corrupted and flashing grub screen on T400

[Scott Moser]

Binary package hint: grub2

on my T400 I get a flashing and corrupted screen in grub.
grub is still functional, just without usable display.

setting the following in /etc/default/grub gets readable screen.
GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
Package: grub-pc 1.99~20110106-1ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.37-12.26-generic 2.6.37
Uname: Linux 2.6.37-12-generic x86_64
Architecture: amd64
Date: Mon Jan 10 12:13:27 2011
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04 "Lucid Lynx" - Beta amd64 (20100318)
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_US:en
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 LC_MESSAGES=en_US.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: grub2

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

This is happening because the VBE BIOS advertises a 1440x900x32 mode (and even advertises 1440x900 as the best mode, though I don't think EDID is specific about the preferred depth) but fails to program it correctly. I don't know what the best solution to this is as yet.

[Tom Weissmann (trmsw)]

I have the same problem on a T61 Thinkpad
The highest resolution that works is 1280x800 even though vbeinfo reports 1440x900 is available.

[Tom Weissmann (trmsw)]

Workaround / partial solution using 915resolution module: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4980375/cant-get-1440x900-resolution-with-grub2-although-vbeinfo-says-its-available

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package grub2 - 1.99~rc1-3ubuntu3

---------------
grub2 (1.99~rc1-3ubuntu3) natty; urgency=low

  * Blacklist 1440x900x32 from VBE preferred mode handling until a better
    solution is available (LP: #701111).
 -- Colin Watson <email address hidden> Fri, 04 Mar 2011 15:29:44 +0000

[Jane Atkinson (irihapeti)]

I'm getting this bug, or something very similar. The display is unstable, and sometimes it show the left edge of the image in the middle of the screen. It can, at times, flash back and forth between the displaced and normal images.

Grub still works.

Hardware is
VGA compatible controller [0300]: VIA Technologies, Inc. CN896/VN896/P4M900 [Chrome 9 HC] [1106:3371] (rev 01)
Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device [1043:81ce]

[Jane Atkinson (irihapeti)]

Sorry, didn't mention earlier that this occurred in the Natty alternate install release of Fri, 22 Apr 2011 6:20:18 UTC.

The line

GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480

was commented out in /etc/default/grub

Uncommenting it and running update-grub fixed the problem.

[nadrimajstor (ipejic)]

Is hard-coded blacklist_1440x900x32.patch still needed now-days?