External monitor doesn't work on Toshiba Portege R600

[David Sterratt]

In summary, when an external monitor is not connected at boot, I can't
get the laptop to drive an external monitor. This is a problem in
Ubuntu Lucid (10.04) but it was not a problem in the Ubuntu Hardy
(8.04).

This appears to be a problem with the mainline kernel. I have
submitted a report at:
https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=31292

WORKAROUND: In the BIOS change "Power on Display" from "auto-selected" to "LCD+Analog RGB".

External monitor not connected at boot
--------------------------------------

* External monitor can be seen in "Monitor preferences", but laptop
  does not drive external monitor

$ xrandr -q
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1280 x 800, maximum 8192 x 8192
VGA1 connected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
   1360x768 59.8
   1024x768 60.0
   800x600 60.3 56.2
   848x480 60.0
   640x480 59.9 59.9
LVDS1 connected 1280x800+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 0mm x 0mm
   1280x800 60.2*+
   1024x768 85.0 75.0 70.1 60.0
   832x624 74.6
   800x600 85.1 72.2 75.0 60.3 56.2
   640x480 85.0 72.8 75.0 59.9
   720x400 85.0
   640x400 85.1
   640x350 85.1
DVI1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)

* "Mirror screens" in "Monitor preferences" appears to switch
  resolution, but the external monitor is not driven. In this case
  xrandr reports:

$ xrandr -q
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1024 x 768, maximum 8192 x 8192
VGA1 connected 1024x768+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 0mm x 0mm
   1360x768 59.8
   1024x768 60.0*
   800x600 60.3 56.2
   848x480 60.0
   640x480 59.9 59.9
LVDS1 connected 1024x768+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 0mm x 0mm
   1280x800 60.2 +
   1024x768 85.0 75.0 70.1 60.0*
   832x624 74.6
   800x600 85.1 72.2 75.0 60.3 56.2
   640x480 85.0 72.8 75.0 59.9
   720x400 85.0
   640x400 85.1
   640x350 85.1
DVI1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)

* I can't use toshset to connect external monitor:

$ sudo toshset -video both

This makes the screen go blank and the external monitor is not
driven. I can recover switching to VT1 and typing "sudo toshset -video int".

* Changning the output using the proc file system does not appear to
  work as it should (See http://memebeam.org/toys/ToshibaAcpiDriver
  and http://memebeam.org/toys/ToshibaAcpiVideo) :

# cat /proc/acpi/toshiba/video
lcd_out: 1
crt_out: 0
tv_out: 0
# echo "crt_out:1" > /proc/acpi/toshiba/video
# cat /proc/acpi/toshiba/video
lcd_out: 1
crt_out: 0
tv_out: 0

Workaround: External monitor connected at boot
----------------------------------------------

The external screen is driven automatically. The resolution of the
laptop screen is adjusted to match the external monitor.

It's not possible to turn off the monitor using the proc filesystem:

# cat /proc/acpi/toshiba/video
lcd_out: 0
crt_out: 1
tv_out: 0
root@bancroftmill:/home/dcs# echo "crt_out:0" > /proc/acpi/toshiba/video
root@bancroftmill:/home/dcs# cat /proc/acpi/toshiba/video
lcd_out: 0
crt_out: 1
tv_out: 0

It is possible to switch using the "Monitor preferences" tool.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: linux-image-2.6.32-30-generic 2.6.32-30.59
Regression: Yes
Reproducible: Yes
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-30.59-generic 2.6.32.29+drm33.13
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-30-generic i686
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.21.
AplayDevices:
 **** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: ALC262 Analog [ALC262 Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
Architecture: i386
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: ALC262 Analog [ALC262 Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: dcs 2390 F.... pulseaudio
CRDA: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0xbf200000 irq 22'
   Mixer name : 'Realtek ALC262'
   Components : 'HDA:10ec0262,11790606,00100302'
   Controls : 20
   Simple ctrls : 13
Date: Tue Apr 5 15:11:15 2011
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=8cdee96f-4c75-439c-967e-c0ace1b51b4b
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04 LTS "Lucid Lynx" - Release i386 (20100429)
MachineType: TOSHIBA PORTEGE R600
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-30-generic root=UUID=3bce9d42-0ffe-42c9-ab7a-28852d116dde ro quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_GB.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
RelatedPackageVersions: linux-firmware 1.34.4
SourcePackage: linux
dmi.bios.date: 10/23/2008
dmi.bios.vendor: TOSHIBA
dmi.bios.version: Version 1.50
dmi.board.asset.tag: 0000000000
dmi.board.name: Portable PC
dmi.board.vendor: TOSHIBA
dmi.board.version: Version A0
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: 0000000000
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: TOSHIBA
dmi.chassis.version: Version 1.0
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnTOSHIBA:bvrVersion1.50:bd10/23/2008:svnTOSHIBA:pnPORTEGER600:pvrPPR61E-00Q00CEN:rvnTOSHIBA:rnPortablePC:rvrVersionA0:cvnTOSHIBA:ct10:cvrVersion1.0:
dmi.product.name: PORTEGE R600
dmi.product.version: PPR61E-00Q00CEN
dmi.sys.vendor: TOSHIBA

[Nine (nine-lesi)]

This continues to manifest on 11.10

[Jon Dowland (jond)]

I think I've figured this out.

In my BIOS (hit esc and/or f1 repeatedly at boot to get to it), there's an
option "Power on Display". It's not visible on the first page; I had to hit
page down to bring up the second page.

My laptop was set to "auto-selected", if I switch it to the only other option
"LCD+Analog RGB", then I can hot-plug an external display at run time in Linux,
regardless of whether I booted with one attached.

Note that I still think there's a bug in Linux here: if the ext display is not powered,
but still detected, it should power it up. I think Windows gets this right, but I have
to confirm that.

[David Sterratt (david-c-sterratt)]

I can confirm that this workaround works. Thanks very much for working on this Jon.

[Leo Liberti (lliberti)]

This bug (and its BIOS workaround) also applies to Ubuntu 11.04 on Toshiba Portege R500.

Leo

[Nine (nine-lesi)]

This bug (and its BIOS workaround) also applies to Ubuntu 11.10 on Toshiba Tecra A10-17R

Jon Dowland thanks for the workaround :)

[penalvch (penalvch)]

David Sterratt, this bug was reported a while ago and there hasn't been any activity in it recently. We were wondering if this is still an issue? If so, could you please test for this with the latest development release of Ubuntu? ISO images are available from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/ .

If it remains an issue, could you please run the following command in the development release from a Terminal (Applications->Accessories->Terminal), as it will automatically gather and attach updated debug information to this report:

apport-collect -p linux <replace-with-bug-number>

Also, could you please test the latest upstream kernel available following https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds ? It will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue. Please do not test the daily folder, but the one all the way at the bottom. Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please comment on which kernel version specifically you tested. If this bug is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tags:
kernel-fixed-upstream
kernel-fixed-upstream-VERSION-NUMBER

where VERSION-NUMBER is the version number of the kernel you tested. For example:
kernel-fixed-upstream-v3.11-rc5

This can be done by clicking on the yellow circle with a black pencil icon next to the word Tags located at the bottom of the bug description. As well, please remove the tag:
needs-upstream-testing

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the following tags:
kernel-bug-exists-upstream
kernel-bug-exists-upstream-VERSION-NUMBER

As well, please remove the tag:
needs-upstream-testing

Once testing of the upstream kernel is complete, please mark this bug's Status as Confirmed. Please let us know your results. Thank you for your understanding.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Nine, if you have a bug in Ubuntu, the Ubuntu Kernel team, Ubuntu Bug Control team, and Ubuntu Bug Squad would like you to please file a new report by executing the following in a terminal while booted into a Ubuntu repository kernel (not a mainline one) via:
ubuntu-bug linux

For more on this, please read the official Ubuntu documentation:
Ubuntu Bug Control and Ubuntu Bug Squad: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/BestPractices#X.2BAC8-Reporting.Focus_on_One_Issue
Ubuntu Kernel Team: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelTeam/KernelTeamBugPolicies#Filing_Kernel_Bug_reports
Ubuntu Community: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs#Bug_reporting_etiquette

When opening up the new report, please feel free to subscribe me to it.

Please note, not filing a new report would delay your problem being addressed as quickly as possible.

No need exists to comment here at this time. After reading the above documentation in it's entirety, if you have further questions, you are welcome to redirect them to the appropriate mailing list or forum via http://www.ubuntu.com/support/community/mailinglists , or you may contact me directly.

Thank you for your understanding.

[Nine (nine-lesi)]

Sorry sor writing again here, but the file that I have uploaded was relative to this bug.

You have asked to David Sterratt run the commands, but after some time I assume that anyone can do the report upload.

I don't know if the owner of the bug is "responsible" to make all the updates but this needs a specific computer module and David may not have it.

If you need the file again please ask, if don't receive any update I will shut up.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Thanks.

[David Sterratt (david-c-sterratt)]

Sorry for not responding to the comments sooner. I'm not now using the R600 to connect to external displays, and I haven't got much time to try out the latest ISO (especially if it would need to be installed on disk - I could run live it might be OK). So I'm happy to let this bug lie.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

David Sterratt, Live would be fine.

[Po-Hsu Lin (cypressyew)]

Closing this bug with Won't fix as Hardy is no longer supported.
Please feel free to open a new bug report if you're still experiencing this on a newer release (Bionic 18.04.3 / Disco 19.04)
Thanks!