x gives black screen with fglrx

[Reinier Lamers]

I had been running X successfully with the fglrx driver on Hardy. When I install fglrx on Intrepid, I expected it to just work like on Hardy. Instead, when I boot the system, I get a black screen.
Even though, I can switch to the text console using Ctrl+Alt+F1.

[lspci]
00:00.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] RS780 Host Bridge
     Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device 11e7
01:05.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc RS780M/RS780MN [Radeon HD 3200 Graphics]
     Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device 1062
02:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Mobility Radeon HD 3400 Series
     Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device 1875

[Reinier Lamers (tux-rocker)]

Also note that while I expect X to bail out with an error whenever it can't display anything, it fails silenty. I can't even find a clue in the log file.

[Reinier Lamers (tux-rocker)]

To make matters worse, the Radeon driver also fails silently. Instead of a black screen, it shows me a blinking text cursor in the top left corner of the screen.

[Martin Kossick (hacktick)]

Reassigning to package xorg.

[stelford (stef-ummon)]

I have to also say, I get the -exact- same problem (find attached my xlog output, and xorg.conf) using a m88 chipset (mobility radeon 3870). This is allegedly supported but.. not under jaunty. The last Ubuntu that I tried was hardy, which worked with the same computer. I believe that something changed with how xorg detects laptop screen is attached to the graphics card from xorg 1.3.

If you look at the log file for -any- 'blank screen' fglrx problem, you will notice that the ConnectedDisplay is always all zeros. In other words, no monitor is detected as 'connected', even though it then goes on to get the EDID information. In my case, the laptop screen can go upto 1920x1440 (it's a 17inch laptop screen) but it seems to only find upto 1400x1050 (which is the highest resolution in the vesa bios for the m88 I think).

in my case, I can ssh over to the laptop with the blank screen, and even attaching another monitor to the laptop's vga out port shows me a 1200x1024 desktop on the external. There is -no- way to enable the laptop screen (not the fn+f3 nor xrandr command/tool. nothing).

Anyway, currently I can use the open source radeon without -any- trouble (and the xlog is attached for comparison)

[stelford (stef-ummon)]

log file from the -working- radeon (simply remarking fglrx and uninstalling fglrx and then restarting)

[stelford (stef-ummon)]

here is the working logfile from the laptop. I wipped 9.04 and reinstalled 8.04 and the latest fglrx. Same config, works like a dream :\

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

I've posted a new version of the -fglrx driver to our xorg-edgers PPA,
would you mind testing it either on Jaunty or Karmic and see if it
resolves this bug?

Get fglrx 8.620 here:

  https://edge.launchpad.net/~xorg-edgers/+archive/ppa

[tsh (tsh)]

Confirmed as not fixed by 8.620 on my machine. I did briefly manage to get a display at 640x480 after having both CRT and LCD monitors connected, reboot with LCD, aticonfig --initial -f, reboot. Never managed to replicate this state of working. A possibly related feature is that the BIOS does not display on the LCD (HD-TV connected via HDMI), only on the CRT. ConnectedDisplays is all 0 again.

[tsh (tsh)]

With the same machine, adding a HD 3450 card rather than using the built-in HD 3300 I get a good display in the LCD, no change other than aticonfig --initial -f again. Log attached for comparison, no obvious clues to me.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Thanks for testing

[stelford (stef-ummon)]

Hello Bryce,
   I tried the xorg-edgers last night fglrx last night (8.62 I believe) and still no joy.. blank screen etc, same logfile and same errors. I definitely think this is a problem with mobility radeons, EDID and lcd detection. I still get that whole 'nothing connected' and this is with only -1- video card in the laptop and -1- LCD. Tres weird, n'est pas ?

  Regards
  Stef

[laleshii (rrr-junior)]

Dell Studio 1535 with an ATI Radeon HD 3450 . Same issue.

[forscher (forscher)]

I've tested the new 8.623 (Catalyst 9.7) on my HD 3870 (R670) from Karmic (2.6.31-5-24), started with a new xorg.conf, aticonfig --initial and have the same issue: black screen.
On the old kernel 2.6.28-14 the new 8.623 works, but without 2D support (horrible!). I use radeonhd now (no gaming today ;-( ).

regards

[stelford (stef-ummon)]

So, I have eventually ended up switching out my videocards in my laptop and replacing with GeForce.. no problems at all now ;)

But, I DID notice this from the most recent Catalyst (9.8) release notes ;

[RandR 1.2] Monitor detection now functions properly, client no longer takes several seconds per monitor

May be worth someone giving that new version a try ? I firmly believe that the monitor detection was fubared.

[Bart Verwilst (verwilst)]

HD4850, same issue ( on Karmic )

[Alberto Milone (albertomilone)]

Can you see if you can still reproduce the problem with the latest driver in Ubuntu Karmic, please?

[Bart Verwilst (verwilst)]

Tried with 8.660-0ubuntu1, still a black screen. I have tried with radeonhd and radeon, but they all freeze. I'm starting to think that this is not really an issue specific to the fglrx driver, but something in X or mesa itself. Something to do with DRI or 3D? Loading the VESA driver does work, and I have a stable ( but crappy ;) ) desktop.

Any ideas? I really want this squashed before the Karmic release, so i'll test/try anything ;)

[Rafael Carduz Rocha (rafaelcrocha)]

  I am experiencing this issue also with radeon hd 3470 and karmic with latest kernel and 8.660-0ubuntu1.
  I though this was bug Bug #413791, but it seems to be a different issue..

[Rafael Carduz Rocha (rafaelcrocha)]

  Hi, Anyone has a workaround? i have the exact same issue on a gentoo system 26.30 with catalyst 9.9 . So I doubt this is a bug in fglrx installer. Still no gaming this month...

[Rafael Carduz Rocha (rafaelcrocha)]

Any news on this bug? I am really considering downgrading to jaunty, because I need some to do some working that requires video acceleration... I tried also 9.11 beta (found it in phoronix), but still the same error...
Thanks

[Rafael Carduz Rocha (rafaelcrocha)]

I tried creating the packages from recently released catalyst 9.10 from ati website. Same error. I also tried catalyst 9.11, with no success again. Is this only happening with HD 3450 cards? Any news?

[hvgotcodes (michael-e-harris)]

I just installed karmic beta. Updated packages. Enabled the no-backfill xorg-server PPA. Enabled fglrx.
I do not have this issue of this thread. My graphics card as reported by lspci is:

01:00.1 Audio device: ATI Technologies Inc RV635 Audio device [Radeon HD 3600 Series]

[Rafael Carduz Rocha (rafaelcrocha)]

  Hi, I don't know about the no-backfill xorg-server PPA. Will it do difference in this? Have you experienced this bug before?
I am not certain if I should try it..
  So far as I understand this bug is associate with certain videocard and maybe yours isn't affected. From reading this thread I think it affects only 34xx series...
  I am using the radeon drive with acceleration and kenel 2.6.32.r5, it is ok, but I still have some issues with virtualbox...

thanks

[Giulio (giulio-ribas)]

I'm sorry reviving an old topic, but I'm having this black screen issue with a Radeon HD 4890 since Jaunty. I cant use fglrx with it no matter what I do. Radeon and radeonhd drivers do work, with metacity composition activated, but fglrx is simply a no go. Just to state that this problem is not a 34xx exclusive, Im having this as well and its really annoying. I've created a thread here, but no help.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=8190670

[mick1303 (tregubm)]

I'm having similar problem with ATI AH3450 AGP card. I've created a thread
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1372458

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

[This bug was nominated for lucid, but no evidence exists in bug report that it still affects lucid, so the nomination is not acceptable at this time. A lucid compatible version of -fglrx was added just recently, so this needs retested.]

[Rafael Carduz Rocha (rafaelcrocha)]

Hi, I can confirm I can now use fglrx with lucid.. This seems solved... I will miss the open drives, but I thinks I will rejoin them soon, as soon as I get hdmi sound and other minor issues...

[Alberto Milone (albertomilone)]

@Rafael
Can you attach the output of the following command, please?
lspci -vv

[Rafael Carduz Rocha (rafaelcrocha)]

there

[Alberto Milone (albertomilone)]

Thanks for your feedback

Ok, I'm closing this bug report as the problem seems to be solved in Lucid. Feel free to reopen this bug report if it's not.