Bug 19842 - [Radeon 9250] Blank screen when GDM starts unless NoDRI option used.
Summary: [Radeon 9250] Blank screen when GDM starts unless NoDRI option used.
Status: RESOLVED FIXED
Alias: None
Product: xorg
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Driver/Radeon (show other bugs)
Version: 7.3 (2007.09)
Hardware: Other Linux (All)
: high normal
Assignee: xf86-video-ati maintainers
QA Contact: Xorg Project Team
URL:
Whiteboard:
Keywords: NEEDINFO
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2009-01-30 17:00 UTC by Bryce Harrington
Modified: 2009-11-11 14:17 UTC (History)
1 user (show)

See Also:
i915 platform:
i915 features:


Attachments
radeontool output (failure) (18.13 KB, application/octet-stream)
2009-01-30 17:01 UTC, Bryce Harrington
no flags Details
radeontool output (success) (18.12 KB, application/octet-stream)
2009-01-30 17:01 UTC, Bryce Harrington
no flags Details
xorg.conf from failure case (1.66 KB, text/plain)
2009-01-30 17:02 UTC, Bryce Harrington
no flags Details
xorg.conf from working case (1.66 KB, text/plain)
2009-01-30 17:02 UTC, Bryce Harrington
no flags Details
Xorg.og for failure case (AGP) (40.93 KB, text/plain)
2009-02-02 06:25 UTC, Rod Coleman
no flags Details
Xorg.log for Working case (BusType PCI) (202.89 KB, text/plain)
2009-02-02 06:27 UTC, Rod Coleman
no flags Details
xorg.conf for working case (uncomment AGPMode line for Failure case) (1.13 KB, text/plain)
2009-02-02 06:28 UTC, Rod Coleman
no flags Details
lspci -vnn output from PC under test (6.76 KB, text/plain)
2009-02-02 06:31 UTC, Rod Coleman
no flags Details
stdout, stderr from startx (recovery root prompt) (1.17 KB, text/plain)
2009-02-02 07:30 UTC, Rod Coleman
no flags Details
X errors from var/log/kdm.log See end of the file. (56.81 KB, text/plain)
2009-02-02 09:46 UTC, Rod Coleman
no flags Details

Description Bryce Harrington 2009-01-30 17:00:17 UTC
[Problem]
Blank screen during X boot on Ati Radeon 9250.  Goes away if option NoDRI used.

[Original Report]
I've a problem using Ati Radeon 9250 on Ubuntu 8.04 with open source driver: very often, after splash screen monitor shows me "no signal" message and it goes to standby mode. I checked Xorg.0.log when xserver starts correctly and when it doesn't and I've seen two differences:
1) Some memory area (Ring, GART, Vertex buffers,etc...) are mapped to different addresses
2) When "no signal" message is shown log ends with

(II) RADEON(0): no multimedia table present, disabling Rage Theatre.

while when X starts without problems the log continues.

I attach Xorg.0.log in both cases: working and bugged, and my xorg.conf.

I found a way to use my system simply putting option NoDRI in xorg.conf: no signal message doesn't appear anymore but system is slower and desktop effects don't work.

Best Regards,
Simone Navari.
[lspci]
00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: VIA Technologies, Inc. K8T800Pro Host Bridge [1106:0282]
     Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. A8V Deluxe [1043:80a3]
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: ATI Technologies Inc RV280 [Radeon 9200 PRO] [1002:5960] (rev 01) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
     Subsystem: Giga-byte Technology Unknown device [1458:4054]
Comment 1 Bryce Harrington 2009-01-30 17:01:36 UTC
Created attachment 22395 [details]
radeontool output (failure)
Comment 2 Bryce Harrington 2009-01-30 17:01:57 UTC
Created attachment 22396 [details]
radeontool output (success)
Comment 3 Bryce Harrington 2009-01-30 17:02:14 UTC
Created attachment 22397 [details]
xorg.conf from failure case
Comment 4 Bryce Harrington 2009-01-30 17:02:32 UTC
Created attachment 22398 [details]
xorg.conf from working case
Comment 5 Bryce Harrington 2009-01-30 17:38:34 UTC
This is forwarded from the following Ubuntu report, btw:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/293698
Comment 6 Michel Dänzer 2009-01-31 06:27:29 UTC
Please also attach the full Xorg.0.log for both cases (or at the very least a diff between them) and set the MIME type to text/plain.

Also, whenever the log file appears truncated, the X server's stderr output needs to be examined for possible more information. With a display manager it should be captured in the display manager's log file.
Comment 7 Alex Deucher 2009-01-31 10:44:37 UTC
Does setting the AGPMode option help?  Add the following to the device section of your config:

Option "AGPMode" "x"
where x = 1 or 2 or 4 or 8.

Try and find what AGP mode works.  If none of the AGP modes help, try:
Option "BusType" "PCI"
Comment 8 Rod Coleman 2009-02-01 05:17:33 UTC
(In reply to comment #7)
> Does setting the AGPMode option help?  Add the following to the device section
> of your config:
> 
> Option "AGPMode" "x"
> where x = 1 or 2 or 4 or 8.
> 
> Try and find what AGP mode works.  If none of the AGP modes help, try:
> Option "BusType" "PCI"
> 

I have almost exact same bug. the interesting thing about AGPmode is that the driver sets this to AGP8x by default. I think earlier drivers set AGP1x for safety.

If I set AGP2x, the driver responds (in xorg.0.log) something like: "illegal mode. AGP8x and 4x only allowed". Using AGP4x crashes the same as 8x.

setting Option "BusType" "PCI" works fine, including the KDE4.1 compositing effects. But, in this mode the PC seems a lot slower, notably the "bouncing K" of the KDE hourglass, window repaints etc. But hours of uptime show no crashes.

I will run the radeontool when I am back at my kubuntu PC later and post logs.
Comment 9 Rod Coleman 2009-02-02 06:18:20 UTC
(In reply to comment #6)
> Please also attach the full Xorg.0.log for both cases (or at the very least a
> diff between them) and set the MIME type to text/plain.
> 
> Also, whenever the log file appears truncated, the X server's stderr output
> needs to be examined for possible more information. With a display manager it
> should be captured in the display manager's log file.
> 

(In reply to comment #6)
> Please also attach the full Xorg.0.log for both cases (or at the very least a
> diff between them) and set the MIME type to text/plain.
> 
> Also, whenever the log file appears truncated, the X server's stderr output
> needs to be examined for possible more information. With a display manager it
> should be captured in the display manager's log file.
> 

Comment 10 Rod Coleman 2009-02-02 06:25:08 UTC
Created attachment 22468 [details]
Xorg.og for failure case (AGP)
Comment 11 Rod Coleman 2009-02-02 06:27:03 UTC
Created attachment 22469 [details]
Xorg.log for Working case (BusType PCI)
Comment 12 Rod Coleman 2009-02-02 06:28:31 UTC
Created attachment 22470 [details]
xorg.conf for working case (uncomment AGPMode line for Failure case)
Comment 13 Rod Coleman 2009-02-02 06:31:26 UTC
Created attachment 22471 [details]
lspci -vnn output from PC under test

struggling with jaunty radeontool in Kubuntu Intrepid. binary seems not to work, no success with source yet (only 4 weeks into Linux experience!) tipps for compiling from git appreciated.
Comment 14 Michel Dänzer 2009-02-02 06:40:57 UTC
I don't see anything but two copies of comment #6 in comment #9, did you mean to add anything there?

The log file from the failure case does look truncated, please check the X server stderr output.
Comment 15 Rod Coleman 2009-02-02 07:30:40 UTC
Created attachment 22476 [details]
stdout, stderr from startx (recovery root prompt)

output from staring recovery mode, root prompt, startx > /data/all 2>&1

I wanted to say in the previous posts, that my Xorg.0.log always stops at the same place (just after textured video is set up). It does not matter which AGPMode is selected, or if AGPFastWrite is yes or no. 

with BusType PCI, no problems except slightly slow PC, and occasional scrambled windows when first opened (previews or K menus)
Comment 16 Michel Dänzer 2009-02-02 08:55:55 UTC
(In reply to comment #15)
> output from staring recovery mode, root prompt, startx > /data/all 2>&1
> 
> I wanted to say in the previous posts, that my Xorg.0.log always stops at the
> same place (just after textured video is set up). It does not matter which
> AGPMode is selected, or if AGPFastWrite is yes or no. 

There's no additional information in there... when the problem occurs, can you still ping the machine? Log in remotely?
Comment 17 Rod Coleman 2009-02-02 09:04:02 UTC
(In reply to comment #16)
> (In reply to comment #15)
> > output from staring recovery mode, root prompt, startx > /data/all 2>&1
> > 
> > I wanted to say in the previous posts, that my Xorg.0.log always stops at the
> > same place (just after textured video is set up). It does not matter which
> > AGPMode is selected, or if AGPFastWrite is yes or no. 
> 
> There's no additional information in there... when the problem occurs, can you
> still ping the machine? Log in remotely?
> 

The power button turns OFF the PC, but nothing else (key presses or CTRL-SH-BACKSP) seems to cause any action at all from the HDD-light. in fact, when X starts the screen gives 'no signal' and no more HDD light after that.

I have another PC with Kubuntu Intrepid here. will that do for remote login? I have not done remote access before though.
Comment 18 Rod Coleman 2009-02-02 09:46:59 UTC
Created attachment 22491 [details]
X errors from var/log/kdm.log See end of the file.

Found something in this one. I imagine this is the KDE log - and it reports some X errors right at the end of the file. This file was copied during a root prompt session, right after starting X in the faulty condition, and entering the login password blindly. Then, I gave it CTRL-Sh-BACKSP...
Comment 19 Alex Deucher 2009-11-11 10:50:59 UTC
Is this still an issue with xf86-video-ati from git master?
Comment 20 Rod Coleman 2009-11-11 13:50:35 UTC
(In reply to comment #19)
> Is this still an issue with xf86-video-ati from git master?
> 

With Kubuntu Karmic, this one appears to be fixed. My hardware is exactly unchanged, as described below.

The Live CD works without having to choose VESA graphics mode, and the system works reliably with a fresh install.

Actually I upgraded from Intrepid, which worked fine for a couple of days, them blew up spectacularly!

The occasional scrambled video output (eg when a menu first pops up) which was present in Intrepid, is also fixed.

Only thing is, the compositing refuses to engage. I think I am happier with 9.10 overall though!

Unless the compositing is a related issue, I would call this one resolved.


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