Arch Linux

JHeaton

Member

From: United Kingdom

Registered: 2009-05-16

Posts: 158

Blank screen when exiting X or switching VT.

Hello everyone, bit of an odd problem I have. Before starting X, I can switch between VTs (Ctrl+F1-6) without issue, but after starting X if I try I am just met with a blank screen. I can still return to X, which displays fine, but then once I close X none of the VTs display anything other than a blank screen. The machine still responds, as I can type 'shutdown -r now' to reboot it, at which point I'll be able to use the displays again, but obviously that's ridiculously impractical.

This problem, however, seems only to exist when I tell GRUB2 to use the monitor's default resolution and allow the kernel to use the resolution set by GRUB. If I comment out the two relevant lines in /etc/default/grub, then this problem goes away (but then I'm stuck without the console displaying the way I want it to).

I'm currently on kernel 2.6.34 and running the latest nvidia-beta drivers from AUR, but have also tried the latest drivers from the main repositories and encountered the same problem. Running Openbox as my window manager, with nothing else.

Anyone got any ideas on why this might be happening?

Thanks,

Joel.

karol

Archivist

Registered: 2009-05-06

Posts: 25,440

Re: Blank screen when exiting X or switching VT.

> If I comment out the two relevant lines in /etc/default/grub
Mind posting them? Are you using KMS?

JHeaton

Member

From: United Kingdom

Registered: 2009-05-16

Posts: 158

Re: Blank screen when exiting X or switching VT.

> If I comment out the two relevant lines in /etc/default/grub
Mind posting them? Are you using KMS?

These lines:

GRUB_GFXMODE=1280x1024x32
GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX=keep

And I don't know, I didn't think you could use KMS with Nvidia cards? I certainly haven't done anything to enable it if it would require such.

Last edited by JHeaton (2010-07-25 10:04:45)

karol

Archivist

Registered: 2009-05-06

Posts: 25,440

Re: Blank screen when exiting X or switching VT.

KMS works with nouveau. If you don't experience this issue with open source drivers, then the problem may lie in the nvidia drivers.
KMD enables native resolution in the console.

JHeaton

Member

From: United Kingdom

Registered: 2009-05-16

Posts: 158

Re: Blank screen when exiting X or switching VT.

Everything works fine with the nouveau driver. Boo.

Don't suppose you can think of any workarounds, can you? Using the nouveau driver is, at the moment, probably not a practical choice for me but working with a decent console resolution is quite important. >.<

karol

Archivist

Registered: 2009-05-06

Posts: 25,440

Re: Blank screen when exiting X or switching VT.

> Don't suppose you can think of any workarounds, can you?
Try downgrading if possible. There are some kernel line switches that may help (e.g. acpi=off) but it's all Greek me.

Edit: http://idyllictux.wordpress.com/2010/04 … ed-driver/
Edit 2: http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=26

Last edited by karol (2010-07-25 17:08:36)