting. Commit interval 5 seconds
 [ 55.488168] EXT3-fs warning: maximal mount count reached, running e2fsck is recommended
 [ 55.488872] EXT3 FS on sdb2, internal journal
 [ 55.488881] EXT3-fs: mounted filesystem with ordered data mode.
Date: Wed Apr 7 19:00:40 2010
DkmsStatus: Error: [Errno 2] Aucun fichier ou dossier de ce type
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04 "Lucid Lynx" - Alpha i386 (20100119)
MachineType: System Manufacturer System Name
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-19-generic root=UUID=cad49b82-547e-477f-a13d-c5f825c88e3c ro quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=fr_FR.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
dmi.bios.date: 09/02/2004
dmi.bios.vendor: Award Software, Inc.
dmi.bios.version: ASUS A7V8X-X ACPI BIOS Revision 1013
dmi.board.name: A7V8X-X
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
dmi.board.version: REV 1.xx
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset-1234567890
dmi.chassis.type: 7
dmi.chassis.vendor: Chassis Manufacture
dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAwardSoftware,Inc.:bvrASUSA7V8X-XACPIBIOSRevision1013:bd09/02/2004:svnSystemManufacturer:pnSystemName:pvrSystemVersion:rvnASUSTeKComputerINC.:rnA7V8X-X:rvrREV1.xx:cvnChassisManufacture:ct7:cvrChassisVersion:
dmi.product.name: System Name
dmi.product.version: System Version
dmi.sys.vendor: System Manufacturer
glxinfo: Error: [Errno 2] Aucun fichier ou dossier de ce type
system:
 distro: Ubuntu
 codename: lucid
 architecture: i686
 kernel: 2.6.32-19-generic

[lspci]
00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8377 [KT400/KT600 AGP] Host Bridge [1106:3189]
 Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device [1043:807f]
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: ATI Technologies Inc RV280 [Radeon 9200] [1002:5961] (rev 01)
 Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device [1043:5002]

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Based on the description of the symptoms, it sort of sounds like this might be caused by an incorrect AGPMode setting, which is relevant when DRI is enabled. You should test if changing this makes the issue go away. In your /etc/X11/xorg.conf set AGPMode to various values like this:

 Section "Device"
    ...
    Option "AGPMode" "2"
 EndSection

Possible values include 1, 2, 4, 8. You can see what it's currently set to by looking in /var/log/Xorg.0.log. It's worthwhile to test all four values even once you find one that works. If this takes care of it for you, we may be able to establish a quirk to set it for your hardware combo, if you can provide the following data:

   * AGPMode value(s) that work
   * Make/Model of laptop or motherboard
   * Is the system all factory hardware, or have any parts been replaced?
   * Is there an AGP Mode in the system BIOS?
     - If so, is it set to the factory default?

For more details on this, please see the "ATI AGP Mode Quirk" section at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Quirks

Note, you might need to also disable KMS in order to make these quirks apply (I'm not certain though). For more information on how to turn KMS on or off please see http://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/KernelModeSetting .

[Emmanuel Pacaud (emmanuel-pacaud)]

Hi Bryce,

I don't have a xorg.conf file on this machine. What would the minimum xorg.conf file I can create in order to tweak the AgpMode setting ?

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Section "Device"
 Identifier "Configured Video Device"
        Option "AGPMode" "2"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
 Identifier "Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
 Identifier "Default Screen"
 Monitor "Configured Monitor"
 Device "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

[Emmanuel Pacaud (emmanuel-pacaud)]

It looks like the AGPMode setting is not taken into account:

(WW) RADEON(0): Option "AGPMode" is not used

[Emmanuel Pacaud (emmanuel-pacaud)]

I've tried to disable kms, which allows AGPMode setting. But my system without kms is unusable with desktop effect enabled (black background, maximized window are black).

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Hmm, that's a shame. Well, thanks for giving it a try. I guess the next step would be to send this bug upstream to bugzilla.freedesktop.org.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Forwarding this bug from Ubuntu reporter Emmanuel Pacaud:
http://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xserver-xorg-video-ati/+bug/557433

[Problem]
Screen pixellated line corruption which increases over time.

[Original Description]
After a while, my screen begins to be corrupted, showing bright pixels.

These pixels seems to be "attached" to the graphical object on which they appear. For example, the bright pixels on the windows title bar move when I move the window.

They are mostly randomly placed, and their place change each time a redraw of the graphical object occur. For example, the bright pixels on background of the time applet change every second.

An attempt was made to test different AGPMode settings, however the settings didn't take while KMS was enabled, and when KMS is disabled there is a different bug (black background and maximized windows are black).

DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: xorg 1:7.5+3ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-19.28-generic 2.6.32.10+drm33.1
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-19-generic i686
Architecture: i386
CurrentDmesg:
 [ 21.156013] eth0: no IPv6 routers present
 [ 55.488137] kjournald starting. Commit interval 5 seconds
 [ 55.488168] EXT3-fs warning: maximal mount count reached, running e2fsck is recommended
 [ 55.488872] EXT3 FS on sdb2, internal journal
 [ 55.488881] EXT3-fs: mounted filesystem with ordered data mode.
Date: Wed Apr 7 19:00:40 2010
DkmsStatus: Error: [Errno 2] Aucun fichier ou dossier de ce type
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04 "Lucid Lynx" - Alpha i386 (20100119)
MachineType: System Manufacturer System Name
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-19-generic root=UUID=cad49b82-547e-477f-a13d-c5f825c88e3c ro quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=fr_FR.utf8
 SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
dmi.bios.date: 09/02/2004
dmi.bios.vendor: Award Software, Inc.
dmi.bios.version: ASUS A7V8X-X ACPI BIOS Revision 1013
dmi.board.name: A7V8X-X
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
dmi.board.version: REV 1.xx
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset-1234567890
dmi.chassis.type: 7
dmi.chassis.vendor: Chassis Manufacture
dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAwardSoftware,Inc.:bvrASUSA7V8X-XACPIBIOSRevision1013:bd09/02/2004:svnSystemManufacturer:pnSystemName:pvrSystemVersion:rvnASUSTeKComputerINC.:rnA7V8X-X:rvrREV1.xx:cvnChassisManufacture:ct7:cvrChassisVersion:
dmi.product.name: System Name
dmi.product.version: System Version
dmi.sys.vendor: System Manufacturer
glxinfo: Error: [Errno 2] Aucun fichier ou dossier de ce type
system:
  codename: lucid
 architecture: i686
 kernel: 2.6.32-19-generic

[lspci]
00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8377 [KT400/KT600 AGP] Host Bridge [1106:3189]
 Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device [1043:807f]
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: ATI Technologies Inc RV280 [Radeon 9200] [1002:5961] (rev 01)
 Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device [1043:5002]

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Created an attachment (id=35216)
Capture.png

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Created an attachment (id=35217)
BootDmesg.txt

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Created an attachment (id=35218)
XorgLog.txt

[agd5f (agd5f)]

For kms, agpmode is a kernel module parameter. try booting with radeon.agpmode=X
where X = -1,1,2,4,8
1-8 are the agp modes,
-1 uses the onboard gpu gart (PCI, PCIE, etc.)

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Emmanuel Pacaud - I've forwarded this bug upstream to http://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=27781 - please subscribe yourself to this bug, in case they need further information or wish you to test something. Thanks ahead of time!

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Emmanuel, from the upstream bug:

For kms, agpmode is a kernel module parameter. try booting with
radeon.agpmode=X
where X = -1,1,2,4,8
1-8 are the agp modes,
-1 uses the onboard gpu gart (PCI, PCIE, etc.)

Please give that a try. Also, dont' forget to subscribe to the upstream bug report and give comment there. Thanks again.

[agd5f (agd5f)]

Is the corruption permanent or transient? If it's transient, this might be watermark related. With these patches:
http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/airlied/drm-2.6.git;a=commit;h=f47299c55a837af1727bc601e1fc0fa33adaeda5
http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/airlied/drm-2.6.git;a=commitdiff;h=f46c01208da1881591e3f55ca77d37f54469f8e4
Does loading radeon with disp_priority=2 avoid the problem?

If it's permanent, it may be AGP related.

[Emmanuel Pacaud (emmanuel-pacaud)]

I don't experience this corruption anymore, with xserver 7.5+5ubuntu1 and linux 2.6.32-21-generic.

I guess it has since been fixed.

[agd5f (agd5f)]

marking as fixed then.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

According to your comment on the upstream bug report, this issue is no longer occurring, so marking it as fixed.

We've brought in a lot of fixes in recent weeks, so not sure exactly what may have fixed it.