Problems with new install and the nouveau driver

nadman10 · 2012-02-02 23:03:40

Starting a new Arch install on a dual monitor PC with an nvidia graphics chipset. For the record, I have to use the "nomodeset" option to even make the computer usable in a command line shell. I've installed Xorg per the instructions in the wiki(which I think could use a well needed update), and when I try to start X, I get the message:

(EE) [drm] failed to open device
(EE) No devices detected.
Fatal server error: No screens found.

My /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-monitor.conf looks like this:

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier    "Monitor0"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier    "Device0"
    Driver        "nouveau"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier    "Screen0" 
    Device        "Device0"
    Monitor       "Monitor0"
    DefaultDepth  24
    SubSection "Display"
        Depth     24
        Modes     "1024x768_75.00"
    EndSubSection
EndSection

AFAIK, this should at least get me up and running with one monitor. Any ideas?

Last edited by nadman10 (2012-02-02 23:46:47)

Gusar · 2012-02-02 23:16:20

The nouveau X driver needs exactly what you've deactivated - modesetting. Also, you don't need *any* X configuration, your file basically does nothing (1024x768_75.00 isn't defined anywhere, so it'll be skipped, the rest literally does nothing).

nadman10 · 2012-02-02 23:19:32

So, any files in /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/ are not used any more?

And WTF is going on with this nomodeset problem? TONS of people are having major issues with it.

nadman10 · 2012-02-02 23:27:05

Gusar wrote:

The nouveau X driver needs exactly what you've deactivated - modesetting. Also, you don't need *any* X configuration, your file basically does nothing (1024x768_75.00 isn't defined anywhere, so it'll be skipped, the rest literally does nothing).

Gusar, thanks for the help. I disabled the "nomodeset" option. X starts up then crashes. The problem is, I can't read the error because my console gets spammed before I can copy it down. I'm stuck in a Catch 22 here. This is really starting to grind my gears.

Gusar · 2012-02-02 23:31:00

nadman10 wrote:

So, any files in /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/ are not used any more?

Of course they are. Delete that 10-evdev.conf you see there and you'll be without keyboard and mouse . It's the particular file that you made which does nothing.

nadman10 wrote:

And WTF is going on with this nomodeset problem? TONS of people are having major issues with it.

No, people are *creating* the problem by specifying nomodeset (which deactivates KMS). KMS is the only way nouveau does modesetting. Disable that and you've disabled the entire driver basically.

Edit: X stores it's log at /var/log/Xorg.0.log. Even if it crashes, there's for sure stuff in there. So post here the content of that file, it might give us clues as to what's wrong.

Last edited by Gusar (2012-02-02 23:32:32)

nadman10 · 2012-02-02 23:37:30

Stared X and let it crash enough to figure out why X was crashing and got it to boot.

nadman10 · 2012-02-02 23:52:34

Perhaps I prematurely tagged this as solved.

Gusar wrote:

No, people are *creating* the problem by specifying nomodeset (which deactivates KMS). KMS is the only way nouveau does modesetting. Disable that and you've disabled the entire driver basically.

Edit: X stores it's log at /var/log/Xorg.0.log. Even if it crashes, there's for sure stuff in there. So post here the content of that file, it might give us clues as to what's wrong.

You see, the problem is with not having that option enabled is that your console is spammed by errors so often, that it becomes unusable. Even when looking at log files. Either way, I got X to boot, but the screen flickers and briefly locks up every 10 seconds. When I look at /var/log/messages.log, I have similar errors in there, appearing every 10 seconds. So this EDID problem not only makes my console unusable, It makes X extremely annoying to use. Any ideas?

Gusar · 2012-02-02 23:58:31

Your previous posts don't contain anything about EDID problems. Exact error messages, please.

Other necessary info: Which graphic card exactly (post the output of lspci -nn), what monitor (CRT, LCD), what connection (VGA, DVI, DisplayPort).

nadman10 · 2012-02-05 18:36:21

You are correct. Sorry. When my main monitor is connected, I get spammed with entries in /var/log/messages.log every ten seconds the say something like:

localhost kernel: [         48.333450]  nouveau 0000:02:00.0: DVI-I-1:
EDID block 0 invalid.

When these entries happen, my screen blinks and freezes up for a second. Extremely annoying.
my graphics card is:

02:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: nVidia Corporation G86 [GeForce 8400 GS] [10de:0422] (rev a1)

The problem monitor is an Acer AL1916W connected to the DVI port of my graphics card. The other monitor is an Acer AL1916 connected to the VGA port of my graphics card. This issues only happen when the DVI monitor is connected.

Last edited by nadman10 (2012-02-05 18:51:37)

Gusar · 2012-02-05 19:30:08

EDID issues are a bi***. But as I haven't encountered them yet (*phew* ), I have no idea how to deal with them. I suggest you post on the nouveau mailing list, if there's anyone who knows how to help, it's those guys.

nadman10 · 2012-02-05 20:10:44

I only noticed this lately. Maybe I should roll back to an older version

Arch Linux

#1 2012-02-02 23:03:40

Problems with new install and the nouveau driver

#2 2012-02-02 23:16:20

Re: Problems with new install and the nouveau driver

#3 2012-02-02 23:19:32

Re: Problems with new install and the nouveau driver

#4 2012-02-02 23:27:05

Re: Problems with new install and the nouveau driver

#5 2012-02-02 23:31:00

Re: Problems with new install and the nouveau driver

#6 2012-02-02 23:37:30

Re: Problems with new install and the nouveau driver

#7 2012-02-02 23:52:34

Re: Problems with new install and the nouveau driver

#8 2012-02-02 23:58:31

Re: Problems with new install and the nouveau driver

#9 2012-02-05 18:36:21

Re: Problems with new install and the nouveau driver

#10 2012-02-05 19:30:08

Re: Problems with new install and the nouveau driver

#11 2012-02-05 20:10:44

Re: Problems with new install and the nouveau driver

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