The system is running in low-graphics mode (Ubuntu 16.04, ARM64 platform, AST2400 VGA chip)

[Ron Wu]

I use netboot to install Ubuntu 16.04 in Cavium ThunderX 8800 platform (ARM64 core) with AST2400 VGA chip and I see "The system is running in low graphics mode". How can I fix this issue?

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: xorg 1:7.7+13ubuntu3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-36.55-generic 4.4.16
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-36-generic aarch64
ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.1
Architecture: arm64
CompizPlugins: No value set for `/apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/active_plugins'
Date: Wed Sep 14 14:02:23 2016
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: xenial
DistroVariant: ubuntu
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes
GraphicsCard:
 ASPEED Technology, Inc. ASPEED Graphics Family [1a03:2000] (rev 30) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: ASPEED Technology, Inc. ASPEED Graphics Family [1a03:2000]
MachineType: Cavium ThunderX CRB
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-36-generic root=UUID=513a25ac-9bd5-49b5-a6cb-4298036c6abd ro splash quiet vt.handoff=7
Renderer: Software
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 12/12/2012
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 5.11
dmi.board.asset.tag: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.board.vendor: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.board.version: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.chassis.type: 0
dmi.chassis.vendor: Cavium
dmi.chassis.version: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr5.11:bd12/12/2012:svnCavium:pnThunderXCRB:pvrTobefilledbyO.E.M.:rvnTobefilledbyO.E.M.:rnTobefilledbyO.E.M.:rvrTobefilledbyO.E.M.:cvnCavium:ct0:cvrTobefilledbyO.E.M.:
dmi.product.name: ThunderX CRB
dmi.product.version: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.sys.vendor: Cavium
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.12.2+16.04.20160801.3-0ubuntu1
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.67-1ubuntu0.16.04.2
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 11.2.0-1ubuntu2.1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 11.2.0-1ubuntu2.1
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.18.3-1ubuntu2.3
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.10.1-1ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:7.7.0-1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel N/A
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.12-1build2
xserver.bootTime: Thu Sep 8 09:56:09 2016
xserver.configfile: default
xserver.devices:

xserver.logfile: /var/log/Xorg.0.log
xserver.outputs:

xserver.version: 2:1.18.3-1ubuntu2.3

[Ron Wu (ron.wu)]

add OS booting message log file.

[Ron Wu (ron.wu)]

Add LED monitor output picture

[Ron Wu (ron.wu)]

 I add “nomodeset” in kernel command line of grub.cfg but I still see “The system is running in low-graphics mode”.

[madbiologist (me-again)]

The AST2400 is a server graphics chip. Is this a server? If so, I wouldn't worry about it running in low graphics mode. FYI, support for the AST2400 VGA chip was added in the 3.16 kernel.

[madbiologist (me-again)]

OK, this is not good:

Failed to load module "ast" (module does not exist, 0)
Failed to load module "ast" (module does not exist, 0)

[madbiologist (me-again)]

Apparently the AST driver is hardcoded to look for it's firmware. Try downloading the ast_dp501_fw.bin file from https://people.freedesktop.org/~airlied/ and place it in /lib/firmware

FYI, David Airlie is the linux kernel's DRM maintainer.

[Ron Wu (ron.wu)]

Hi madbiologist,

Thank you very much for your reply.
I have put the ast_dp501_fw.bin into "/lib/firmware" and reboot Ubuntu but I still see "The system is running in low-graphics mode".
Also still see 'Failed to load module "ast" (module does not exist, 0)' in Xorg.o.log
It seems a VGA driver issue. We will request FAE of ASPEED Co. to check the VGA driver issue.

[Ron Wu (ron.wu)]

The FAE of ASPEED Co. had checked this issue. They found the "modesetting" (drm) driver loaded and the xorg-server running will cause segmentation fault which is logged in Xorg.0.log. But they have no idea for this segmentation fault. They provide me a xorg.conf file and I put xorg.conf file into /etc/X11 and reboot and then I can see the X-window running properly.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Paul White (paulw2u)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. We are sorry that we do not always have the capacity to review all reported bugs in a timely manner.

Ubuntu 16.04 (xenial) reached end-of-standard-support on April 29, 2021.

I'm setting the status of this bug to 'Incomplete' as it's not seen any activity for some time. If this is still an issue when using a currently maintained release of Ubuntu then please let us know which one(s) otherwise this bug report can be left to expire in approximately 60 days time.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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