15.10 dist-upgrade, Xorg freeze, ASUSTeK Computer Inc. N56VZ

[David Nyström]

immendiately after upgrade to 15.10.
Happen 100% reproducable at boot.
Target reachable via ssh, but not via keyboard or screen.

WORKAROUND: Add nomodeset to kernel cmdline.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 15.10
Package: xorg 1:7.7+7ubuntu4
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.2.0-16.19-generic 4.2.3
Uname: Linux 4.2.0-16-generic x86_64
.tmp.unity.support.test.1:

ApportVersion: 2.19.1-0ubuntu4
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: No value set for `/apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/active_plugins'
CompositorRunning: None
Date: Thu Nov 5 15:12:47 2015
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: wily
DistroVariant: ubuntu
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes
GpuHangFrequency: Continuously
GpuHangReproducibility: Yes, I can easily reproduce it
GpuHangStarted: Immediately after installing this version of Ubuntu
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation 3rd Gen Core processor Graphics Controller [8086:0166] (rev 09) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. N56VZ [1043:2103]
 NVIDIA Corporation GK107M [GeForce GT 650M] [10de:0fd1] (rev a1) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. N56VZ [1043:2103]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-10-04 (761 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.10 "Saucy Salamander" - Beta amd64 (20130925.1)
MachineType: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. N56VZ
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-4.2.0-16-generic root=UUID=563891a5-84f3-49a3-9799-021ea124aca4 ro quiet splash
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
Title: Xorg freeze
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 05/22/2013
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: N56VZ.217
dmi.board.asset.tag: ATN12345678901234567
dmi.board.name: N56VZ
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.:bvrN56VZ.217:bd05/22/2013:svnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:pnN56VZ:pvr1.0:rvnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:rnN56VZ:rvr1.0:cvnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:ct10:cvr1.0:
dmi.product.name: N56VZ
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.12.2+15.10.20151015-0ubuntu1
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.64-1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 11.0.2-1ubuntu4
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 11.0.2-1ubuntu4
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.17.2-1ubuntu9
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.9.2-1ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:7.5.0+git20150819-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.99.917+git20150808-0ubuntu4
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.11-1ubuntu3
xserver.bootTime: Thu Nov 5 15:09:07 2015
xserver.configfile: default
xserver.errors:
 Failed to load module "nvidia" (module does not exist, 0)
 Failed to load module "nvidia" (module does not exist, 0)
 NOUVEAU(G0): [XvMC] Failed to initialize extension.
xserver.logfile: /var/log/Xorg.0.log
xserver.outputs:
 product id 12620
 vendor SEC
xserver.version: 2:1.17.2-1ubuntu9

[David Nyström (david-c-nystrom)]

Booting with kernel 3.19 does not work either.

[David Nyström (david-c-nystrom)]

After some disordered investigations.
It seems the i915 driver is borked, and if removed vesa fails to start since it thinks the FBDEV is already taken.

Tried some proprietary nvidia drivers also but with no success.

nouveau kernel driver fails to be detected and does not get loaded properly.
Will try to force-load nouveau at boot and see what happens.

[David Nyström (david-c-nystrom)]

The issue was worked around by adding "nomodeset" to kernel cmdline.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

David Nyström, thank you for reporting this and helping make Ubuntu better.

Could you please test the latest upstream kernel available from the very top line at the top of the page from http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/?C=N;O=D (the release names are irrelevant for testing, and please do not test the daily folder)? Install instructions are available at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/MainlineBuilds . This will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue.

If the latest kernel did not allow you to test to the issue (ex. you couldn't boot into the OS) please make a comment in your report about this, and continue to test the next most recent kernel version until you can test to the issue. Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please comment on which kernel version specifically you tested. If this issue is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tags by clicking on the yellow circle with a black pencil icon, next to the word Tags, located at the bottom of the report description:
kernel-fixed-upstream
kernel-fixed-upstream-X.Y-rcZ

Where X, Y, and Z are numbers corresponding to the kernel version.

If the mainline kernel does not fix the issue, please add the following tags:
kernel-bug-exists-upstream
kernel-bug-exists-upstream-X.Y-rcZ

Please note, an error to install the kernel does not fit the criteria of kernel-bug-exists-upstream.

Once testing of the latest upstream kernel is complete, please mark this report's Status as Confirmed. Please let us know your results.

Thank you for your understanding.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for xorg (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]

[David Nyström (david-c-nystrom)]

Will try to get some time next week to test an upstream kernel.

[David Nyström (david-c-nystrom)]

Issue resolved with:
Linux hostname 4.2.0-23-generic #28-Ubuntu SMP Sun Dec 27 17:47:31 UTC 2015 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

[David Nyström (david-c-nystrom)]

Using intel driver...

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for xorg (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]