Ok, to make sure I fully understand: the only reason the framebuffer 
driver might cause a problem is because after the app is run, the 
display might be broken: the data that comes out would still be fine. I 
thought you were saying that the tool wouldn't give good data if the 
framebuffer driver existed in the kernel. So in this case, booting 
single user should be just fine.

Thanks for the clarification. I'll run the vbtracetool as soon as I get 
a chance.

On 01/28/2009 12:08 PM, Thunderbird wrote:
> You can also use a framebuffer driver (vesafb) but then the display
> might not get restored and then you would need to guess when to
> reboot. I would wait lets say 2 minutes when doing it this method and
> then reboot (just by typing it into another VT)
>
> Quoting Bem Jones-Bey<email address hidden>:
>
>    
>> On 01/28/2009 11:29 AM, Thunderbird wrote:
>>      
>>> What might be useful is the following on a fresh boot of your system
>>> without using the nvidia driver and also without a framebuffer driver
>>> (a framebuffer driver could prevent an image restore).
>>>
>>>
>>>        
>> Does Ubuntu have a kernel that doesn't have a framebuffer driver, or
>> would I have to compile my own? (Or does it not load the framebuffer
>> driver when I boot single user?) And I guess the other option would be
>> to boot with one of the minimal Linux distros.
>>
>> --
>> No Screen Backlight Control; Notebooks (Vaio, Macbook, HP/Compaq,
>> Samsung, Zepto et al.)  with Nvidia Geforce8/Geforce9/Quadro series
>> graphics
>> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/95444
>> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
>> of the bug.
>>
>> Status in Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL): Invalid
>> Status in “hal” source package in Ubuntu: New
>> Status in “hotkey-setup” source package in Ubuntu: In Progress
>> Status in “linux” source package in Ubuntu: In Progress
>> Status in “nvidia-graphics-drivers-177” source package in Ubuntu: In Progress
>>
>> Bug description:
>> Using Ubuntu on laptops with Nvidia Geforce8/Geforce9/Quadro vga card:
>>
>> On various laptops from Sony, HP, Samsung and others there is no way
>>   to control backlight brightness. In case of Sony e.g. on Vaios with
>>   8-series adapters, e.g.
>> nVidia Corporation GeForce 8400M GS
>> nVidia Corporation GeForce 8600M GT (rev a1)
>>
>> The registers have been found (kudos to mikes!) and incorporated into
>> nvclock, which you can check out by anonymous cvs and install:
>>
>> ]$ sudo apt-get install cvs
>> ]$ cvs
>> -d:pserver:<email address hidden>:/cvsroot/nvclock
>> login
>> ]$ cvs -z3
>> -d:pserver:<email address hidden>:/cvsroot/nvclock co
>>   -P nvclock
>> ]$ cd nvclock
>> ]$ ./autogen.sh
>> ]$ ./configure
>> ]$ make
>> ]$ sudo make install
>>
>> To test, make sure you are using nVidia's proprietary driver, then:
>> ]$ sudo nvclock -S 100
>> ]$ sudo nvclock -S 15
>> ]$ sudo nvclock -S +10
>>
>> So far mikes' registers have been found to work on:
>>
>> Apple laptops
>> {
>> Macbook 5,1 Aluminum 13.3"  (Geforce 9400M)
>> }
>>
>> HP/Compaq laptops
>> {
>> 8510W (Quadro FX 570M, MXM)
>> 8710P (Quadro NVS 320M, MXM)
>> }
>>
>> Samsung laptops:
>> {
>> Q210 (Geforce 9200M)
>> Q310 (Geforce 9200M)
>> R510 (Geforce 9200M)
>> }
>>
>> Sony laptops:
>> {
>> 8400M GS:
>> VGN SZ650N, SZ61MN/B, SZ730E, SZ750N, SZ71MN/B, SZ71E
>>
>> 8400M GT:
>> VGN FZ38M, FZ31M, FZ11Z, NR31, AR41E, FZ11S, FZ290, FZ250AE, FZ21E,
>> FZ21M, FZ21S, FZ470E, FZ340E, FZ190N, FZ18M, FZ31E, FZ18E, FZ260E
>> NR21Z, NR38S, NR21S
>>
>> 8600M GS:
>> VGN FZ31Z, FZ21Z, FZ31S
>>
>> 8600M GT:
>> VGN AR51SU, AR71S
>> }
>>
>> Zepto laptops
>> {
>> Geforce 9600GT based laptops using MXM cards
>> }
>>
>> Add your model to the list by clicking on the "Update description /
>> tags" link, NOT by asking in a bug comment for someone else to do it.
>>
>> To get hotkeys to work, follow the instructions in this comment:
>> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/hotkey-setup/+bug/95444/comments/75
>> or install the package at :
>> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/hotkey-setup/+bug/95444/comments/111
>>
>> Dual-adapter models (SZ6 among others) can get backlight control
>> with the Intel adapter using xbacklight, and can get hotkey
>> functionality as per bug #173652.
>>
>>      
>
>    


-- 
Bem Jones-Bey (<email address hidden>)