Random Display Freeze, Multiple Times a Day

[Mark Mandel]

I was running 10.04, but did a clean install of 11.10, and I get complete freezes on a regular basis. Before this, 10.04 was incredibly stable.

I can't use the keyboard, and the mouse pointer does not move.

Easy way to reproduce, I have a skype conversation, and then move a window. That tends to do it quite easily.

I've noticed if I'm listening to music, the music does keep playing, so it's not a kernel panic.

I upgraded to the latest nvidia driver (285.05.09) in an attempt to fix the issue, but just had a freeze, so that wasn't it.

I also note that since I upgraded, my fans run a lot, as it looks like my nvidia card is doing a lot of work with Unity, even when I'm not actively using it. It never did this under 10.04 (and I use to have a lot of Compiz effects running).

Next time it freezes, I'll be sure to ssh in and get a tail of the dmesg.

Let me know what I can do to help.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: xorg 1:7.6+7ubuntu7
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-13.22-generic 3.0.6
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-13-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia wl
.proc.driver.nvidia.gpus.0: Error: [Errno 21] Is a directory: '/proc/driver/nvidia/gpus/0'
.proc.driver.nvidia.gpus.1: Error: [Errno 21] Is a directory: '/proc/driver/nvidia/gpus/1'
.proc.driver.nvidia.registry: Binary: ""
.proc.driver.nvidia.version:
 NVRM version: NVIDIA UNIX x86_64 Kernel Module 285.05.09 Fri Sep 23 17:31:57 PDT 2011
 GCC version: gcc version 4.6.1 (Ubuntu/Linaro 4.6.1-9ubuntu3)
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,bailer,detection,composite,opengl,compiztoolbox,decor,imgpng,resize,vpswitch,gnomecompat,mousepoll,move,grid,place,regex,wall,animation,snap,session,expo,workarounds,ezoom,staticswitcher,fade,scale,unityshell,scaleaddon]
CompositorRunning: compiz
Date: Tue Nov 22 13:49:50 2011
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: oneiric
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus:
 bcmwl, 5.100.82.38+bdcom, 3.0.0-12-generic, x86_64: installed
 bcmwl, 5.100.82.38+bdcom, 3.0.0-13-generic, x86_64: installed
 nvidia-current-updates, 285.05.09, 3.0.0-13-generic, x86_64: installed
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes, whatever it takes to get this fixed in Ubuntu
GpuHangFrequency: Several times a day
GpuHangReproducibility: Occurs more often under certain circumstances
GpuHangStarted: Immediately after installing this version of Ubuntu
GraphicsCard:
 nVidia Corporation GT200 [GeForce GTX 280M] [10de:060a] (rev a2) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:02a1]
 nVidia Corporation GT200 [GeForce GTX 280M] [10de:060a] (rev a2) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:02a1]
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Release amd64 (20111012)
JockeyStatus:
 xorg:nvidia_173 - NVIDIA accelerated graphics driver (Proprietary, Disabled, Not in use)
 kmod:wl - Broadcom STA wireless driver (Proprietary, Enabled, In use) [auto-install]
 xorg:nvidia_current - NVIDIA accelerated graphics driver (Proprietary, Disabled, Not in use)
 xorg:nvidia_173_updates - NVIDIA accelerated graphics driver (post-release updates) (Proprietary, Disabled, Not in use)
 xorg:nvidia_current_updates - NVIDIA accelerated graphics driver (post-release updates) (Proprietary, Enabled, In use)
MachineType: Alienware M17x
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_AU:en
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_AU.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.0.0-13-generic root=UUID=31312f78-d92d-49ea-91e8-bc2d3e946235 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
Title: Xorg freeze
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 07/30/2010
dmi.bios.vendor: Alienware
dmi.bios.version: A05
dmi.board.vendor: Alienware
dmi.board.version: A05
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Alienware
dmi.chassis.version: A05
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAlienware:bvrA05:bd07/30/2010:svnAlienware:pnM17x:pvrA0523:rvnAlienware:rn:rvrA05:cvnAlienware:ct8:cvrA05:
dmi.product.name: M17x
dmi.product.version: A0523
dmi.sys.vendor: Alienware
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.6+bzr20110929-0ubuntu6
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.26-1ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 7.11-0ubuntu3
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 7.11-0ubuntu3
version.nvidia-graphics-drivers: nvidia-graphics-drivers N/A
version.xserver-xorg: xserver-xorg 1:7.6+7ubuntu7
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.6.0-1ubuntu13
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.14.99~git20110811.g93fc084-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.15.901-1ubuntu2.1
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20110411+8378443-1

[Mark Mandel (mark-mandel)]

So this just happened again. I tried to SSH in to get a dmesg dump, but couldn't - said the port wasn't available.
Will leave an SSH session open, and see if it will stay open if I get another freeze.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Mark Mandel (mark-mandel)]

Cannot SSH into the machine when the freeze occurs.
Tried leaving a tail-f on sys.log, kern.log, xorg.0.log and dmesg.log when a freeze happened, and no logging information was displayed.

Not sure what else I can do to work out what is going on with this bug.

[John A. Lewis (pointful)]

I'm having similar issues in Oneiric on a Dell E6520. Definitely seems nvidia related. It usually happens to me when trying to switch modes via nvidia-settings, generally when I am trying to add a second monitor or something. Sometimes it hangs permanently as described. Sometime it hangs for 10-20 seconds and then recovers (sometimes before and sometimes after the timeout on the modechange confirmation in nvidia-settings). I've even updated to 290.10 via xorg-edgers and still seeing the same problem.

[Mark Mandel (mark-mandel)]

Doing a review of my logs, on crashes when I still have some log file output, I'm seeing this a lot:

Nov 23 15:19:38 delusion kernel: [ 7529.532833] NVRM: Xid (0000:02:00): 6, PE0001
Nov 23 16:37:36 delusion kernel: [ 2754.034620] NVRM: Xid (0000:02:00): 6, PE0001
Nov 24 13:46:46 delusion kernel: [17703.225414] NVRM: Xid (0000:02:00): 6, PE0003
Nov 24 15:07:52 delusion kernel: [22569.351846] NVRM: Xid (0000:02:00): 6, PE0001
Nov 25 12:51:42 delusion kernel: [ 7002.788175] NVRM: Xid (0000:02:00): 6, PE0001

Hopefully that helps.

[Mark Mandel (mark-mandel)]

I just had my nvidia cards replaced, and switched to Xfce as a desktop and I'm still seeing the issue. So there is definitely something weird going on software wise.

[dino99 (9d9)]

That version is no more supported; please open a new bug report if the actual archive found version also has the same issue.