AMD FGLRX Driver: Black Screen with Reboot of prev. kernel

[Karsten Voges]

Observations:

1. This FGLRX driver can be installed with the 3.0.0-15 PAE 32 Bit kernel. BUT: a) To load a prevous kernel version via GRUB fails due to a black screen at login. b) the Gnome Shell has damaged fonts as shown in the attached screenshot. This seems to be a new problem.
2. The installation of a driver update (system settings/additional drivers/FGLRX driver update) fails because the package cannot be found.
3. After installation of the ATI/AMD proprietary grahics driver with kernel 3.3RC3 and reboot: cryptsetup login works but no login screen but black screen instead. uname -r: 3.3.0-030300rc3-generic-pae. The atempt to load a previous kernel via GRUB (kernel 3.0.0-15 PAE 32 bit) also fails. That means that the complete system hang due to the graphics driver problem. Solution was to do a failsafe login via GRUB and uninstall the FGLRX drivers: apt-get purge fglrx-amdcccle, apt-get purge fglrc, apt-get purge fglrx-updates

I don't know if this is an Ubuntu or an ATI driver problem. But 1. seems to be at least a compatibility issue. A driver that was installed with a certain kernel version blocks loading of another kernel. 2. is a package maintenance problem. 3. shows that the problem is upstream relevant and even worse with the upstream kernel.

Software: Ubuntu 11.10 32 Bit from Alternate CD using LUKS/LVM with /-encryption, PAE-enable kernel update. Gnome Shell.
uname -r: 3.0.0-15-generic-pae

Hardware:

HP ProBook 4535s LG865EA

AMD A6-3400m APU with AMD Radeon

Dual Graphic
1. AMD Radeon™ HD 6520G in APU-chip
2. AMD Radeon™ HD 6470M

4 GB RAM

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: xorg 1:7.6+7ubuntu7.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-15.26-generic-pae 3.0.13
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-15-generic-pae i686
NonfreeKernelModules: fglrx
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4
Architecture: i386
CompizPlugins: No value set for `/apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/active_plugins'
CompositorRunning: None
Date: Tue Feb 21 01:16:18 2012
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: oneiric
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus:
 fglrx, 8.881, 3.0.0-15-generic-pae, i686: installed
 fglrx, 8.881, 3.3.0-030300rc3-generic-pae, i686: installed
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes, if not too technical
GraphicsCard:
 ATI Technologies Inc Device [1002:9647] (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:168c]
 ATI Technologies Inc NI Seymour [AMD Radeon HD 6470M] [1002:6760] (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:168c]
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Release i386 (20111011)
JockeyStatus:
 xorg:fglrx_updates - ATI/AMDs proprietärer FGRLX-Grafiktreiber (Nachträgliche Aktualisierungen) (Proprietär, Deaktiviert, Nicht benutzt)
 xorg:fglrx - ATI/AMD: proprietärer FGLRX-Grafiktreiber (Proprietär, Aktiviert, In Benutzung)
MachineType: Hewlett-Packard HP ProBook 4535s
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-3.0.0-15-generic-pae root=/dev/mapper/HDD--LVM-SYSTEM ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
Title: Xorg freeze
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 11/11/2011
dmi.bios.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.bios.version: 68CPC Ver. F.20
dmi.board.asset.tag: Base Board Asset Tag
dmi.board.name: 168B
dmi.board.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.board.version: KBC Version 32.18
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: CNU2012G2K
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnHewlett-Packard:bvr68CPCVer.F.20:bd11/11/2011:svnHewlett-Packard:pnHPProBook4535s:pvrA0001D02:rvnHewlett-Packard:rn168B:rvrKBCVersion32.18:cvnHewlett-Packard:ct10:cvr:
dmi.product.name: HP ProBook 4535s
dmi.product.version: A0001D02
dmi.sys.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
version.compiz: compiz N/A
version.fglrx-installer: fglrx-installer 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

[Karsten Voges (karsten-voges)]

I expect that most users who have this problem do not realize the reason. Therefore for those useres a complete reinstallation of the system is necessary. Therefore I recommend a higher priorisation of this bug nevertheless a workaround (uninstall FGLRX driver) exists.

[Karsten Voges (karsten-voges)]

#2 P.S.: Valid for 3. (FGLRX driver installed on mainstream kernel 3.3RC3)