I'm having a similar problem. Without editing the boot entry to "set gfxpayload=text" I can't boot into X. Short after the boot both my monitors don't show any video signal, I get only to see a glimpse of the text messages from booting. I can only login from remote (ssh) to reboot. I've an "ATI Technologies Inc RV670PRO [Radeon HD 3850]" and I'm using the open-source Xorg driver (if it's important). I also use "GRUB_GFXMODE=1280x1024" but the few experiments I did with "GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480" didn't show any difference. I'm currently using kernel 2.6.35-7-generic (AMD64).
Looking at the syslog for the problematic boot I see:
I'm having a similar problem. Without editing the boot entry to "set gfxpayload=text" I can't boot into X. Short after the boot both my monitors don't show any video signal, I get only to see a glimpse of the text messages from booting. I can only login from remote (ssh) to reboot. I've an "ATI Technologies Inc RV670PRO [Radeon HD 3850]" and I'm using the open-source Xorg driver (if it's important). I also use "GRUB_GFXMODE= 1280x1024" but the few experiments I did with "GRUB_GFXMODE= 640x480" didn't show any difference. I'm currently using kernel 2.6.35-7-generic (AMD64).
Looking at the syslog for the problematic boot I see:
Jul 15 09:34:19 vorlon kernel: [ 16.910054] radeon 0000:02:00.0: GPU lockup CP stall for more than 1000msec buildd/ linux-2. 6.35/drivers/ gpu/drm/ radeon/ radeon_ fence.c: 235 radeon_ fence_wait+ 0x365/0x3d0 [rade codec_atihdmi vga16fb vgastate snd_hda_ codec_realtek radeon ttm ppdev drm_kms_helper snd_ 6ef>] warn_slowpath_ common+ 0x7f/0xc0 7e6>] warn_slowpath_ fmt+0x46/ 0x50 4d5>] radeon_ fence_wait+ 0x365/0x3d0 [radeon] 4d0>] ? autoremove_ wake_function+ 0x0/0x40 cd1>] radeon_ sync_obj_ wait+0x11/ 0x20 [radeon] 1b3>] ttm_bo_ wait+0x103/ 0x1c0 [ttm] 927>] radeon_ gem_wait_ idle_ioctl+ 0x97/0x140 [radeon] 35a>] drm_ioctl+ 0x34a/0x4c0 [drm] de9>] ? ext4_file_ write+0x39/ 0xb0 890>] ? radeon_ gem_wait_ idle_ioctl+ 0x0/0x140 [radeon] 59d>] vfs_ioctl+0x3d/0xd0 e71>] do_vfs_ ioctl+0x81/ 0x340 642>] ? vfs_write+ 0x132/0x1a0 1b1>] sys_ioctl+0x81/0xa0 0f2>] system_ call_fastpath+ 0x16/0x1b GRBM_STATUS= 0xA0003030 GRBM_STATUS2= 0x00000003 SRBM_STATUS= 0x200208C0 GRBM_SOFT_ RESET=0x00007FE E GRBM_SOFT_ RESET=0x0000000 1 GRBM_STATUS= 0x00003030 GRBM_STATUS2= 0x00000003 SRBM_STATUS= 0x200208C0 ring_test] *ERROR* radeon: ring test failed (scratch( 0x8504) =0xCAFEDEAD)
Jul 15 09:34:19 vorlon kernel: [ 16.910058] ------------[ cut here ]------------
Jul 15 09:34:19 vorlon kernel: [ 16.910083] WARNING: at /build/
on]()
Jul 15 09:34:19 vorlon kernel: [ 16.910085] Hardware name: M56S-S3
Jul 15 09:34:19 vorlon kernel: [ 16.910087] GPU lockup (waiting for 0x00000002 last fence id 0x00000001)
Jul 15 09:34:19 vorlon kernel: [ 16.910088] Modules linked in: snd_hda_
hda_intel lp snd_hda_codec drm snd_seq_midi snd_hwdep psmouse serio_raw snd_rawmidi snd_pcm snd_seq_midi_event snd_seq snd_timer snd_seq_device parport_pc parport
i2c_algo_bit snd soundcore snd_page_alloc i2c_nforce2 k8temp edac_core edac_mce_amd raid10 raid456 async_pq async_xor xor async_memcpy async_raid6_recov raid6_pq
async_tx raid1 raid0 firewire_ohci firewire_core multipath ahci crc_itu_t forcedeth pata_amd libahci linear
Jul 15 09:34:19 vorlon kernel: [ 16.910119] Pid: 1076, comm: Xorg Not tainted 2.6.35-7-generic #12-Ubuntu
Jul 15 09:34:19 vorlon kernel: [ 16.910121] Call Trace:
Jul 15 09:34:19 vorlon kernel: [ 16.910128] [<ffffffff8105f
Jul 15 09:34:19 vorlon kernel: [ 16.910131] [<ffffffff8105f
Jul 15 09:34:19 vorlon kernel: [ 16.910144] [<ffffffffa02d6
Jul 15 09:34:19 vorlon kernel: [ 16.910148] [<ffffffff8107e
Jul 15 09:34:19 vorlon kernel: [ 16.910160] [<ffffffffa02d6
Jul 15 09:34:19 vorlon kernel: [ 16.910168] [<ffffffffa00f5
Jul 15 09:34:19 vorlon kernel: [ 16.910182] [<ffffffffa02ed
Jul 15 09:34:19 vorlon kernel: [ 16.910197] [<ffffffffa0200
Jul 15 09:34:19 vorlon kernel: [ 16.910200] [<ffffffff811e6
Jul 15 09:34:19 vorlon kernel: [ 16.910215] [<ffffffffa02ed
Jul 15 09:34:19 vorlon kernel: [ 16.910218] [<ffffffff81161
Jul 15 09:34:19 vorlon kernel: [ 16.910221] [<ffffffff81161
Jul 15 09:34:19 vorlon kernel: [ 16.910224] [<ffffffff81151
Jul 15 09:34:19 vorlon kernel: [ 16.910226] [<ffffffff81162
Jul 15 09:34:19 vorlon kernel: [ 16.910230] [<ffffffff8100a
Jul 15 09:34:19 vorlon kernel: [ 16.910232] ---[ end trace ddb0eaeaf3e709e1 ]---
Jul 15 09:34:19 vorlon kernel: [ 16.910239] [drm] Disabling audio support
Jul 15 09:34:19 vorlon kernel: [ 16.911294] radeon 0000:02:00.0: GPU softreset
Jul 15 09:34:19 vorlon kernel: [ 16.911296] radeon 0000:02:00.0: R_008010_
Jul 15 09:34:19 vorlon kernel: [ 16.911299] radeon 0000:02:00.0: R_008014_
Jul 15 09:34:19 vorlon kernel: [ 16.911301] radeon 0000:02:00.0: R_000E50_
Jul 15 09:34:20 vorlon kernel: [ 17.059526] radeon 0000:02:00.0: Wait for MC idle timedout !
Jul 15 09:34:20 vorlon kernel: [ 17.059529] radeon 0000:02:00.0: R_008020_
Jul 15 09:34:20 vorlon kernel: [ 17.074542] radeon 0000:02:00.0: R_008020_
Jul 15 09:34:20 vorlon kernel: [ 17.090555] radeon 0000:02:00.0: R_008010_
Jul 15 09:34:20 vorlon kernel: [ 17.090558] radeon 0000:02:00.0: R_008014_
Jul 15 09:34:20 vorlon kernel: [ 17.090560] radeon 0000:02:00.0: R_000E50_
Jul 15 09:34:20 vorlon kernel: [ 17.091561] radeon 0000:02:00.0: GPU reset succeed
Jul 15 09:34:20 vorlon kernel: [ 17.093129] [drm] Clocks initialized !
Jul 15 09:34:20 vorlon kernel: [ 17.241969] radeon 0000:02:00.0: Wait for MC idle timedout !
Jul 15 09:34:20 vorlon kernel: [ 17.391453] radeon 0000:02:00.0: Wait for MC idle timedout !
Jul 15 09:34:20 vorlon kernel: [ 17.575352] [drm:r600_
Jul 15 09:34:20 vorlon kernel: [ 17.575357] [drm:r600_resume] *ERROR* r600 startup failed on resume