[SOLVED] CTRL_ALT-FN lead to blank screens

xiaweitang · 2010-01-04 07:47:09

Arch 2.6.32 + Xorg 1.7.3.902 + Xmonad 0.9
No xorg.conf and display manager

 lspci | grep VGA
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS, 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)

CTRL_ALT-FN works fine before startx, but lead to blank screens after that. I know this issue has been discussed in this forum several times, but I still see no solution. This is an issue because when I want to restart x using CTRL_ALT-BKSP, I see all blank screens, and I must use the power button to reboot my computer.

Last edited by xiaweitang (2010-01-17 21:28:58)

xiaweitang · 2010-01-08 08:56:27

Nobody?

JuseBox · 2010-01-08 13:10:54

xiaweitang wrote:

Arch 2.6.32 + Xorg 1.7.3.902 + Xmonad 0.9
No xorg.conf and display manager
 lspci | grep VGA
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS, 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)
CTRL_ALT-FN works fine before startx, but lead to blank screens after that. I know this issue has been discussed in this forum several times, but I still see no solution. This is an issue because when I want to restart x using CTRL_ALT-BKSP, I see all blank screens, and I must use the power button to reboot my computer.

Are you able to use different keybindings? like W-Backspace?

xiaweitang · 2010-01-08 17:35:26

JuseBox wrote:

xiaweitang wrote:
Arch 2.6.32 + Xorg 1.7.3.902 + Xmonad 0.9
No xorg.conf and display manager
 lspci | grep VGA
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS, 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)
CTRL_ALT-FN works fine before startx, but lead to blank screens after that. I know this issue has been discussed in this forum several times, but I still see no solution. This is an issue because when I want to restart x using CTRL_ALT-BKSP, I see all blank screens, and I must use the power button to reboot my computer.
Are you able to use different keybindings? like W-Backspace?

Ctrl_Alt-Backspace quits x but the screen is also blank. I can blind type startx to start x.

firecat53 · 2010-01-08 18:57:17

Maybe a silly question, but are you using the intel driver or the vesa driver? I've seen that same behavior with the vesa driver on an Intel card.

Scott

tavianator · 2010-01-08 19:01:36

Are you using KMS? If so, try passing "nomodeset" as a kernel parameter. If not, look on the wiki for how to enable it. It should be default for Intel cards now.

xiaweitang · 2010-01-11 00:41:24

firecat53 wrote:

Maybe a silly question, but are you using the intel driver or the vesa driver? I've seen that same behavior with the vesa driver on an Intel card.
Scott

I'm using the vesa driver.

xiaweitang · 2010-01-11 00:45:18

tavianator wrote:

Are you using KMS? If so, try passing "nomodeset" as a kernel parameter. If not, look on the wiki for how to enable it. It should be default for Intel cards now.

I don't know if I'm using KMS, what is it for? I have "vga=773" in menu.lst, which isn't allowed if using KMS. Then how to set the resolution?

tavianator · 2010-01-11 01:41:07

KMS causes the mode setting which X used to perform to be handled by the kernel. This means you automatically get your native resolution for your consoles. However, I doubt that the vesa driver is compatible with it.

To use KMS (which is recommended for Intel cards), remove the vga= option, and use xf86-video-intel. To use UMS (user mode setting; the old style), pass nomodeset to the kernel and use any X driver you feel like.

xiaweitang · 2010-01-12 01:19:11

tavianator wrote:

KMS causes the mode setting which X used to perform to be handled by the kernel. This means you automatically get your native resolution for your consoles. However, I doubt that the vesa driver is compatible with it.
To use KMS (which is recommended for Intel cards), remove the vga= option, and use xf86-video-intel. To use UMS (user mode setting; the old style), pass nomodeset to the kernel and use any X driver you feel like.

After switching from vesa to intel and removed vga= in menu.lst, the virtual consoles are not blank anymore. But the first part of the boot process is not in native resolution. The wiki says we can enable native resolution, but only for i915, my card is 945. By the way, is there a way to enable native resolution for the grub menu too, or am I asking for too much?

Profjim · 2010-01-12 01:37:01

I was having somewhat similar problems with switching back and forth between X and virtual terminals. Also intel video, though GM45 hardware. And not quite the same symptoms. You can read about it here: https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=25870. The fix for me was to remove the vga= line from my kernel line. I wasn't getting KMS with that option there on the kernel line, but I was getting these problems. Now without any video-related arguments on my kernel line, switching between X and virtual terminals is fast (because of KMS) and problem-free. What it looks like is Big Text for a while during the boot sequence, then haflway through it switches to native resolution. If you've removed all video-related options from your kernel line, and aren't getting the native resolution, I don't know why.

Arch Linux

#1 2010-01-04 07:47:09

[SOLVED] CTRL_ALT-FN lead to blank screens

#2 2010-01-08 08:56:27

Re: [SOLVED] CTRL_ALT-FN lead to blank screens

#3 2010-01-08 13:10:54

Re: [SOLVED] CTRL_ALT-FN lead to blank screens

#4 2010-01-08 17:35:26

Re: [SOLVED] CTRL_ALT-FN lead to blank screens

#5 2010-01-08 18:57:17

Re: [SOLVED] CTRL_ALT-FN lead to blank screens

#6 2010-01-08 19:01:36

Re: [SOLVED] CTRL_ALT-FN lead to blank screens

#7 2010-01-11 00:41:24

Re: [SOLVED] CTRL_ALT-FN lead to blank screens

#8 2010-01-11 00:45:18

Re: [SOLVED] CTRL_ALT-FN lead to blank screens

#9 2010-01-11 01:41:07

Re: [SOLVED] CTRL_ALT-FN lead to blank screens

#10 2010-01-12 01:19:11

Re: [SOLVED] CTRL_ALT-FN lead to blank screens

#11 2010-01-12 01:37:01

Re: [SOLVED] CTRL_ALT-FN lead to blank screens

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