Corrupt video leaving graphics mode

[Jim Louvau]

Any time I leave graphics mode (ctl-alt-f1, logout, suspend, shutdown, etc) video gets corrupted, sort of like looking through frosted glass or bad TV reception. Going back to the GUI does not fix the problem, nor does restarting X/gdm. So far my only "fix" is a reboot. In the GUI I have zero issues. I can play games, edit photos, play movies with no artifacts or problems. Leaving the GUI recreates the issue 100%.

I have tried disablig frame buffers (nofb), with and without desktop effects enabled, the 180, 185 and 190 nvidia drivers to no avail. I also don't see the issue with the xorg driver, only with the proprietary ones.

This is on an Asus N51 laptop with a m240GT card (~9600GT).

I see nothing disturbing in dmesg.

I also see multicolored random junk lines on the bottom half of the display during a shutdown (usplash?).

Attached are pictures of tty, GUI after returning from the corrupt tty and a shutdown.

What you can't see in the pictures is that the distortion is not fixed, it continuously jitters.

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: amd64
Date: Fri Nov 13 19:23:49 2009
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release amd64 (20091027)
MachineType: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. N51Vn
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Package: nvidia-glx-185 185.18.36-0ubuntu9
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-14-generic root=UUID=b32add1c-69c0-4d5c-8379-f9aed80481a1 ro quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-14.48-generic
RelatedPackageVersions:
 xserver-xorg 1:7.4+3ubuntu7
 libgl1-mesa-glx 7.6.0-1ubuntu4
 libdrm2 2.4.14-1ubuntu1
 xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.9.0-1ubuntu2
 xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.12.99+git20090929.7968e1fb-0ubuntu1
SourcePackage: nvidia-graphics-drivers-180
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-14-generic x86_64
XsessionErrors:
 (gnome-settings-daemon:2087): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_propagate_error: assertion `src != NULL' failed
 (gnome-settings-daemon:2087): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_propagate_error: assertion `src != NULL' failed
 (nautilus:2170): Eel-CRITICAL **: eel_preferences_get_boolean: assertion `preferences_is_initialized ()' failed
 (polkit-gnome-authentication-agent-1:2215): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_once_init_leave: assertion `initialization_value != 0' failed
 (gnome-panel:2169): Gdk-WARNING **: /build/buildd/gtk+2.0-2.18.3/gdk/x11/gdkdrawable-x11.c:952 drawable is not a pixmap or window
dmi.bios.date: 08/13/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 217
dmi.board.asset.tag: ATN12345678901234567
dmi.board.name: N51Vn
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
dmi.board.version: 1.0
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Tag
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: 1.0
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr217:bd08/13/2009:svnASUSTeKComputerInc.:pnN51Vn:pvr1.0:rvnASUSTeKComputerInc.:rnN51Vn:rvr1.0:cvnASUSTeKComputerInc.:ct10:cvr1.0:
dmi.product.name: N51Vn
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
fglrx: Not loaded
system:
 distro: Ubuntu
 architecture: x86_64kernel: 2.6.31-14-generic

[Jim Louvau (jlouvau)]

Others are having the same issue with the same chipset (mobile 240GT):

http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=2124854&posted=1#post2124854.

It seems from that thread that the 190.x drivers were the first to "officially" support the 240. I haven't confirmed this. Regardless, it's a bug albeit probably one for upstream.

[Eric Myers (badllama77)]

Just to update on this. I loaded the 190.53 from nvidia and the problem persists.
I have a gt230m and have the same issue on ubuntu driver builds
My problem is exactly the same down to the funny colors at the bottom of the screen during shutdown

[Javon Simons (javon-simons)]

I also loaded 190.53 from Nvidia and the same thing happens. I have an HP DV7 with Intel i7 core (not sure if that matters). It has the GT 230M video card. I am using Ubuntu 9.10 with compiz enabled. I cannot shutdown, restart, hibernate, close the laptop, etc, without seeing the fuzzy issue. I hope someone can figure this out. I have tried changing xorg, drivers, blacklisting drivers and updating drivers. Nothing works

[kone4040 (kone4040)]

I have the same issue. Also Ubuntu 9.10 with compiz enabled and 190.53 driver from Nvidia (Acer Aspire 5739G Laptop). Yesterday I tried a dual screen setup with 2 separate x screens with a beamer. Beamer output was OK but Laptop screen was fuzzy all over. After deleting xorg.conf and reinstalling the Nvidia driver I was able to use my laptop screen again. Now when I start up Ubuntu everything is OK but as soon as I restart X or shutdown or go to standby I get the fuzzy screen again. I hope this issue gets fixed soon.

[Ryan Gibbons (ryan-david-gibbons)]

Same issue here. http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1359721

[Philipp Kerling (pkerling)]

Same problem, but on a G210M for a change. Problem persists with nvidia's 195.30 beta driver. Did anyone try to contact them about this yet?
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1362843

[Citro87 (citro87)]

same problem with an acer 7736zg with a g210m and 195.30 beta

[Eric Myers (badllama77)]

Please make sure to file a bug with nvidia as well, after trying the latest beta.
See the readme from the download page.

[Philipp Kerling (pkerling)]

nvidia seems to know already
http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=141204

[makeable (matt-makeable)]

nvidia have NOT acknowledged the problem, despite my multiple attempts to get them to do so. I highly recommend contacting them in any way possible to at least get them to confirm this issue.

[makeable (matt-makeable)]

nVidia have now acknowledged this bug:

http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=2153782&postcount=23

[kaushikam (kaushikam)]

I am also facing the same problem. I am having the graphics card GeForce GT240M. It is a sad thing that till date the bug fix is not released. I have searched every where in the net, but no use. nVidia has released the new driver 192.53, in that the 6 mini screen issue got removed, but the fuzzy screen issue remains

[Sonickydon (fiotakis)]

I guess it doesn't add anything to the bag but i'm having the same problem on the same machine as in comment #7. I hope nvidia will fix that soon.

[Citro87 (citro87)]

work perfect with the new driver, aviable on ftp..

ftp://download.nvidia.com/XFree86/

[kone4040 (kone4040)]

worked for me too, thanks

[Philipp Kerling (pkerling)]

I can also confirm that the newest beta driver fixes all known problems for me.

[Thomas Winteler (Win-Soft) (thomi)]

Hi all

Can also confirm, that the problem is gone, with latest nvidia beta driver.
I used this one: ftp://download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Linux-x86_64/195.36.03/

thomi

[Stéphane Gourichon (stephane-gourichon-launchpad)]

Hello all,

It seems I've had the same problem. I reported on http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/
showthread.php?p=2183537 before finding this thread.

I solved it with NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-195.36.03-pkg2.run
(pkg0 or pkg1 are not enough) released a few days ago.
It's available on ftp://download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Linux-x86_64/195.36.03/

Regards.

[Jim Louvau (jlouvau)]

As noted by others, the latest 195 driver from nVidia fixes the issue for me too. The latest/fixed 195 has also now shown up in the vdpau team's ppa.

Thanks to everyone involved with the fix.

[Craig Coleman (d-launchpad-insanitarium-org)]

Looks like they took down the newer drivers. I'm guessing it's because they share the same bug that got the Windows drivers pulled where there was an issue with fan management. For now, I don't think you can get any drivers from nVidia that have this bug fixed.