Computer unbootable after Natty install

[James Pursey]

Hi

After upgrading from Maverick to Natty, this machine (now running via a Live CD) becomes unbootable. The boot process seems to start off OK, but then finishes with an "aubergine screen of death" with a solid blue line at the top (see attached photo). I have tried the uprgrade via both apt and the live CD but the two methods fail in the same way.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
Package: xorg 1:7.6+4ubuntu3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-8.42-generic 2.6.38.2
Uname: Linux 2.6.38-8-generic x86_64
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: No value set for `/apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/active_plugins'
CompositorRunning: None
Date: Fri Apr 15 12:44:40 2011
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: natty
DistroVariant: ubuntu
GdmLog1:

GdmLog2:

GraphicsCard:
 ATI Technologies Inc Mobility Radeon HD 3650 [1002:9591] (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems Device [1179:ff62]
LiveMediaBuild: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Beta amd64 (20110413)
MachineType: TOSHIBA Satellite A300D
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_US:en
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: file=/cdrom/preseed/hostname.seed boot=casper initrd=/casper/initrd.lz quiet splash -- nomodeset
Renderer: Software
SourcePackage: xorg
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 12/26/2008
dmi.bios.vendor: Insyde Corp.
dmi.bios.version: 1.80
dmi.board.asset.tag: No Asset Tag
dmi.board.name: Portable PC
dmi.board.vendor: TOSHIBA
dmi.board.version: Base Board Version
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Tag
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: AMD
dmi.chassis.version: None
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnInsydeCorp.:bvr1.80:bd12/26/2008:svnTOSHIBA:pnSatelliteA300D:pvrPSAHCE-01W00LFR:rvnTOSHIBA:rnPortablePC:rvrBaseBoardVersion:cvnAMD:ct10:cvrNone:
dmi.product.name: Satellite A300D
dmi.product.version: PSAHCE-01W00LFR
dmi.sys.vendor: TOSHIBA
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.4+bzr20110411-0ubuntu1
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.23-1ubuntu6
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 7.10.2-0ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 7.10.2-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg: xserver-xorg 1:7.6+4ubuntu3
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.14.0-0ubuntu4
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.14.0-4ubuntu7
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20110107+b795ca6e-0ubuntu7

[James Pursey (jamespursey)]

Just tried again with the boot option acpi=off - same result.
Also, any attempt to boot into rescue mode results in a system freeze and a "black screen of death."

[John Mark (johnmark)]

This also impacts me. Here's the relevant part of dmesg:

Apr 26 16:24:38 jm-t500 avahi-dnsconfd[1147]: Successfully connected to Avahi daemon.
Apr 26 16:24:39 jm-t500 kernel: [ 18.789976] BUG: unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at 0000008e
Apr 26 16:24:39 jm-t500 kernel: [ 18.790015] IP: [<f85cf7be>] drm_mode_connector_update_edid_property+0x5e/0x170 [drm]
Apr 26 16:24:39 jm-t500 kernel: [ 18.790065] *pdpt = 0000000030d60001 *pde = 0000000000000000
Apr 26 16:24:39 jm-t500 kernel: [ 18.790092] Oops: 0000 [#1] SMP
Apr 26 16:24:39 jm-t500 kernel: [ 18.790111] last sysfs file: /sys/module/bluetooth/initstate
Apr 26 16:24:39 jm-t500 kernel: [ 18.790140] Modules linked in: bnep snd_hda_codec_conexant l2cap snd_hda_intel snd_hda_codec snd_hwdep snd_pcm thinkpad_acpi snd_seq_midi snd_rawmidi arc4 snd_seq_midi_event snd_seq snd_timer joydev pcmcia yenta_socket r852 sm_common nand nand_ids snd_seq_device iwlagn pcmcia_rsrc radeon(+) snd lp btusb iwlcore ttm mac80211 nand_ecc mtd psmouse uvcvideo videodev hid_apple pcmcia_core soundcore cfg80211 tpm_tis tpm tpm_bios nvram serio_raw usbhid hid snd_page_alloc bluetooth parport i915 firewire_ohci firewire_core sdhci_pci drm_kms_helper drm ahci sdhci crc_itu_t e1000e libahci i2c_algo_bit video
Apr 26 16:24:39 jm-t500 kernel: [ 18.790457]
Apr 26 16:24:39 jm-t500 kernel: [ 18.790467] Pid: 551, comm: modprobe Not tainted 2.6.38-8-generic-pae #42-Ubuntu LENOVO 20553AU/20553AU
Apr 26 16:24:39 jm-t500 kernel: [ 18.790517] EIP: 0060:[<f85cf7be>] EFLAGS: 00010202 CPU: 0
Apr 26 16:24:39 jm-t500 kernel: [ 18.790553] EIP is at drm_mode_connector_update_edid_property+0x5e/0x170 [drm]
Apr 26 16:24:39 jm-t500 kernel: [ 18.790589] EAX: 00000010 EBX: f604c000 ECX: f0c78000 EDX: 000080d0
Apr 26 16:24:39 jm-t500 kernel: [ 18.790616] ESI: 00000000 EDI: 00000010 EBP: f0cc5c94 ESP: f0cc5c7c
Apr 26 16:24:39 jm-t500 kernel: [ 18.790643] DS: 007b ES: 007b FS: 00d8 GS: 00e0 SS: 0068
Apr 26 16:24:39 jm-t500 kernel: [ 18.790668] Process modprobe (pid: 551, ti=f0cc4000 task=f0c4e500 task.ti=f0cc4000)
Apr 26 16:24:39 jm-t500 kernel: [ 18.790700] Stack:
Apr 26 16:24:39 jm-t500 kernel: [ 18.790712] f0911000 f0c78000 00000010 f604c000 f0911000 f604c170 f0cc5ca4 f996ba9d
Apr 26 16:24:39 jm-t500 kernel: [ 18.790754] f604c000 00002000 f0cc5cd8 f99652f4 f0cc5cc8 f9964e8b 00000001 f0c18c00
Apr 26 16:24:39 jm-t500 kernel: [ 18.790797] 00000001 f604c000 f604c170 f604c000 f604c000 00002000 f604c170 f0cc5d14
Apr 26 16:24:39 jm-t500 kernel: [ 18.790839] Call Trace:
Apr 26 16:24:39 jm-t500 kernel: [ 18.790876] [<f996ba9d>] radeon_ddc_get_modes+0x4d/0xf0 [radeon]
Apr 26 16:24:39 jm-t500 kernel: [ 18.790920] [<f99652f4>] radeon_lvds_get_modes+0x24/0x280 [radeon]
Apr 26 16:24:39 jm-t500 kernel: [ 18.790964] [<f9964e8b>] ? radeon_connector_update_scratch_regs+0x6b/0x90 [radeon]
Apr 26 16:24:39 jm-t500 kernel: [ 18.791005] [<f8584cd6>] drm_helper_probe_single_connector_modes+0xc6/0x340 [drm_kms_helper]
Apr 26 16:24:39 jm-t500 kernel: [ 18.791051] [<f85842f3>] drm_fb_helper_initial_config+0xb3/0xf0 [drm_kms_helper]
Apr 26 16:24:39 jm-t500 kernel: [ 18.791101] [<f9972f58>] radeon_fb...

[John Mark (johnmark)]

And to be able to boot, I added the drm and radeon modules to /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf

[Jose Andres Rosario (vrosario2)]

Having the exact same issue when I upgrade via the Upgrade Manager from 10.10, and live disk for both 32 and 64 bit. John Mark, does your fix work? Can you please explain in more details for a newbie?

[Endre Stølsvik (stolsvik)]

I have a Lenovo ThinkPad W500. This features a 'ATI Technologies Inc Mobility Radeon HD 3650'.

I didn't manage to start the Natty 11.04 live CD, nor install Ubuntu in any way, due to a kernel oops (same as shown in comment#3)

The trick was to go into BIOS and enable the "Integrated graphics" (thus not use "Discrete graphics" - the ATI card, nor "Switchable graphics") and also on the same page disable the "automatic detection of switchable graphics for supported OSes" option.

With this, it was dead simple to install.

But the integrated graphics apparently couldn't handle two external monitors, only one external and the laptop screen.

Adding 'drm' and 'radeon' to /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf as described in comment#4, and going into BIOS and set it to Discrete, the system booted up just fine, now detecting and handling the three screens (two ext + laptop) fine. (I cannot get all three screens up at the same time, though - only any two).