No display: Xorg fails after clean install - Mint 12 32&64bit @ T520i w/Intel GPU & FullHD screen

[frogman]

Affected system is Gnome Mint 12 64bit (added: and 32bit as well) on Thinkpad T520i with integrated Intel gen 2 graphics and 1920x1080 screen.

I installed a clean system from the live DVD (worked fine). On first boot Mint went all the way to the welcome screen, but since GRUB I only saw black screen, no display at all. Switching to console mode (ctrl+alt+f1-4) has no effect. If I remove the login password Mint logs in automatically. I can hear the sound, but display is still blank.

Booting in recovery mode gives me a fallback desktop with working display on vesa drivers:
$ inxi -G
Graphics: Card: Intel 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller
X.Org 1.10.4 drivers vesa,intel unloaded: fbdev Resolution 1280x1024@61.0hz
GLX Renderer Rasterizer GLX Version 2.1 Mesa 7.11

The problem persists after reinstalling Mint or trying to reconfigure Xorg.
I will be happy to work with you to provide more information.

[frogman (dev-gw0)]

When I try to reconfigure Xorg from root recovery mode, I get this error:

X.Org X Server 1.10.4
Release Date: 2011-08-19
X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
Build Operating System: Linux 2.6.24-29-server x86_64 Ubuntu
Current Operating System: Linux jupiter 3.0.0-12-generic #20-Ubuntu SMP Fri Oct 7 14:56:25 UTC 2011 x86_64
Kernel command line: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.0.0-12-generic root=UUID=3968f5d2-3359-45e4-aba5-8bb8d602f05e ro recovery nomodeset
Build Date: 29 September 2011 02:45:13AM
xorg-server 2:1.10.4-1ubuntu4 (For technical support please see http://www.ubuntu.com/support)
Current version of pixman: 0.22.2
   Before reporting problems, check http://wiki.x.org
   to make sure that you have the latest version.
Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
   (++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
   (WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
(==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Mon Dec 5 09:16:59 2011
List of video drivers:
   vboxvideo
   nouveau
   siliconmotion
   cirrus
   vmwlegacy
   radeon
   openchrome
   neomagic
   savage
   r128
   intel
   qxl
   vmware
   s3
   sisusb
   mga
   trident
   ati
   sis
   mach64
   tdfx
   fbdev
   vesa
(EE) Failed to load module "vmwgfx" (module does not exist, 0)
(EE) vmware: Please ignore the above warnings about not being able to to load module/driver vmwgfx
(EE) vmware: Unexpected failure while loading the "vmwlegacy" driver. Giving up.
(EE) Failed to load module "vmware" (a required submodule could not be loaded, 0)
(++) Using config file: "/root/xorg.conf.new"
(==) Using system config directory "/usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d"
(EE) open /dev/fb0: No such file or directory
Number of created screens does not match number of detected devices.
  Configuration failed.
ddxSigGiveUp: Closing log

[frogman (dev-gw0)]

So this is the Xorg.log from "normal" boot with no display. It's like X doesn't even know that there's anything wrong.

[frogman (dev-gw0)]

And this is Xorg log from the fallback mode.

[frogman (dev-gw0)]

Just to make sure I installed a 32bit version (with 3.0.0-13-generic-pae) of Mint as well and the problem is exactly the same. FullHD resolution when running off LiveDVD, completely blank screen on first boot after clean installation. It's not the backlight issue either, my backlight is turned on. Only the screen is 100 % #000000.

[frogman (devel-hinca)]

From the normal boot logs it really seems like X knows what its doing. No errors plus meaningful mode set.

[ 14.093] (II) LoadModule: "intel"
[ 14.093] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/intel_drv.so
[ 14.094] (II) Module intel: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[ 14.094] compiled for 1.10.2.902, module version = 2.15.901
[ 14.094] Module class: X.Org Video Driver
[ 14.094] ABI class: X.Org Video Driver, version 10.0
...
[ 14.924] (II) intel(0): Modeline "1920x1080"x60.0 139.00 1920 1980 2028 2050 1080 1090 1100 1130 -hsync -vsync (67.8 kHz)
...
[ 15.752] (II) intel(0): Output LVDS1 connected
...
[ 15.752] (II) intel(0): Output LVDS1 using initial mode 1920x1080

Why then is there nothing on the screen?

[frogman (dev-gw0)]

Also affects other users:

http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=87557&p=508660#p508516

[frogman (dev-gw0)]

I am taken aback by the overwhelming activity and attention this is getting.

[frogman (devel-hinca)]

More than seven months after reporting this bug, let me give you a summary:

Status: New
Importance: Undecided
Assigned to: Unassigned

This was my time well spent indeed. The Mint team don't even have the decency to close this bug without a fix. In the meanwhile I've moved on to a different distribution.