Ubuntu
linux package

Nouveau driver fails to switch virtual terminal

Bug #546678 reported by David Coles on 2010-03-25

This bug affects 3 people

Affects		Status	Importance	Assigned to	Milestone
	linux (Ubuntu)	Invalid	Undecided	Unassigned

Bug Description

Binary package hint: xorg

In Lucid when running the nouveau driver I can't switch to a console virtual terminal. When I attempt do so, the mouse pointer vanishes and the display freezes on the current X content. Switching back to the X VT returns the mouse and resumes normal operation of X.

I've also occasionally noticed having to switch VTs on resume to "unfreeze" the display after resuming for suspend or failing to see the GDM window on boot (after Plymouth). Possibly related/same issue.

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: amd64
Date: Thu Mar 25 17:24:20 2010
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
DkmsStatus:
openafs, 1.4.11, 2.6.32-15-generic, x86_64: installed
openafs, 1.4.11, 2.6.32-16-generic, x86_64: installed
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release amd64 (20091027)
MachineType: Dell Inc. XPS M1530
NonfreeKernelModules: openafs
Package: xorg 1:7.5+3ubuntu1
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-16-generic root=UUID=48c0c433-204c-42c9-ac06-1d16a40a7e4b ro quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
PATH=(custom, user)
LANG=en_AU.utf8
SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-16.25-generic
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-16-generic x86_64
dmi.bios.date: 11/19/2008
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A12
dmi.board.name: 0D501F
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA12:bd11/19/2008:svnDellInc.:pnXPSM1530:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn0D501F:rvr:cvnDellInc.:ct8:cvr:
dmi.product.name: XPS M1530
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.
system:
distro: Ubuntu
codename: lucid
architecture: x86_64
kernel: 2.6.32-16-generic

Tags:

Revision history for this message

David Coles (dcoles) wrote on 2010-03-25:

BootDmesg.txt Edit (54.1 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
CurrentDmesg.txt Edit (3.4 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
Dependencies.txt Edit (4.4 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
GdmLog.gz Edit (6.3 KiB, application/x-gzip)
GdmLog1.gz Edit (5.8 KiB, application/x-gzip)
GdmLog2.txt Edit (5.1 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
Lspci.txt Edit (15.1 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
Lsusb.txt Edit (1.0 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
PciDisplay.txt Edit (817 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
ProcCpuinfo.txt Edit (1.5 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
ProcInterrupts.txt Edit (1.6 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
ProcModules.txt Edit (4.6 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
RelatedPackageVersions.txt Edit (232 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
UdevDb.txt Edit (134.7 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
UdevLog.txt Edit (281.1 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
XorgLog.gz Edit (7.2 KiB, application/x-gzip)
XorgLogOld.gz Edit (6.7 KiB, application/x-gzip)
Xrandr.txt Edit (6.9 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
glxinfo.txt Edit (18.7 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
monitors.xml.txt Edit (2.0 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
setxkbmap.txt Edit (238 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
xdpyinfo.txt Edit (17.3 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
xkbcomp.txt Edit (44.2 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")

Bryce Harrington (bryce) on 2010-03-25

affects:

xorg (Ubuntu) → xserver-xorg-video-nouveau (Ubuntu)

Revision history for this message

Chris Halse Rogers (raof) wrote on 2010-03-25:

Argh. vga16fb strikes again! The only reason your system is booting at all is because you seem to have 2 monitors plugged in - for some reason vga16fb doesn't kill nouveau in that situation.

Can you try booting with the “blacklist=vga16fb” kernel option - to do that, go to the GRUB menu (you may have to press shift early in the boot process to access this menu), hit ‘e’ to edit the boot options, and add “blacklist=vga16fb” to the end of the kernel line, after “quiet splash”.

That should make everything work properly again. Could you please confirm that?

Changed in xserver-xorg-video-nouveau (Ubuntu):
status:	New → Incomplete

Revision history for this message

David Coles (dcoles) wrote on 2010-03-26:

Yes. At the time I had my Laptop plugged into a second monitor, but a number of times I it booting stand alone. (I just tend to edit the grub line and remove quiet splash).

I'll try blacklisting vga16fb now. Hopefully should be back after a reboot.

Revision history for this message

David Coles (dcoles) wrote on 2010-03-26:

So, I got the ASCII version of Plymouth and then GDM fired up with no trouble. Was able to switch VTs to the console (Wooot! 1680x1050 console!) and back to X again. Thanks! :)

Switching VTs after a resume from suspend still seems a bit funny. I get back to X fine, but then switching VTs the first time results in a black screen (with a very brief/dark flicker of the intended screen). Flicking between VTs once more seems to get it back working again - though this looks like a separate bug.

Revision history for this message

KBios (kbios) wrote on 2010-03-26:

I've exactly the same issue. Currently I have a single monitor, but two video cards (285 GTX).

Revision history for this message

David Coles (dcoles) wrote on 2010-04-03:

Same issue encountered by KBios. Keeping the vga16fb blacklisted seems to work quite well for me.

Changed in xserver-xorg-video-nouveau (Ubuntu):
status:	Incomplete → Confirmed

Revision history for this message

Chris Halse Rogers (raof) wrote on 2010-04-07:

Can each of you with dual-gpus please attach (as a file!) the output of dmesg[1] in a boot where you *can't* switch VTs. That is, a boot where you *haven't* blacklisted vga16fb? I'd like to check a theory before I forward this on to the kernel guys.

[1]: To get the output of dmesg into a file, just run “dmesg > dmesg.log” and attach dmesg.log to this bug.

Changed in xserver-xorg-video-nouveau (Ubuntu):
status:	Confirmed → Incomplete

Revision history for this message

David Coles (dcoles) wrote on 2010-04-11:

I don't have dual-GPUs (just an embedded GeForce 8600M GT), but it is dual headed.

Not able to reproduce this bug right at the moment, but I've removed the blacklist and will grab the dmsg output next time I see it play up.

Revision history for this message

KBios (kbios) wrote on 2010-05-18:

Using nouveau from xorg-edgers and 2.6.34 kernel fixed the issue for me, even with no blacklisting. It would be quite problematic for me to downgrade, but I think it will be easier to backport a patch rather than writing a new one.

Revision history for this message

papukaija (papukaija) wrote on 2010-06-30:

#10

In response to comment 7 and comment 9: There seems to be a kernel problem too.

Changed in xserver-xorg-video-nouveau (Ubuntu):
status:	Incomplete → Confirmed

papukaija (papukaija) on 2010-08-15

summary:

- [lucid] nouveau driver fails to switch virtual terminal
+ Nouveau driver fails to switch virtual terminal

Revision history for this message

Bryce Harrington (bryce) wrote on 2012-02-28:

#11

[Expired since requested info was never provided]

affects:	xserver-xorg-video-nouveau (Ubuntu) → linux (Ubuntu)
Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
status:	Confirmed → Invalid

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Nouveau driver fails to switch virtual terminal

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