[drm:radeon_cs_ioctl] *ERROR* Invalid command stream !

[DAP]

This is going to be difficult to gather information on. I just updated my system today, and my system got borked.
There was a new kernel in the update so it required a reboot.
At the login screen, I noticed that the mouse pointer was garbage. Also the login screen never finished drawing. There were blank rectangles where the username or any other text should be.
I was able to login by hitting return and typing my password.
My background image showed up, but the mouse pointer was still garbage. All of the icons in the panel were either missing or garbage. Some of the gnome applets were working (those that drew their own graphics, not those that used icons). I was able to start some applications by clicking where I knew their icons were in the panel, but they did not draw correctly. If I clicked on the main menu, the menu opened, but was not drawn.
I tried to use a text terminal, but when I switched to any text terminal page, it started to fill up with this error message:
[drm:radeon_cs_ioctl] *ERROR* Invalid command stream !
This means I am unable to use the text consoles to do anything.
I was able to shut down the system by opening a terminal window, and blindly typing (because no text was displayed) "sudo shutdown -h now"
My system is unusable, I'm being forced to use a windows machine to report this bug. HELP!

[DAP (akadap)]

It is the kernel that killed my system. I used the grub menu to boot into the previous kernel, and I am back with a working.

This is the list of changes the last update did.
system.Start-Date: 2011-01-15 10:02:18
Install:
linux-image-2.6.35-25-generic:amd64 (2.6.35-25.43),
linux-headers-2.6.35-25-generic:amd64 (2.6.35-25.43),
linux-headers-2.6.35-25:amd64 (2.6.35-25.43)
Upgrade: mythtv-database:amd64 (0.24.0+fixes.20110112.2394a9d-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2,
0.24.0+fixes.20110115.46a0dda-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2),
mythmusic:amd64 (0.24.0+fixes.20110112.2394a9d-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2,
0.24.0+fixes.20110115.46a0dda-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2),
 libnautilus-extension-dev:amd64 (2.32.0-0ubuntu1.1,
2.32.0-0ubuntu1.2), mythtv:amd64 (0.24.0+fixes.20110112.2394a9d-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2,
0.24.0+fixes.20110115.46a0dda-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2),
nautilus:amd64 (2.32.0-0ubuntu1.1, 2.32.0-0ubuntu1.2),
mytharchive:amd64 (0.24.0+fixes.20110112.2394a9d-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2,
0.24.0+fixes.20110115.46a0dda-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2),
mythtv-themes:amd64 (0.24.0+fixes.20110112.2394a9d-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2,
0.24.0+fixes.20110115.46a0dda-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2), mythtv-theme-metallurgy:amd64 (0.24.0+fixes.20110112.2394a9d-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2, 0.24.0+fixes.20110115.46a0dda-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2),
transmission-gtk:amd64 (2.04-0ubuntu2, 2.05-0ubuntu0.1),
python-apt:amd64 (0.7.96.1ubuntu11, 0.7.96.1ubuntu11.1),
xserver-xorg-video-savage:amd64 (2.3.1-2ubuntu2, 2.3.1-2ubuntu2.1),
mythgallery:amd64 (0.24.0+fixes.20110112.2394a9d-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2, 0.24.0+fixes.20110115.46a0dda-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2),
libmyth-python:amd64 (0.24.0+fixes.20110112.2394a9d-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2, 0.24.0+fixes.20110115.46a0dda-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2),
mythtv-common:amd64 (0.24.0+fixes.20110112.2394a9d-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2, 0.24.0+fixes.20110115.46a0dda-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2),
transmission-common:amd64 (2.04-0ubuntu2, 2.05-0ubuntu0.1),
mythweb:amd64 (0.24.0+fixes.20110112.2394a9d-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2, 0.24.0+fixes.20110115.46a0dda-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2),
mythtv-theme-childish:amd64 (0.24.0+fixes.20110112.2394a9d-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2, 0.24.0+fixes.20110115.46a0dda-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2),
mythtv-backend:amd64 (0.24.0+fixes.20110112.2394a9d-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2, 0.24.0+fixes.20110115.46a0dda-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2),
 xserver-xorg-input-evdev:amd64 (2.3.2-6ubuntu3, 2.3.2-6ubuntu3.1), linux-headers-generic:amd64 (2.6.35.24.30, 2.6.35.25.31),
mythtv-theme-graphite:amd64 (0.24.0+fixes.20110112.2394a9d-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2, 0.24.0+fixes.20110115.46a0dda-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2),
linux-image-generic:amd64 (2.6.35.24.30, 2.6.35.25.31),
mythtv-dbg:amd64 (0.24.0+fixes.20110112.2394a9d-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2, 0.24.0+fixes.20110115.46a0dda-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2),
libmythtv-perl:amd64 (0.24.0+fixes.20110112.2394a9d-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2, 0.24.0+fixes.20110115.46a0dda-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2),
nautilus-data:amd64 (2.32.0-0ubuntu1.1, 2.32.0-0ubuntu1.2), mythtv-backend-master:amd64 (0.24.0+fixes.20110112.2394a9d-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2, 0.24.0+fixes.20110115.46a0dda-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2),
mythtv-theme-arclight:amd64 (0.24.0+fixes.20110112.2394a9d-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2, 0.24.0+fixes.20110115.46a0dda-0ubuntu0mythbuntu2),
libnautilus-extension1:amd64 (2.32.0-0ubuntu1.1, 2.32.0-0ubuntu1.2), mythweathe...

[Hasen el Judy (hasenj)]

I'm having the exact same issue, but couldn't exactly trace it to the kernel update.

I'll try your solution.

[Hasen el Judy (hasenj)]

Choosing the previous kernel version fixes the problem.

I had a bit of a trouble configuring grub to show the menu, but once I got that figured out, I just chose version 2.6.32.35-24

The problem version was 2.6.32.35-25

I wish there was a simple command to "rollback" the last kernel update so that one can run it in such a situation.

[jnq35 (quero-jeannoel)]

Hello All. Bug is in the graphic driver.
If you use ubuntu free graphic driver you will have the bug. So use the propiétary driver for ati and all work fine or quiet.

[Felix Geyer (debfx)]

Same here.
The X screen is mostly garbage with the kernel 2.6.35-25 from maverick-proposed.

The kernel log is flooded with entries like:
Jan 18 10:31:53 felix-ka kernel: [ 316.038540] radeon 0000:01:00.0: r600_cs_track_validate_cb:203 cb pitch (64) invalid
Jan 18 10:31:53 felix-ka kernel: [ 316.038545] radeon 0000:01:00.0: r600_packet3_check:1108 invalid cmd stream 423
Jan 18 10:31:53 felix-ka kernel: [ 316.038548] [drm:radeon_cs_ioctl] *ERROR* Invalid command stream !

I have a Radeon HD 4850 (RV770).

[jnq35 (quero-jeannoel)]

Bug fix with the last update of the kernel.