[radeon] GDM3 fails to load without nomodeset

[zanonmark]

Both with the livecd (usb drive) and the installed version, I must boot with the 'nomodeset' kernel parameter at GRUB; otherwise GDM3 will not boot (the screen will keep on flashing in semi-textual mode, with a white mouse arrow stuck).
This, however, prevents me from using the 'radeon' video driver, dropping me to a very basic 1024x768 vesa mode.

The bug did NOT occur on Ubuntu 12.04, so it is a regression.
Also, the bug does NOT occur on XUbuntu/XFCE 18.04, so it is a GDM3-Gnome related thing.

Thanks,
MZ

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
Package: gdm3 3.28.0-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-20.21-generic 4.15.17
Uname: Linux 4.15.0-20-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7
Architecture: amd64
CasperVersion: 1.394
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Wed Jul 18 12:18:06 2018
LiveMediaBuild: Ubuntu 18.04 LTS "Bionic Beaver" - Release amd64 (20180426)
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm-256color
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=C.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: gdm3
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
mtime.conffile..etc.gdm3.custom.conf: 2018-07-18T12:14:53.871895
---
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7
Architecture: amd64
CasperVersion: 1.394
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
LiveMediaBuild: Ubuntu 18.04 LTS "Bionic Beaver" - Release amd64 (20180426)
Package: linux
PackageArchitecture: amd64
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm-256color
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=C.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-20.21-generic 4.15.17
Tags: bionic
Uname: Linux 4.15.0-20-generic x86_64
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
UserGroups: adm cdrom dip lpadmin plugdev sambashare sudo
_MarkForUpload: True
mtime.conffile..etc.gdm3.custom.conf: 2018-07-19T11:39:06.027905
---
ProblemType: Bug
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.2
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
InstallationDate: Installed on 2018-07-12 (13 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 18.04 LTS "Bionic Beaver" - Release amd64 (20180426)
Package: linux
PackageArchitecture: amd64
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-29.31-generic 4.15.18
Tags: bionic
Uname: Linux 4.15.0-29-generic x86_64
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
UserGroups: adm cdrom dip lpadmin plugdev sambashare sudo
_MarkForUpload: True

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Sounds like a kernel driver problem. Adding a 'linux' task.

[Ubuntu Kernel Bot (ubuntu-kernel-bot)]

This bug is missing log files that will aid in diagnosing the problem. While running an Ubuntu kernel (not a mainline or third-party kernel) please enter the following command in a terminal window:

apport-collect 1782347

and then change the status of the bug to 'Confirmed'.

If, due to the nature of the issue you have encountered, you are unable to run this command, please add a comment stating that fact and change the bug status to 'Confirmed'.

This change has been made by an automated script, maintained by the Ubuntu Kernel Team.

[zanonmark (info-marcozanon)]

apport information

[zanonmark (info-marcozanon)]

apport information

[zanonmark (info-marcozanon)]

apport information

[zanonmark (info-marcozanon)]

Logs were taken when booting with 'nomodeset'; otherwise the machine is unbootable.

Thanks,
MZ

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Please edit your /etc/gdm3/custom.conf and comment out:

  WaylandEnable=false

Now you should be able to boot without 'nomodeset'...?

[zanonmark (info-marcozanon)]

Sorry, no improvements.

I booted the live cd in single mode, modified /etc/gdm3/custom.conf as follows, then exited the single mode and continued the normal boot process.

1) First attempt:
#WaylandEnable=false

I can see the purple background for a moment, then I'm sent back to text mode and the mouse arrow keeps flashing.

2) Second attempt:
#WaylandEnable=false
#AutomaticLoginEnable=true
#AutomaticLogin=ubuntu

This time I can't even see the purple background.

All boots were made without 'nomodeset'.

Thanks,
MZ

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

OK, next please run these commands and send us the resulting files:

  dmesg > dmesg.txt
  journalctl > journal.txt

And in case something is crashing please also do:

1. Apply the workaround from bug 994921.

2. Look in /var/crash for crash files and if found run:
     ubuntu-bug YOURFILE.crash
   and tell us the ID of the newly-created bug.

3. If step 2 failed then look at https://errors.ubuntu.com/user/ID where ID is the contents of the /var/lib/whoopsie/whoopsie-id file on the machine. Do you find any links to recent problems on the machine? If so then please send them to us.

[zanonmark (info-marcozanon)]

Nothing crashed, so I skipped Your points #2 and #3.

As for #1, here's the log:
* when booting with 'noquiet nomodeset'
* and when booting with 'noquiet single' (I must add 'single' because starting gdm without 'nomodeset' halts the machine).

Thanks,
MZ

[Ubuntu Kernel Bot (ubuntu-kernel-bot)]

This bug is missing log files that will aid in diagnosing the problem. While running an Ubuntu kernel (not a mainline or third-party kernel) please enter the following command in a terminal window:

apport-collect 1782347

and then change the status of the bug to 'Confirmed'.

If, due to the nature of the issue you have encountered, you are unable to run this command, please add a comment stating that fact and change the bug status to 'Confirmed'.

This change has been made by an automated script, maintained by the Ubuntu Kernel Team.

[zanonmark (info-marcozanon)]

Isn't it the same logs I provided with apport-collect before?

Thanks,
MZ

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Mostly the same, yes. That's just a dumb bot... You can choose to either do as it asks or to ignore it and set 'Confirmed'.

Separately, I still think something might be crashing, and when it does you wouldn't really know a crash had occurred. Only the absence of a working system is a hint. Please complete steps 2 and 3 from comment #10 just in case.

[zanonmark (info-marcozanon)]

Thanks, I did step #2 (#3 was useless because #2 didn't fail) and the newly-created bug report is #1783999.

Thanks,
MZ

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Thanks. Unfortunately crash bug 1783999 is partially corrupt and not debuggable. So please send more crash reports as soon as you find them...

[zanonmark (info-marcozanon)]

The newly created crash report is #1787698.

[zanonmark (info-marcozanon)]

Bug #1787698 was reported to be useless, possibly because the machine was not up-to-date, which isn't the case because mine was; so I can't be more helpful here...

Thanks,
MZ

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

No problem. Just wait until it happens again and eventually one of the crash reports will be more usable.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Thank you for reporting this bug to Ubuntu.

Ubuntu 18.04 (bionic) reached end-of-standard-support on May 31, 2023.

See this document for currently supported Ubuntu releases:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases

We appreciate that this bug may be old and you might not be interested in discussing it anymore. But if you are then please upgrade to the latest Ubuntu version and re-test. If you then find the bug is still present in the newer Ubuntu version, please add a comment here telling us which new version it is in.