[SOLVED] text console no longer displayed on external vga monitor...

android · 2022-04-10 19:32:25

hello,

updated my system and now no login prompt on external vga monitor.

this machine has nvidia GF108GLM video card.

have been using nouveu driver, but this issue is before startx, initial boot text and login prompt no longer appear on external display.

updated from 5.10lts to 5.15lts.

laptop lcd does display text, but external monitor says no signal.

when i startx, it fails saying no frambuffer device found. dmesg show VGA fb0 device created during boot.

typing this on a media machine w/ a wireless mouse 8-) sorry for formatting...

android
2022-04-10

Last edited by android (2022-04-18 16:07:06)

android · 2022-04-10 20:01:14

downgraded kernel back to 5.10.75-lts, but issue is unchanged.

what other package would affect text console output during boot and login? prior to execution of startx...

thanks!

p.s. i switched boot display to "external vga" in the bios. this does cause the boot text and login prompt to appear on the vga monitor (at least i can read it now, on the lcd the text is tiny). however x still wont start, and now the lcd is totally blank. But at least it shows the h/w of the external monitor is working.

Last edited by android (2022-04-10 20:49:07)

android · 2022-04-10 21:48:14

this journalctl log from previous boot shows a nouveafb device that is not present in the cuurent boot.

this seems to be the root of the problem, but i'm still not sure how to get this back...

Feb 19 08:43:54 w520 kernel: vesafb: mode is 1280x1024x32, linelength=5120, pages=0
Feb 19 08:43:54 w520 kernel: vesafb: scrolling: redraw
Feb 19 08:43:54 w520 kernel: vesafb: Truecolor: size=8:8:8:8, shift=24:16:8:0
Feb 19 08:43:54 w520 kernel: vesafb: framebuffer at 0xd1000000, mapped to 0x(____ptrval____), using 5120k, total 5120k
Feb 19 08:43:54 w520 kernel: fbcon: Deferring console take-over
Feb 19 08:43:54 w520 kernel: fb0: VESA VGA frame buffer device
...
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: fb0: switching to nouveaufb from VESA VGA
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: Console: switching to colour dummy device 80x25
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: nouveau 0000:01:00.0: vgaarb: deactivate vga console
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: nouveau 0000:01:00.0: NVIDIA GF108 (0c1d00a1)
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: input: HDA Intel PCH Mic as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1b.0/sound/card0/input17
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: input: HDA Intel PCH Dock Mic as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1b.0/sound/card0/input18
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: input: HDA Intel PCH Dock Headphone as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1b.0/sound/card0/input19
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: input: HDA Intel PCH Headphone as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1b.0/sound/card0/input20
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 systemd[1]: Condition check resulted in First Boot Wizard being skipped.
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 systemd[1]: Condition check resulted in First Boot Complete being skipped.
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 systemd[1]: Condition check resulted in File System Check on Root Device being skipped.
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 systemd[1]: Condition check resulted in Repartition Root Disk being skipped.
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: i801_smbus 0000:00:1f.3: Timeout waiting for interrupt!
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: i801_smbus 0000:00:1f.3: Transaction timeout
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 systemd-udevd[306]: controlC0: Process '/usr/bin/alsactl restore 0' failed with exit code 99.
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 systemd[1]: Condition check resulted in First Boot Wizard being skipped.
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 systemd[1]: Condition check resulted in First Boot Complete being skipped.
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 systemd[1]: Condition check resulted in File System Check on Root Device being skipped.
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 systemd[1]: Condition check resulted in Repartition Root Disk being skipped.
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: nouveau 0000:01:00.0: bios: version 70.08.55.00.0c
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: nouveau 0000:01:00.0: fb: 2048 MiB DDR3
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: [TTM] Zone  kernel: Available graphics memory: 8171372 KiB
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: [TTM] Zone   dma32: Available graphics memory: 2097152 KiB
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: [TTM] Initializing pool allocator
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: [TTM] Initializing DMA pool allocator
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: nouveau 0000:01:00.0: DRM: VRAM: 2048 MiB
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: nouveau 0000:01:00.0: DRM: GART: 1048576 MiB
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: nouveau 0000:01:00.0: DRM: TMDS table version 2.0
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: nouveau 0000:01:00.0: DRM: DCB version 4.0
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: nouveau 0000:01:00.0: DRM: DCB outp 00: 01800323 00010034
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: nouveau 0000:01:00.0: DRM: DCB outp 01: 02011300 00000000
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: nouveau 0000:01:00.0: DRM: DCB outp 02: 028223a6 0f220010
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: nouveau 0000:01:00.0: DRM: DCB outp 03: 02822362 00020010
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: nouveau 0000:01:00.0: DRM: DCB outp 04: 048333b6 0f220010
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: nouveau 0000:01:00.0: DRM: DCB outp 05: 04833372 00020010
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: nouveau 0000:01:00.0: DRM: DCB outp 06: 088443c6 0f220010
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: nouveau 0000:01:00.0: DRM: DCB outp 07: 08844382 00020010
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: nouveau 0000:01:00.0: DRM: DCB conn 00: 00000040
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: nouveau 0000:01:00.0: DRM: DCB conn 01: 00000100
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: nouveau 0000:01:00.0: DRM: DCB conn 02: 00101246
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: nouveau 0000:01:00.0: DRM: DCB conn 03: 00202346
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: nouveau 0000:01:00.0: DRM: DCB conn 04: 00410446
...
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: nouveau 0000:01:00.0: DRM: allocated 1920x1080 fb: 0x60000, bo 000000001f3f0279
Feb 19 08:43:56 w520 kernel: fbcon: nouveaudrmfb (fb0) is primary device
...
Feb 19 08:43:57 w520 kernel: Console: switching to colour frame buffer device 240x67
Feb 19 08:43:57 w520 kernel: nouveau 0000:01:00.0: [drm] fb0: nouveaudrmfb frame buffer device

android · 2022-04-10 23:28:36

So, "modprobe nouveau" gets both displays to show the text console, and allows X to start again 8-/

Not sure why this changed. And so far, efforts to make this module load at boot time aren't working.

I've read this: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/nouveau

added this to kernel cmdline: nouveau.config=NvBios=PRAMIN
and this: nouveau.config=NvMSI=0

Even added nouveau to MODULES in /etc/mkinitcpio.conf and regen'd the initramfs.

Still no joy. Really not sure what changed...

Also having a weird fluxbox workspace issue: if, while moving a window on the desktop, it touched the top of the display, the workspace changes. used to only change when dragging a window over the left or right side of the display, now just touching the top, causes it to change.

This is why I'm an anti-updater...

Last edited by android (2022-04-11 00:18:53)

seth · 2022-04-11 07:08:53

pacman -Qs nvidia

Fermi chip is supported by 390xx, you might have some™ nvidia package flying around that blacklists nouveau but no longer matches the present kernel (390xx) or your GPU (regular nvidia package - if you didn't update in a loooooong time)

fluxbox is likely https://github.com/fluxbox/fluxbox/comm … 205ff386ad (on the upside, you got *many* bugfixes and new features compared to 1.3.7)

android · 2022-04-11 16:14:39

Thanks seth!

I did have these installed:

nvidia-settings 510.60.02-1
nvidia-utils 510.60.02-1

I've deleted them now, but I haven't had a chance to reboot yet (it's monday 8-/ ).

I'm just curious: How do these packages blacklist a module?

I didn't find anything in /etc/modprobe that would blacklist nouveau.

Re fluxbox: Thanks again! That is almost certainly the origin of the issue. A very helpful person in #fluxbox pointed me to this .fluxbox/init setting:

session.screen0.workspacewarpingvertical: false

That fixed the vertical warping issue (which was really problematic for me, since moving almost any window that was close to the size of the screen would constantly cause warping when it barely touched the top of the screen).

I think I've almost recovered from this update now 8-/

I also bumped my bug report for seamonkey:
https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/69499

When other applications (email, irc) try to open a URL, they typically use the "default browser", as defined via gio. If the default browser is defined to be seamonkey, then it doesn't open the link passed from the other application. It just opens a blank window (or tab). Rather than changing the packages desktop file, this time I overrode it in:

~/.local/share/applications/seamonkey.desktop

Thanks again for your help! and all of your work on archlinux!!!

seth · 2022-04-11 19:16:49

nvidia-utils ships /usr/lib/modprobe.d/nvidia-utils.conf what blacklists nouveau and 510xx does not cover your GPU anymore (you didn't update for quite some while, did you?)
You may want to look into https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/nvidia-390xx-dkms and https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/nvidia-390xx-utils (there're also lib32 variants and nvidia-390xx-settings, but those are not strictly necessary) to continue to use the nvidia blob rather than the nouveau driver (what should™ give you better performance and battery life)

In case there're no issues left w/ the driver setup, please always remember to mark resolved threads by editing your initial posts subject - so others will know that there's no task left, but maybe a solution to find.
Thanks.

android · 2022-04-14 21:55:22

Status update: Sorry, I still haven't rebooted to confirm that removal of the nvidia drivers does allow nouveau to load at startup.

I will confirm this and then mark the thread SOLVED...

android · 2022-04-18 16:06:14

Over the weekend I did have a chance to reboot and test automatic loading of the nouveau kernel module.

After removal of packages:

nvidia-settings 510.60.02-1
nvidia-utils 510.60.02-1

Reboot did cause nouveau to be loaded automatically, and the login prompt did appear on the external attached monitor without intervention.

It seems that previously, boot text would start to display on the external monitor about 1/2 way through the boot process, but now text does not appear on the external monitor until boot is complete, and the login prompt is displayed.

But, the login prompt does appear on the external monitor, and login, startx, etc, does function as expected.

Marking this thread SOLVED.

Thank you again for your help seth!

Arch Linux

#1 2022-04-10 19:32:25

[SOLVED] text console no longer displayed on external vga monitor...

#2 2022-04-10 20:01:14

Re: [SOLVED] text console no longer displayed on external vga monitor...

#3 2022-04-10 21:48:14

Re: [SOLVED] text console no longer displayed on external vga monitor...

#4 2022-04-10 23:28:36

Re: [SOLVED] text console no longer displayed on external vga monitor...

#5 2022-04-11 07:08:53

Re: [SOLVED] text console no longer displayed on external vga monitor...

#6 2022-04-11 16:14:39

Re: [SOLVED] text console no longer displayed on external vga monitor...

#7 2022-04-11 19:16:49

Re: [SOLVED] text console no longer displayed on external vga monitor...

#8 2022-04-14 21:55:22

Re: [SOLVED] text console no longer displayed on external vga monitor...

#9 2022-04-18 16:06:14

Re: [SOLVED] text console no longer displayed on external vga monitor...

Board footer