Intrepid: Switch from X11 to console: black or corrupted display

[Thomas Waldmann]

Binary package hint: xserver-xorg-video-intel

Bug happens with Ubuntu 8.10 Intrepid x86 desktop with all updates as of today on a Thinkpad SL500

First method (non fatal):
-------------------------------
booting into ubuntu
see splash screen animation.
when gdm login screen is reached (before logging in), try to switch to VT1 using Ctrl-Alt-F1
you get a mostly black screen, with some strange animated effect at the top (like one line of distorted characters running through)
If you switch back (Ctrl-Alt-F7) and try again, you get a working VT1.
If you try again and again, switching is always working.
If you reboot, it will not work for the first time, but for subsequent switches.

Second method (fatal):
------------------------------
You have booted and are logged in.
You tell it to shutdown.
You are logged off, screen goes mostly dark and shows the same strange animated effect as above.
Screen flickers sometimes like if it tries to switch video mode, but doesn't succeed - system is stuck in an endless loop.

(this effect does not happen always, but if you retry 10 or 20 times, you'll get it)

Third method (fatal)
--------------------------
Boot system.
See splash screen animation.
Then it tries to switch video mode for the gdm login, but screen goes black and stays black.
Hitting Num-Lock doesn't toggle the Num-Lock LED, so system is dead.
You have to press power button 4 seconds to force machine off.

(this effect does not happen always, but if you retry many times, you'll sporadically get it)

What didn't help
--------------------
I tried removing "quiet splash" to get text messages instead of splash screen animation, no change.
I tried turning off compiz effects ("normal" -> "disabled").

What helped
----------------
Driver "vesa" in xorg.conf and system behaves normal (but slow, of course). 8-(

Software packages:
-------------------------
ii xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.4.1-1ubuntu10.3 X.Org X server -- Intel i8xx, i9xx display driver
ii linux-image-2.6.27-11-generic 2.6.27-11.27 Linux kernel image for version 2.6.27 on x86/x86_64

lspci output:
----------------
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 07)
00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 07)

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 07)
 Subsystem: Lenovo Device 20e4
 Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 16
 Memory at fdc00000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4M]
 Memory at d0000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]
 I/O ports at 5c00 [size=8]
 Capabilities: [90] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit- Queue=0/0 Enable-
 Capabilities: [d0] Power Management version 3

00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 07)
 Subsystem: Lenovo Device 20e4
 Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
 Memory at fdb00000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=1M]
 Capabilities: [d0] Power Management version 3

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Hi tw-public,

Please attach the output of `lspci -vvnn`, and attach your /var/log/Xorg.0.log (and maybe Xorg.0.log.old) file from after reproducing this issue. If you've made any customizations to your /etc/X11/xorg.conf please attach that as well.

[This is an automated message. Apologies if it has reached you inappropriately; please just reply to this message indicating so.]

[Thomas Waldmann (tw-public)]

Some more infos, as requested, see attachment.

As an additional note, while reproducing the problem I managed multiple times to crash the machine (black screen, num lock not responding any more, neither ctrl-alt-del nor sysreq) just by toggling between console and X11 with Ctrl-Alt-F1 and -F7 multiple times. After 10 times or so it crashes completely.

[Thomas Waldmann (tw-public)]

xorg.conf is without modifications.

[Carey Underwood (cwillu)]

Thomas, any chance you could download a jaunty livecd and test if the issue still shows up there?

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Please test against release jaunty, and also it would be helpful if you could test upgrading to -intel 2.7.0, which can be obtained here: https://edge.launchpad.net/~ubuntu-x-swat/+archive/x-updates/

Further, it would likely be helpful to have a photo of the screen showing the corruption, if that's possible.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

We're closing this bug since it is has been some time with no response from the original reporter. However, if the issue still exists please feel free to reopen with the requested information. Also, if you could, please test against the latest development version of Ubuntu, since this confirms the bug is one we may be able to pass upstream for help.

[Edoardo Batini (edoardo-batini)]

I can confirm that this bug still exists in Jaunty 64bit.

The above report fully and exactly represents what happens to my Xorg when I try to switch to VT1-6 on the same hardware.

thx

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

@Edoardo, in order for us to upstream a bug we need to have a) confirmation on latest versions of code, and b) various data files. Both of these must be by the same person; we cannot upstream a bug with confirmation by one person and files from another. For example, this bug describes a general symptom which can be caused by a variety of problems and while your symptoms may match, a solution to Thomas' bug (which indeed may already be solved) may not fix yours. Since we've not heard from Thomas I'm going to re-close this bug, but you are welcomed to open a new bug for the issue, and then we'll proceed with you as the primary reporter and tester. An easy way to do this is via the command `ubuntu-bug xorg`. Thanks ahead of time.

[Thomas Waldmann (tw-public)]

> problems and while your symptoms may match, a solution to Thomas' bug
> (which indeed may already be solved) may not fix yours. Since we've not
> heard from Thomas

BTW, to make it clear:

You did not hear from me again, because I do not have the machine any
more. I have a small IT company and I sometimes sell Linux machines to
customers.

I usually can't easily do tests after giving them out of my hands.

So, not hearing from me does not mean the bug is fixed for me.
In this special case, IIRC i just made a workaround by using the slow
VESA driver, which was good enough in that case.