boot messages overlap and/or disappear

[Mike Yates]

The messages from the kernel which appear on the console are not designed to cope with complete freezeups.
They often get wiped by "clear screen" commands or overwritten following "home" commands.
Surely, now that such messages are, by default, completely hidden, they could proceed in in a simple serial sequence?
---
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.22.1.
Architecture: i386
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: AudioPCI [Ensoniq AudioPCI], device 0: ES1371/1 [ES1371 DAC2/ADC]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
CRDA: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'AudioPCI'/'Ensoniq AudioPCI ENS1371 at 0x2080, irq 16'
   Mixer name : 'Cirrus Logic CS4297A rev 3'
   Components : 'AC97a:43525913'
   Controls : 24
   Simple ctrls : 13
CurrentDmesg:
 [ 16.814131] eth0: no IPv6 routers present
 [ 33.564899] end_request: I/O error, dev fd0, sector 0
 [ 33.600873] end_request: I/O error, dev fd0, sector 0
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.10
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=d13c9b96-3017-4821-bf62-27152d5a0628
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Alpha i386 (20100602.2)
IwConfig:
 lo no wireless extensions.

 eth0 no wireless extensions.
Lsusb: Error: command ['lsusb'] failed with exit code 1:
MachineType: VMware, Inc. VMware Virtual Platform
Package: linux (not installed)
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.34-5-generic root=UUID=9f84fd92-9d34-4afc-8a2c-28b81beb6cc7 ro
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_GB.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.34-5.14-generic 2.6.34
Regression: No
RelatedPackageVersions: linux-firmware 1.36
Reproducible: Yes
RfKill:

Tags: maverick kconfig needs-upstream-testing
Uname: Linux 2.6.34-5-generic i686
UserGroups: adm admin cdrom dialout lpadmin plugdev sambashare
dmi.bios.date: 09/18/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: Phoenix Technologies LTD
dmi.bios.version: 6.00
dmi.board.name: 440BX Desktop Reference Platform
dmi.board.vendor: Intel Corporation
dmi.board.version: None
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Tag
dmi.chassis.type: 1
dmi.chassis.vendor: No Enclosure
dmi.chassis.version: N/A
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnPhoenixTechnologiesLTD:bvr6.00:bd09/18/2009:svnVMware,Inc.:pnVMwareVirtualPlatform:pvrNone:rvnIntelCorporation:rn440BXDesktopReferencePlatform:rvrNone:cvnNoEnclosure:ct1:cvrN/A:
dmi.product.name: VMware Virtual Platform
dmi.product.version: None
dmi.sys.vendor: VMware, Inc.

[Jeremy Foshee (jeremyfoshee)]

Hi Mike,

Please be sure to confirm this issue exists with the latest development release of Ubuntu. ISO CD images are available from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/ . If the issue remains, please run the following command from a Terminal (Applications->Accessories->Terminal). It will automatically gather and attach updated debug information to this report.

apport-collect -p linux 573783

Also, if you could test the latest upstream kernel available that would be great. It will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue. Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please remove the 'needs-upstream-testing' tag. This can be done by clicking on the yellow pencil icon next to the tag located at the bottom of the bug description and deleting the 'needs-upstream-testing' text. Please let us know your results.

Thanks in advance.

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[Jeremy Foshee (jeremyfoshee)]

This bug report was marked as Incomplete and has not had any updated comments for quite some time. As a result this bug is being closed. Please reopen if this is still an issue in the current Ubuntu release http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download . Also, please be sure to provide any requested information that may have been missing. To reopen the bug, click on the current status under the Status column and change the status back to "New". Thanks.

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[Mike Yates (fonehelp)]

Will test on release version ASAP.
Sorry missed 03/05 message - never saw email alert.

Jeremy - have you any reason to assume that this has improved?
There was an improvement from v0910 to v1004
in that the former had 3 screen-clearances while the latter only 1
which may be graphics driver dependant as it appears to occur on
first X11 initialisation, though I don't see how that should destroy the console buffer
thus preventing Shift-PgUp inspection of console output prior to the clearance.

I will be testing in VMware and Virtualbox (maybe Quemu too) so different graphics drivers will be in use.

[Mike Yates (fonehelp)]

OK, tested Ubuntu Alpha-1 with kernel 2.6.34.5-generic #14 Jun 04 06:18 in VMware.
Would have used current kernel but couldn't easily get shared folders working.
Also cannot get gdm to accept keyboard input so had to set null password then auto-login.

Console messages HAVE improved in continuity.
With "quiet splash" commented out in /boot/grub/grub.cfg, messages were continuous as far as "running scripts/init-bottom..." when the BIOS screen briefly reappeared before gdm started.
I cannot get vmware to map "Ctrl-Alt-F1" which, in some distributions, gives access to the console boot messages, but I did see the tail end of them by telinit 1 (telinit 3 does not stop X - why?).
That tail end looks like those following the "init-bottom" point.

I've not used the latest Slackware, but last year's Zenwalk did manage to start and stop its X-server without losing the console messages, as have all previous Slackware versions. This is very useful in the event of freeze-ups during boot.
I suspect this is a debian-type X11 issue as Redhat also (usually) preserves the console.

[Mike Yates (fonehelp)]

apport information

[Mike Yates (fonehelp)]

apport information

[Mike Yates (fonehelp)]

apport information

[Mike Yates (fonehelp)]

apport information

[Mike Yates (fonehelp)]

apport information

[Mike Yates (fonehelp)]

apport information

[Mike Yates (fonehelp)]

apport information

[Mike Yates (fonehelp)]

apport information

[Mike Yates (fonehelp)]

apport information

[Mike Yates (fonehelp)]

apport information

[Mike Yates (fonehelp)]

apport information

[Mike Yates (fonehelp)]

apport information

[Mike Yates (fonehelp)]

apport information

[Mike Yates (fonehelp)]

apport information

[Mike Yates (fonehelp)]

apport information

[Jeremy Foshee (jeremyfoshee)]

This bug report was marked as Incomplete and has not had any updated comments for quite some time. As a result this bug is being closed. Please reopen if this is still an issue in the current Ubuntu development release http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/ . Also, please be sure to provide any requested information that may have been missing. To reopen the bug, click on the current status under the Status column and change the status back to "New". Thanks.

[This is an automated message. Apologies if it has reached you inappropriately; please just reply to this message indicating so.]