screen blanks (as if computer is off) after grub but only sometimes

[Matt Bunt]

First of all, I appologize if I filed this bug wrong, this is my first time. I am also not 100% sure it is Xorg related, but that seemed the most appropriate choice when I was anwsering the questions in the ubuntu-bug utility.

$ cat /proc/version_signature
Ubuntu 3.13.0-12.32-generic 3.13.4
$ lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu Trusty Tahr (development branch)
Release: 14.04

I originally tried to install 13.10 but had this intermittent blank screen problem so I hoped 14.04 would have a fix but it did not and now I'm troubleshooting in 14.04.

The problem is intermittently after I select ubuntu from grub my screen will blank (no signal) as if my computer were off. Here is a link to my forum post discussing the problem and what I've done to try to resolve it http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2207624. I'm not sure if the computer has crashed or its simply not outputing video, but the only way to recover is to do a hard restart and cross my fingers that it wont happen next time.

I know there are many bugs about blank screens, but this one seems to be unique in that it happens seemingly at random (race condition?).

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: xorg 1:7.7+1ubuntu8
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-12.32-generic 3.13.4
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-12-generic x86_64
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 2.13.2-0ubuntu5
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: No value set for `/apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/active_plugins'
CompositorRunning: compiz
CompositorUnredirectDriverBlacklist: '(nouveau|Intel).*Mesa 8.0'
CompositorUnredirectFSW: true
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Mon Feb 24 11:57:32 2014
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: trusty
DistroVariant: ubuntu
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes, if not too technical
GpuHangFrequency: Several times a day
GpuHangReproducibility: Seems to happen randomly
GpuHangStarted: Immediately after installing this version of Ubuntu
GraphicsCard:
 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Tahiti XT [Radeon HD 7970/R9 280X] [1002:6798] (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: XFX Pine Group Inc. HD 7970 Black Edition [1682:3213]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-02-24 (0 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.04 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Alpha amd64 (20140223)
MachineType: To be filled by O.E.M. To be filled by O.E.M.
PlymouthDebug: Error: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/var/log/plymouth-debug.log'
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-12-generic root=UUID=ef026b95-15a8-431b-8c0c-01dff07c163c ro drm.debug=0x4 plymouth:debug
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
Title: Xorg freeze
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 10/16/2012
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 1604
dmi.board.asset.tag: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: SABERTOOTH 990FX
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
dmi.board.version: Rev 1.xx
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.:bvr1604:bd10/16/2012:svnTobefilledbyO.E.M.:pnTobefilledbyO.E.M.:pvrTobefilledbyO.E.M.:rvnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:rnSABERTOOTH990FX:rvrRev1.xx: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 1:0.9.11+14.04.20140218-0ubuntu1
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.52+git1402191830.c5de5a~gd~t
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 10.2~git1402240730.73c78c~gd~t
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 10.2~git1402240730.73c78c~gd~t
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.15.0-1ubuntu6
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.8.2-1ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:7.3.0-1ubuntu3
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.99.910-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.10-1ubuntu2
xserver.bootTime: Mon Feb 24 11:08:13 2014
xserver.configfile: default
xserver.errors:

xserver.logfile: /var/log/Xorg.0.log
xserver.version: 2:1.15.0-1ubuntu6
xserver.video_driver: radeon

[Matt Bunt (darakus)]

Tried 3.14.0-031400rc5-generic mainline kernel but the bug is still happening.

It crashes sometimes before sometimes after modesetting but always before plymouth splash screen (purple ubuntu screen).

I don't know what else to do to troubleshoot this problem. But I'll keep working on it.

[Matt Bunt (darakus)]

This bug has been found to be in the ACPI setup of my motherboard (I believe).

I solved the issue by passing the noirqpoll kernel option

Here is my forum thread that lead to the solution.
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2210142

[Matt Bunt (darakus)]

ASUS Sabertooth 990fx