X windows occasionally fails to start up

[Chris Butler]

Occasionally, I'm having issues with one machine where it seems that X fails to start on boot. The actual errors from /var/log/Xorg.0.log.old:

[ 11.512] drmOpenDevice: node name is /dev/dri/card0
[ 11.514] drmOpenDevice: open result is 12, (OK)
[ 11.514] drmOpenByBusid: Searching for BusID pci:0000:00:02.0
[ 11.514] drmOpenDevice: node name is /dev/dri/card0
[ 11.514] drmOpenDevice: open result is 12, (OK)
[ 11.514] drmOpenByBusid: drmOpenMinor returns 12
[ 11.514] drmOpenByBusid: Interface 1.4 failed, trying 1.1
[ 11.514] drmOpenByBusid: drmGetBusid reports
[ 11.514] drmOpenDevice: node name is /dev/dri/card1
[ 11.518] drmOpenByBusid: drmOpenMinor returns -1
[ 11.518] drmOpenDevice: node name is /dev/dri/card2
[ 11.522] drmOpenByBusid: drmOpenMinor returns -1
[ 11.522] drmOpenDevice: node name is /dev/dri/card3
[ 11.525] drmOpenByBusid: drmOpenMinor returns -1
[ 11.525] drmOpenDevice: node name is /dev/dri/card4
[ 11.529] drmOpenByBusid: drmOpenMinor returns -1
[ 11.529] drmOpenDevice: node name is /dev/dri/card5
[ 11.533] drmOpenByBusid: drmOpenMinor returns -1
[ 11.533] drmOpenDevice: node name is /dev/dri/card6
[ 11.536] drmOpenByBusid: drmOpenMinor returns -1
[ 11.536] drmOpenDevice: node name is /dev/dri/card7
[ 11.540] drmOpenByBusid: drmOpenMinor returns -1
[ 11.540] drmOpenDevice: node name is /dev/dri/card8
[ 11.543] drmOpenByBusid: drmOpenMinor returns -1
[ 11.543] drmOpenDevice: node name is /dev/dri/card9
[ 11.547] drmOpenByBusid: drmOpenMinor returns -1
[ 11.547] drmOpenDevice: node name is /dev/dri/card10
[ 11.551] drmOpenByBusid: drmOpenMinor returns -1
[ 11.551] drmOpenDevice: node name is /dev/dri/card11
[ 11.554] drmOpenByBusid: drmOpenMinor returns -1
[ 11.554] drmOpenDevice: node name is /dev/dri/card12
[ 11.558] drmOpenByBusid: drmOpenMinor returns -1
[ 11.558] drmOpenDevice: node name is /dev/dri/card13
[ 11.562] drmOpenByBusid: drmOpenMinor returns -1
[ 11.562] drmOpenDevice: node name is /dev/dri/card14
[ 11.565] drmOpenByBusid: drmOpenMinor returns -1
[ 11.565] drmOpenDevice: node name is /dev/dri/card15
[ 11.569] drmOpenByBusid: drmOpenMinor returns -1
[ 11.569] drmOpenDevice: node name is /dev/dri/card0
[ 11.569] drmOpenDevice: open result is 12, (OK)
[ 11.581] drmOpenDevice: node name is /dev/dri/card0
[ 11.581] drmOpenDevice: open result is 12, (OK)
[ 11.581] drmGetBusid returned ''
[ 11.581] (EE) intel(0): [drm] failed to set drm interface version.
[ 11.581] (EE) intel(0): Failed to become DRM master.
[ 11.581] (II) intel(0): Creating default Display subsection in Screen section
        "Default Screen Section" for depth/fbbpp 24/32
[ 11.581] (==) intel(0): Depth 24, (--) framebuffer bpp 32
[ 11.581] (==) intel(0): RGB weight 888
[ 11.581] (==) intel(0): Default visual is TrueColor
[ 11.581] (II) intel(0): Integrated Graphics Chipset: Intel(R) Sandybridge Desktop (GT1)
[ 11.581] (--) intel(0): Chipset: "Sandybridge Desktop (GT1)"
[ 11.582] (**) intel(0): Shadow buffer enabled, 2D GPU acceleration disabled.
[ 11.582] (**) intel(0): Relaxed fencing disabled
[ 11.582] (**) intel(0): Wait on SwapBuffers? enabled
[ 11.582] (**) intel(0): Triple buffering? enabled
[ 11.582] (**) intel(0): Framebuffer tiled
[ 11.582] (**) intel(0): Pixmaps tiled
[ 11.582] (**) intel(0): 3D buffers tiled
[ 11.582] (**) intel(0): SwapBuffers wait enabled
[ 11.582] (==) intel(0): video overlay key set to 0x101fe
[ 11.582] (EE) intel(0): failed to get resources: Bad file descriptor
[ 11.582] (II) UnloadModule: "intel"
[ 11.582] (II) Unloading intel
[ 11.582] (EE) Screen(s) found, but none have a usable configuration.
[ 11.582]
Fatal server error:
[ 11.582] no screens found
Full log attached.

The graphics card is: 00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 09)

dmesg output relating to the video card seems normal (no different from when it works OK):

[ 10.789148] [drm] Initialized drm 1.1.0 20060810
[ 10.795531] i915 0000:00:02.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 16
[ 10.795535] i915 0000:00:02.0: setting latency timer to 64
[ 10.846703] i915 0000:00:02.0: irq 47 for MSI/MSI-X
[ 10.846707] [drm] Supports vblank timestamp caching Rev 1 (10.10.2010).
[ 10.846708] [drm] Driver supports precise vblank timestamp query.
[ 10.846730] vgaarb: device changed decodes: PCI:0000:00:02.0,olddecodes=io+mem,decodes=io+mem:owns=io+mem
[ 11.362779] init: failsafe main process (818) killed by TERM signal
[ 11.363016] init: alsa-restore main process (934) terminated with status 19
[ 11.364523] init: apport pre-start process (930) terminated with status 1
[ 11.368303] init: apport post-stop process (952) terminated with status 1
[ 11.484479] fbcon: inteldrmfb (fb0) is primary device
[ 11.484548] Console: switching to colour frame buffer device 240x67
[ 11.484570] fb0: inteldrmfb frame buffer device
[ 11.484570] drm: registered panic notifier
[ 11.484579] No ACPI video bus found
[ 11.484618] [drm] Initialized i915 1.6.0 20080730 for 0000:00:02.0 on minor 0
[ 11.484664] HDA Intel 0000:00:1b.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 22 (level, low) -> IRQ 22
[ 11.484765] HDA Intel 0000:00:1b.0: irq 48 for MSI/MSI-X
[ 11.484791] HDA Intel 0000:00:1b.0: setting latency timer to 64

Originally reported at askubuntu.com here: http://askubuntu.com/questions/99881/x-windows-occasionally-fails-to-start-up as prompted by apport.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: xorg 1:7.6+7ubuntu7.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-15.26-generic 3.0.13
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-15-generic x86_64
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

.tmp.unity.support.test.1:

ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,bailer,detection,composite,opengl,compiztoolbox,decor,mousepoll,gnomecompat,place,imgpng,vpswitch,move,grid,snap,unitymtgrabhandles,regex,resize,session,wall,animation,fade,workarounds,expo,scale,ezoom,unityshell]
CompositorRunning: None
Date: Mon Feb 6 15:33:59 2012
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: oneiric
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus:
 virtualbox, 4.1.2, 3.0.0-14-generic, x86_64: installed
 virtualbox, 4.1.2, 3.0.0-15-generic, x86_64: installed
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes, whatever it takes to get this fixed in Ubuntu
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:0102] (rev 09) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: ASRock Incorporation Device [1849:0102]
MachineType: To Be Filled By O.E.M. To Be Filled By O.E.M.
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.0.0-15-generic root=UUID=9b4403c1-bec3-4fbb-a9be-af476930cef7 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: xorg
UnitySupportTest: Error: command ['/usr/lib/nux/unity_support_test', '-p', '-f'] failed with exit code 1: Error: OpenGL rendering is not supported by the root visual
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 07/08/2011
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: P1.60
dmi.board.name: H67DE3
dmi.board.vendor: ASRock
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.chassis.version: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrP1.60:bd07/08/2011:svnToBeFilledByO.E.M.:pnToBeFilledByO.E.M.:pvrToBeFilledByO.E.M.:rvnASRock:rnH67DE3:rvr:cvnToBeFilledByO.E.M.:ct3:cvrToBeFilledByO.E.M.:
dmi.product.name: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.product.version: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.sys.vendor: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.6+bzr20110929-0ubuntu6
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.26-1ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 7.11-0ubuntu3
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 7.11-0ubuntu3
version.xserver-xorg: xserver-xorg 1:7.6+7ubuntu7.1
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.6.0-1ubuntu13
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.14.99~git20110811.g93fc084-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.15.901-1ubuntu2.1
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20110411+8378443-1

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Luca Cremonesi (luca.cremonesi)]

It seems related to Bug #899725.

[Luca Cremonesi (luca.cremonesi)]

I have installed the kernel packages found at the followin link:

http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.0.25-oneiric/

and the problem disappeared.
A newer version (v3.0.26-oneiric) of the kernel is also available but I did not test it yet.

[Tomas Vanderka (tomas-vanderka)]

Try disabling plymouth-splash

sudo mv /etc/init/plymouth-splash.conf /etc/init/plymouth-splash.conf.disabled