[Feisty] Regression: X freezes on 2.6.20 with fglrx

[Denis Moyogo Jacquerye]

Binary package hint: linux-restricted-modules-2.6-686

With the kernel 2.6.20-2 or -3 GDM gets stuck at login, i.e., it freezes after the password has been given.
If I go to the command line, stop gdm and try to stary X manually with startx, I get a frozen X.

I have an ati card using fglrx.

[Ben Collins (ben-collins)]

Try switching to the stock (free) ati driver and see if that works.

[Andrew Conkling (andrewski)]

Tested on 2.6.20-4 with the "radeon" driver and yes, it works.

For what it's worth, it does work fine with the "fglrx" driver back on 2.6.19-7, but not since then.

Any other information that would be helpful on this bug?

[EndelWar (endelwar)]

I have the same symptoms on an Asus L3T laptop (sis650 video card) with 2.6.20-5 (also on -3 and -4) on feisty.
gdm starts, and after 2/3 seconds it freeze, corrupting the graphic; switching to console and back gdm (ctrl-alt-f1 and alt-f7) restart to work. Also killing gdm with crtl-alt-backspace works.

[Andrew Conkling (andrewski)]

On 1/8/07, EndelWar <email address hidden> wrote:
> switching to console and back gdm (ctrl-alt-f1 and alt-f7) restart to work. Also killing gdm with crtl-alt-backspace works.

For what it's worth, I cannot access the command line with Ctrl+Alt+F1; the screen is frozen (but not the mouse cursor).

[Andrew Conkling (andrewski)]

Since this doesn't seem to be happening to everyone, I'm taking a stab at some more information.

What card do you have? (`lspci | grep ATI`) Mine is an ATI Radeon Mobility M300.

Also, with up-to-date l-r-m, I can still run X with fglrx in 2.6.19, so I'm wondering if this might be a kernel bug instead? Can anyone comment on that?

[Andrew Conkling (andrewski)]

Also, it's not very explicit, but does this version of fglrx (8.32.5) even support 2.6.20?

The release notes for the latest driver seem to imply that 2.6.19 support is new: http://www2.ati.com/drivers/linux/linux_8.32.5.html (though of course it's been working for Ubuntu's driver).

[BobMauchin (zebob.m)]

I've got a similar problem :
  - with composite extension enabled, everything works but no dri
  - with compsite disabled, everything seems to be loaded (hear sound etc.) but the screen becomes blank (kind of DPMS low consumption mode).

I try to cut aiglx, overlay or even use AGPGart but nothing works.
Can't test with 2.6.17.10 because of different version of kernel driver and xorg driver.

Note : on a RV350 aka 9600 Pro, 2.6.20-5-generic

[BobMauchin (zebob.m)]

Everything works after adding : Option "NoMTRR" in the Device Section.
I did not notice reduced performance (tested with Scorched3d 1280*1024, max details)

[Andrew Conkling (andrewski)]

Indeed, that seems to fix the immediate problem. I don't know enough about ATI's drivers to know if that introduces any other problems.

[Andrew Conkling (andrewski)]

Actually, I take it back; that has not worked. I think it must've been oversight on my part. Confirmed again on 2.6.20.

[Stéphane Graber (stgraber)]

Same issue with 2.6.20-6-generic on a X300 ati board.
I enter my login/password informations, the screen get blank and I can't move the cursor.
I've tried with NoMTRR it doesn't work either.

[Stéphane Graber (stgraber)]

Issue also present in upstream 8.32.5 with the 2.6.20 patch applied

[Stéphane Graber (stgraber)]

Works perfectly with an upstream patched 8.31.5 driver

[Stéphane Graber (stgraber)]

Works fine with the latest version from upstream and the patch.

[Andrew Conkling (andrewski)]

Stéphane, could you post some instructions and/or a package for the latest driver? I'd also like to test if it works for me.

[Andrew Conkling (andrewski)]

Interestingly enough, the kernel attached to bug #75398 works with fglrx. Get it here: https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux-source-2.6.20/+bug/75398/comments/17.

Not sure how that compares with this, whether it's a different version than normal or whether the patches are the only difference.

[Stéphane Graber (stgraber)]

I just updated from my custom module to the one in linux-image-2.6.20-8-generic (and to the new kernel).
The module is in version 8.33.6 and then everything works perfectly for me.

[Andrew Conkling (andrewski)]

On 2/13/07, Stéphane Graber <email address hidden> wrote:
> I just updated from my custom module to the one in linux-image-2.6.20-8-generic (and to the new kernel).
> The module is in version 8.33.6 and then everything works perfectly for me.

Awesome... was this just uploaded today?

[Andrew Conkling (andrewski)]

I just upgraded to 2.6.20-8 and still no luck for me.... :(

Maybe it's time to buy a non-ATI video card....

[Andrew Conkling (andrewski)]

Comment from the forums: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=2154555

"I just managed to install fglrx 8.33 with stock 2.6.20 kernel. I used the patch from this thread

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=353772

patch link -> http://darcs.frugalware.org/repos/fr...x-2.6.20.patch

You need to run the ati-driver-installer-8.33.6-x86.x86_64.run and choose Uknown X system setup. Once installed finished you need to go to

cd /lib/modules/fglrx/build_mod
patch -p6 < /<location of patch file>/8.33/fglrx-2.6.20.patch
./make.sh
cd ..
./make_install"

[Stéphane Graber (stgraber)]

Is this issue solved with the latest restricted-modules and xorg-driver-fglrx ?
For me it is.

[Andrew Conkling (andrewski)]

On 2/19/07, Stéphane Graber <email address hidden> wrote:
> Is this issue solved with the latest restricted-modules and xorg-driver-fglrx ?
> For me it is.

Which version do you mean?

[Stéphane Graber (stgraber)]

stgraber@laptop:~$ apt-cache show linux-restricted-modules-2.6.20-8-generic | grep Version
Version: 2.6.20.2-8.7
stgraber@laptop:~$ apt-cache show xorg-driver-fglrx | grep Version
Version: 7.1.0-8.33.6+2.6.20.2-8.7

[Andrew Conkling (andrewski)]

Yes, I have those, and no, the issue's not fixed.

[Monty Taylor (mordred)]

I'm running:

apt-cache show xorg-driver-fglrx | grep Version
Version: 8.29.6-1

apt-cache show linux-restricted-modules-2.6.20-8-generic | grep Version
Version: 2.6.20.2-8.7

apt-cache show linux-image-generic | grep Version
Version: 2.6.20.9.5

lspci | grep ATI
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc M22 [Radeon Mobility M300]

And X will not start for me if I use the fglrx in my xorg.conf. If I replace it with the ati driver, it works, but my system is dog slow and X takes about 50% CPU resources or more at all times. It worked fine before I upgraded to Feisty. (Which is the only real problem I've had with that upgrade, btw)

I'm sure I could download the source and a patch and rebuild - and I have been rebuilding the modules with m-a in the past, which I can continue to do... but I thought I didn't need to do that anymore...?

[Stéphane Graber (stgraber)]

Something is wrong on your system, the current fglrx version on Feisty is 8.33.6 (at least).
You should check your sources.list and do an upgrade.

[Stéphane Graber (stgraber)]

Do you still have the problem with the current Feisty's fglrx ?

[Monty Taylor (mordred)]

yes. I updated to the latest feisty packages last night and tried
again. It didn't work.

So I tried to download and run the ATI binary drivers directly from
ATI. I was able to get them installed telling it X_SYSTEM=x710, but
they still wouldn't actually run. Well, they would run, but only at
1024x768, which isn't quite good enough. :)

With the current Feisty fglrx, I still get the error about driver
being for X 7.1 and that I'm running X 7.2, so I think the problem is
mainly that ATI doesn't support X 7.2 yet?

Please let me know if you'd like for me to do anything or provide any
new information.

Thanks!
Monty

On 3/17/07, Stéphane Graber <email address hidden> wrote:
> Do you still have the problem with the current Feisty's fglrx ?
>
> --
> [Feisty] Regression: X freezes on 2.6.20 with fglrx
> https://launchpad.net/bugs/77957
>

[Andrew Conkling (andrewski)]

On 3/17/07, Stéphane Graber <email address hidden> wrote:
> Do you still have the problem with the current Feisty's fglrx ?

I feel very foolish that it's been a week since fglrx started working again. I'm sorry I haven't posted back sooner.

Monty, I'm not sure at all, but I think something is still wrong on your system; I've never received any errors about Xorg compatibility.

[Monty Taylor (mordred)]

On 3/17/07, Andrew Conkling <email address hidden> wrote:
> On 3/17/07, Stéphane Graber <email address hidden> wrote:
> > Do you still have the problem with the current Feisty's fglrx ?
>
> I feel very foolish that it's been a week since fglrx started working
> again. I'm sorry I haven't posted back sooner.
>
> Monty, I'm not sure at all, but I think something is still wrong on your
> system; I've never received any errors about Xorg compatibility.

Hmm. I think I'll try purging the restricted drivers and the fglrx
stuff and installing it from scratch. see if that fixes anything.
maybe there is a file left over from an old install of the binary
drivers from ATI that's overriding the feisty fglrx stuff.

Monty

[Denis Moyogo Jacquerye (moyogo)]

I don't know if this might help you guys. I was having problems with fglrx with the latest kernel updates. Only 2.6.20-6 had X working. After playing around a bit it turned out the latest 2.6.20 would have X working with fglrx only if I had
Section "Extensions"
        Option "Composite" "0"
EndSection
instead of
Section "Extensions"
        Option "Composite" "Disable"
EndSection

weirded me out.

[Monty Taylor (mordred)]

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Denis Jacquerye wrote:
> I don't know if this might help you guys. I was having problems with fglrx with the latest kernel updates. Only 2.6.20-6 had X working. After playing around a bit it turned out the latest 2.6.20 would have X working with fglrx only if I had
> Section "Extensions"
> Option "Composite" "0"
> EndSection
> instead of
> Section "Extensions"
> Option "Composite" "Disable"
> EndSection
>
> weirded me out.
>

So I tried this, and now X starts at least. Of course, now this is the
case:

(II) Loading extension FGLRXEXTENSION
(II) Loading extension ATITVOUT
(**) fglrx(0): DPMS enabled
(II) fglrx(0): Using XFree86 Acceleration Architecture (XAA)
        Screen to screen bit blits
        Solid filled rectangles
        Solid Horizontal and Vertical Lines
        Offscreen Pixmaps
        Setting up tile and stipple cache:
                32 128x128 slots
                32 256x256 slots
                16 512x512 slots
(II) fglrx(0): Acceleration enabled
(II) fglrx(0): Direct rendering disabled

Which I believe is because we just turned Composite off?

Wow, I'd forgotten how much I hate configuring X. :)

Monty
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[Andrew Conkling (andrewski)]

On 3/18/07, Monty Taylor <email address hidden> wrote:
> (II) fglrx(0): Direct rendering disabled
>
> Which I believe is because we just turned Composite off?

No, fglrx does not support Composite, but direct rendering should still work. There are some suggestions here: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BinaryDriverHowto/ATI#head-d01742cec183112be090e459b74129606e258f79

[Monty Taylor (mordred)]

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Andrew Conkling wrote:

> No, fglrx does not support Composite, but direct rendering should still
> work. There are some suggestions here:
> https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BinaryDriverHowto/ATI#head-d01742cec183112be090e459b74129606e258f79

Aha! So the answer wasn't there, but it sent me down the path to the
answer. I still had fglrx listed in DISABLED_MODULES
/etc/default/linux-restricted-modules-common from back in the day when I
had the modules installed by hand.

SO - I blew stuff away and actually turned on the module via restricted
modules manager - and it's all working.

Sorry for the red herring. Might want to add the DISABLED_MODULES thing
to the list of things to check on that page - as some of us will be
upgrading from past configs that required that.

Thanks a ton! I, for one, now consider this issue resolved. :)

Monty
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[Denis Moyogo Jacquerye (moyogo)]

> Thanks a ton! I, for one, now consider this issue resolved. :)

+1, although I can wait for Composite to work with 2.6.20.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Sounds like this bug has been resolved so am closing as such. Sounds like the root cause was needing to set Composite to "0" to turn it off, since composite isn't supported by fglrx.