X fails to start - black screen and freeze on 8.10 Intrepid final with ATI R360 9800XT AGP

[W. Prins]

Binary package hint: xserver-xorg-video-ati

Ubuntu release: 8.10
xserver-xorg-video-ati:
  Installed: 1:6.9.0+git20081003.f9826a56-0ubuntu2

Sine the last update bringing my Intrepid install to release level, X fails to start completely, leaving me at a black screen from which no vt can be brought up. It should be noted that the version of driver supplied on the original Intrepid Beta worked very well, even compiz worked. A later update (RC?) caused compiz support to be disabled/removed, and now (with release) the driver does not seem to work at all.

I'll add there's several bugs which seem similar to this one (but might not be) so I'm filing a seperate bug for now. In addition, I'll note this bug seems suspciously similar to Bug #67487.

I'll attach the xorg log for the hanging/crashing startup.

[W. Prins (wprins)]

OK, the latest driver available from here (http://ppa.launchpad.net/tormodvolden/ubuntu/pool/main/x/xserver-xorg-video-ati/) fixes the problem (allows my machine to start X successfully again.).
The version I installed and that resolved my problem:
  xserver-xorg-video-ati: Installed: 1:6.9.0+git20081029.937b7ac2-0ubuntu0tormod2

Compiz however still doesn't work.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Thanks, could you also attach the output of `lspci -vvnn`?

[arr (alan-drop-share)]

After I upgrade, I am having the same problem as described above.
I have a nforce 250 based motherboard, and a ati 9600 xt

Ati does not work (blank screen, locked computer, hard disk activity, impossible to switch to VT)
Fglrx does not work (x fails to start, warn about the problem, and start in vesa)

[arr (alan-drop-share)]

1:6.9.0+git20081206.979ad04d-0ubuntu0tormod also does not work. Same problem, blank screen

[arr (alan-drop-share)]

my lspci

[arr (alan-drop-share)]

this problem happens with kernel kernel 2.6.27-9-generic, and everything works fine with 2.6.24-22-generic (I did a net upgrade)

[arr (alan-drop-share)]

Sorry, my uname that has problems
Linux bius 2.6.27-9-generic #1 SMP Thu Nov 20 21:57:00 UTC 2008 i686 GNU/Linux

My uname that is nice
Linux bius 2.6.24-22-generic #1 SMP Mon Nov 24 18:32:42 UTC 2008 i686 GNU/Linux

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

radeontool in Jaunty alpha-3* can be used to assist in debugging this issue. After installing it, you run it like this:
    radeontool regmatch '*' > regdump_good.txt
    radeontool regmatch '*' > regdump_broke.txt

Run it two times. Once when you have a working screen (for any driver), and once in the broken case (either from the tty console or logged into the sick box remotely). Attach both of those to this bug report, and we can then forward this issue upstream. Thanks ahead of time!

[* Note: radeontool is available in earlier versions of Ubuntu but is too old; if you need to run it on an older version of Ubuntu, you can obtain and build it from the upstream git tree at http://cgit.freedesktop.org/~airlied/radeontool/. Or maybe just try copying the executable from the jaunty system to the older one; I've not tried it but it might work.]

[arr (alan-drop-share)]

Sorry Bryce, I did not understand

Was this request to me?
Must I install jaunty ?
Just an add: 2.6.27-11-generic does not work too. Keeping the old 2.6.24-22-generic

Waiting...

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

W. Prins, we now have a new version of -ati that includes this git commit, so I'm going to assume this issue is all now squared away, so I'm closing the bug. If you still see the issue with jaunty, please feel free to reopen and provide the info I mentioned above.

arr, you really ought to report your issue as a separate bug report, and yes you probably should collect the radeontool output as described above.