Blank framebuffer with nouveau

dtw · 2014-10-29 11:52:07

No, I don't think it is as simple as nomodeset.

I update my install about every two weeks. After an update yesterday my framebuffer is going blank and X isn't starting. I have had a good read around but I am quite stumped.

I have tried setting a few framebuffer sizes through the kernel but none of them are working. I've tried using a video= kernel option, forcing a mode with EDID and nouveau.config=NvMSI=0

When it came to forcing a mode with EDID, I tried the built-in resolution of edid/1680x1050.bin but I dunno if I have to include that in my initramfs (I think I do) but I have no idea where the file is. Instead I tried late start KMS by removing nouveau from MODULES in mkinitcpio.conf. Still no luck.

The only way I can get a working framebuffer is with nomodeset. This means, though, that I can't debug X because I know X won't start using the nouveau driver with nomodeset.

nouveau module is being loaded properly but I can't do any real troubleshooting with KMS disabled. It's a real catch 22. Any ideas?

.:edit:.

When I use late start KMS it works fine up until udev loads nouveau and nouveaufb kicks in. So it's definitely KMS that is the problem.

Last edited by dtw (2014-10-29 12:08:38)

dtw · 2014-10-29 16:50:19

Problem occurs with a monitor connected via DVI so tried with a different monitor connected via VGA. Same problem. As soon as the boot framebuffer driver hands over to nouveaufb the screen blanks.

dtw · 2014-10-29 18:52:59

Managed to get a log from dmesg:

[    9.648263] fb: switching to nouveaufb from EFI VGA
[    9.650673] nouveau  [  DEVICE][0000:01:00.0] BOOT0  : 0x0e4030a2
[    9.650678] nouveau  [  DEVICE][0000:01:00.0] Chipset: GK104 (NVE4)
[    9.650681] nouveau  [  DEVICE][0000:01:00.0] Family : NVE0
[    9.650719] nouveau  [   VBIOS][0000:01:00.0] checking PRAMIN for image...
[    9.650726] nouveau  [   VBIOS][0000:01:00.0] ... signature not found
[    9.650728] nouveau  [   VBIOS][0000:01:00.0] checking PROM for image...
[    9.688586] nouveau  [   VBIOS][0000:01:00.0] ... appears to be valid
[    9.688589] nouveau  [   VBIOS][0000:01:00.0] using image from PROM
[    9.688672] nouveau  [   VBIOS][0000:01:00.0] BIT signature found
[    9.688674] nouveau  [   VBIOS][0000:01:00.0] version 80.04.6f.00.16
[    9.688987] nouveau 0000:01:00.0: irq 32 for MSI/MSI-X
[    9.688995] nouveau  [     PMC][0000:01:00.0] MSI interrupts enabled
[    9.689031] nouveau  [     PFB][0000:01:00.0] RAM type: GDDR5
[    9.689033] nouveau  [     PFB][0000:01:00.0] RAM size: 2048 MiB
[    9.689034] nouveau  [     PFB][0000:01:00.0]    ZCOMP: 0 tags
[    9.691458] nouveau  [    VOLT][0000:01:00.0] GPU voltage: 987500uv
[    9.720041] nouveau  [  PTHERM][0000:01:00.0] FAN control: PWM
[    9.720053] nouveau  [  PTHERM][0000:01:00.0] fan management: automatic
[    9.720078] nouveau  [  PTHERM][0000:01:00.0] internal sensor: yes
[    9.720107] nouveau  [     CLK][0000:01:00.0] 07: core 324 MHz memory 648 MHz 
[    9.720135] nouveau  [     CLK][0000:01:00.0] 0a: core 324-862 MHz memory 1620 MHz 
[    9.720210] nouveau  [     CLK][0000:01:00.0] 0d: core 540-1254 MHz memory 6008 MHz 
[    9.720299] nouveau  [     CLK][0000:01:00.0] 0f: core 540-1254 MHz memory 6008 MHz 
[    9.720368] nouveau  [     CLK][0000:01:00.0] --: core 324 MHz memory 648 MHz 
[    9.746469] nouveau  [     DRM] VRAM: 2048 MiB
[    9.746470] nouveau  [     DRM] GART: 1048576 MiB
[    9.746473] nouveau  [     DRM] TMDS table version 2.0
[    9.746474] nouveau  [     DRM] DCB version 4.0
[    9.746475] nouveau  [     DRM] DCB outp 00: 01000f02 00020030
[    9.746477] nouveau  [     DRM] DCB outp 01: 02000f00 00000000
[    9.746478] nouveau  [     DRM] DCB outp 02: 08011f82 00020030
[    9.746479] nouveau  [     DRM] DCB outp 03: 02822f62 0f420010
[    9.746480] nouveau  [     DRM] DCB outp 05: 04833fb6 0f420010
[    9.746481] nouveau  [     DRM] DCB outp 06: 04033f72 00020010
[    9.746482] nouveau  [     DRM] DCB conn 00: 00001030
[    9.746484] nouveau  [     DRM] DCB conn 01: 00020131
[    9.746485] nouveau  [     DRM] DCB conn 02: 00002261
[    9.746486] nouveau  [     DRM] DCB conn 03: 00010346
[    9.746487] nouveau  [     DRM] DCB conn 04: 00000460
[    9.772159] nouveau: probe of 0000:01:00.0 failed with error -12

dtw · 2014-10-30 12:50:36

Looks like maybe an upstream bug?

https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=85160

dtw · 2014-12-16 11:20:23

Short version, it looks like the total rebuild of nouveau in 3.7 was a total kitten up.

I've found endless bugs for a variety of distros with endless suggestions for kernel parameters:

nouveau.agpmode=0
nouveau.config=NvBios=PRAMIN
mem=2G
iommu=soft
nouveau.vram_pushbuf=1
nouveau.config=NvPCIE=0
nouveau.config=NvMSI=0

Not even tried all of them but it gives you a good idea of the scale of the problems. I don't know how 3.7 was ever signed off upstream, most of the issues were reported in 2012.

Problems seem to stem from a hardware confluence of gfx card, (U)EFI and X86_64

I'm now left with little option but to go back to NVIDIA prop.

Arch Linux

#1 2014-10-29 11:52:07

Blank framebuffer with nouveau

#2 2014-10-29 16:50:19

Re: Blank framebuffer with nouveau

#3 2014-10-29 18:52:59

Re: Blank framebuffer with nouveau

#4 2014-10-30 12:50:36

Re: Blank framebuffer with nouveau

#5 2014-12-16 11:20:23

Re: Blank framebuffer with nouveau

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