Arch Linux

pixellany

Member

From: Annapolis, MD

Registered: 2006-05-12

Posts: 59

TTY problems with fresh install

HP Compaq 8510W
Fresh install of 32-bit Arch

I have had 64-bit Arch running on this laptop without incident---until the last upgrade broke Flash..:(  (But that's another story.....)

Now, I have just installed 32-bit Arch and--after doing some setup and configuring--the TTYs quit working.  Ctrl-Alt-F1, F2, etc. produces only a brightly-colored screen with random letters and numbers.  A re-install cured it, but only for a short while.

The symptoms suggest an issue with a video driver, but I don't know what driver is used when toggling to a TTY.

As I write this, I am running from Ubuntu, and all is well.

Any ideas??

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"It's always something." --Gilda Radner, 1946 - 1989

ewaller

Administrator

From: Pasadena, CA

Registered: 2009-07-13

Posts: 19,774

Re: TTY problems with fresh install

Hello Neighbor,

Are you encountering these problems after starting an X session when you try to switch back to a console, or does this happen in the absence of Xorg?

What is your video architecture in that HP?  My Pavilion is Intel GM45 (intel915).  These types of problems went away for me about a year ago.  On Intel, if I recall correctly, it was imperative that you not load any framebuffer console mode kernel drivers in the presence of KMS.  The only module that can be loaded is the KMS Intel frame buffer support module. 

You might check the modules you are forcing, and you might play with disabling KMS from the kernel command line.

I am in Northeast Pasadena (Brigden Ranch area).  Are you anywhere close?

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Nothing is too wonderful to be true, if it be consistent with the laws of nature -- Michael Faraday
Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine. -- Alan Turing
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How to Ask Questions the Smart Way

pixellany

Member

From: Annapolis, MD

Registered: 2006-05-12

Posts: 59

Re: TTY problems with fresh install

Thanks for the reply.

I'm in Sierra Madre.

The video is NVidia Quadro FX570.  (I think) the problem occurs only when toggling to a TTY from X.    I'll do some poking around based on your leads.

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"It's always something." --Gilda Radner, 1946 - 1989

pixellany

Member

From: Annapolis, MD

Registered: 2006-05-12

Posts: 59

Re: TTY problems with fresh install

I did some poking and found that a module named "nouveau" was being loaded.  Also "drm" and "drm_kms_helper".

I blacklisted "nouveau", and now everything works fine.

So......WTF???  The "nouveau" package was not installed.  So how did that driver get there and who told the kernel to load it.......?

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"It's always something." --Gilda Radner, 1946 - 1989

hokasch

Member

Registered: 2007-09-23

Posts: 1,461

Re: TTY problems with fresh install

It ships with the kernel, and KMS is enabled by default. If you install the nvidia proprietary drivers, it will be blacklisted automatically.