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#1 2010-08-26 11:49:45

skanky
Member
From: WAIS
Registered: 2009-10-23
Posts: 1,847

How To debug KMS on boot-up

I have an HP Compag nc6400 with intel graphics. I enabled KMS when it became necessary a while back, and X etc. all works fine.

However after reading a few threads which mentioned KMS I'm not sure it's running from boot. That is, the resolution changes partway through the boot process, goes from large font to nicer, smaller font. 

I followed the wiki page for the Intel cards and added set /etc/mkinitcpio.conf:

MODULES="intel_agp i915"

It was rebuilt a the time and has since been rebuilt many times since through updates.
The module shows up in lsmod - but then I can only see that after it's all obviously kicked in.

I've tried with and without i915.modeset=1 in grub, and it makes no difference.

This isn't an issue really (so if the hw doesn't support it that's fine), but I'd prefer to know if something's not working as it should, and why.
So, is it not working as I should expect it, and if not what should I look at to debug it?


"...one cannot be angry when one looks at a penguin."  - John Ruskin
"Life in general is a bit shit, and so too is the internet. And that's all there is." - scepticisle

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#2 2010-08-26 12:16:13

karol
Archivist
Registered: 2009-05-06
Posts: 25,440

Re: How To debug KMS on boot-up

You can start KMS early or late.
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Nouveau#KMS - it's for nouveau but if you change the modulename it should work for Intel - works for me.

Last edited by karol (2010-08-26 12:19:15)

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#3 2010-08-26 13:31:16

skanky
Member
From: WAIS
Registered: 2009-10-23
Posts: 1,847

Re: How To debug KMS on boot-up

Thanks for replying.

I followed those instructions - I didn't need to do anything with the module name as that's already there.
All I had to do was add the modprobe.conf to FILES. However doing that killed my network, and I had to remove it. It also had no effect on the when KMS started - and I think it's late starting. The Intel wiki entry doesn't mention that there is an early and a late start - I might look to update that page if/when I get this sorted.

So, I've worked out that it's probably late starting and I'm not sure why it's not starting early.


"...one cannot be angry when one looks at a penguin."  - John Ruskin
"Life in general is a bit shit, and so too is the internet. And that's all there is." - scepticisle

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#4 2010-08-26 15:31:26

karol
Archivist
Registered: 2009-05-06
Posts: 25,440

Re: How To debug KMS on boot-up

Honestly, I'm not 100% sure how I did it as I set it up a year ago.

In your /etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf add a line:
options i915 modeset=1

Change the MODULES and FILES lines in /etc/mkinitcpio.conf to look like this:
MODULES="... intel_agp i915"
FILES="... /etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf"

Regenerate your initramfs using "mkinitcpio -p kernel26"


You said you did it all and got zilch.
What do you have in your /etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf?


Edit: One more thing: I'm using old drivers because I have an old card ;P

Last edited by karol (2010-08-26 16:03:04)

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#5 2010-08-26 16:06:37

loafer
Member
From: the pub
Registered: 2009-04-14
Posts: 1,772

Re: How To debug KMS on boot-up

Even with it enabled early in the boot sequence you will still see some larger, uglier text before it actually kicks in.  With the late start it takes longer as you have to wait for the module to be loaded.


All men have stood for freedom...
For freedom is the man that will turn the world upside down.
Gerrard Winstanley.

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#6 2010-08-26 16:10:21

karol
Archivist
Registered: 2009-05-06
Posts: 25,440

Re: How To debug KMS on boot-up

loafer wrote:

Even with it enabled early in the boot sequence you will still see some larger, uglier text before it actually kicks in.  With the late start it takes longer as you have to wait for the module to be loaded.

Not really. I see big fonts in grub, the screen blinks and the whole boot process is rendered using small fonts.

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#7 2010-08-26 16:17:12

skanky
Member
From: WAIS
Registered: 2009-10-23
Posts: 1,847

Re: How To debug KMS on boot-up

karol wrote:

Honestly, I'm not 100% sure how I did it as I set it up a year ago.

In your /etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf add a line:
options i915 modeset=1

Change the MODULES and FILES lines in /etc/mkinitcpio.conf to look like this:
MODULES="... intel_agp i915"
FILES="... /etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf"

Regenerate your initramfs using "mkinitcpio -p kernel26"


You said you did it all and got zilch.
What do you have in your /etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf?


Edit: One more thing: I'm using old drivers because I have an old card ;P

Thanks again. Yes, I found some more detailed instructions via a web search that basically say the same as above- though they were quite deep into the results.
Anyway, I gave them a go and this time it didn't break the network, but I saw no change in behaviour. I *thought* the modprobe stuff was from before it was enabled by default, so I wasn't overly hopeful anyway.

Anyway, my behaviour is the same as loafer's. I might try and do some log trawling this evening, if I get a chance.


"...one cannot be angry when one looks at a penguin."  - John Ruskin
"Life in general is a bit shit, and so too is the internet. And that's all there is." - scepticisle

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#8 2010-08-26 16:29:27

loafer
Member
From: the pub
Registered: 2009-04-14
Posts: 1,772

Re: How To debug KMS on boot-up

I added quiet to the end of the kernel line in menu.lst so I wouldn't see that stuff.


All men have stood for freedom...
For freedom is the man that will turn the world upside down.
Gerrard Winstanley.

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