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cyberphiliac

Member

From: Golgafrincham

Registered: 2004-08-20

Posts: 9

can't see virtual consoles from/after X [FXx]

Hello all:

After I start an X session (with 'startx') I can switch to a virtual console (with 'ctrl-alt-F-whatever'), but all I get is a blank monitor.

The console is there and I can use it, but I can't see anything, so I have to type "blind."

This also happens after I log out of whatever window manager/desktop environment I'm using (KDE, fluxbox, etc.). At this point, I can type 'startx' (again), or 'shutdown -r now', or whatever, and it works, so I know the VC is there. I just can't see anything.

What can I do to fix this? Sorry if this is a FAQ. I'm sure I've seen something like this mentioned before, but I've tried Google, LQ.org, etc. and can't find anything.

Any help would be much appreciated.

phrakture

Arch Overlord

From: behind you

Registered: 2003-10-29

Posts: 7,879

Website

Re: can't see virtual consoles from/after X [FXx]

wow, ummm I've never seen that before... couple of questions:
do you use udev or devfs?
what video card? what driver?
can you post your xorg.conf?

---

http://phraktured.net

cyberphiliac

Member

From: Golgafrincham

Registered: 2004-08-20

Posts: 9

Re: can't see virtual consoles from/after X [FXx]

do you use udev or devfs?
devfs

what video card? what driver?
Pine video card / SiS 350 chipset
xorg driver "sis"

I've discovered the problem stops if I set DefaultDepth to 8 (for either the "vga" or "sis" driver). But for 16 or 24 ... no joy.

Any ideas?

can you post your xorg.conf?
Here's the relevant stuff from xorg.conf:

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier  "Philips 109B"
    DisplaySize 355 265
    HorizSync   30-97
    VertRefresh 50-160
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier   "Standard VGA"
    Driver       "vga"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier  "Pine PV-S05A"
    Driver      "sis"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier  "Screen 1"
    Device      "Pine PV-S05A"
    Monitor     "Philips 109B"
    DefaultDepth 24

    Subsection "Display"
        Depth       8
        Modes       "1920x1440" "1600x1200" "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        ViewPort    0 0
    EndSubsection
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth       16
        Modes       "1920x1440" "1600x1200" "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        ViewPort    0 0
    EndSubsection
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth       24
        Modes       "1920x1440" "1600x1200" "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        ViewPort    0 0
    EndSubsection
EndSection

phrakture

Arch Overlord

From: behind you

Registered: 2003-10-29

Posts: 7,879

Website

Re: can't see virtual consoles from/after X [FXx]

ok, well you seem to know what you're doing.... so I'm sure you checked all the little things I would ask for (such as I already did)...
So it works in 8dpp but nothing higher? hmmm.... you have another monitor to try? I doubt it's that...

let me ask this: when you try to hop to the console, does the screen go totally black, then black with the backlight (hard to explain)... or does it just go black and sit there...

Are you using any custom framebuffer device? can you try some kernel params, like "video=vesafb" and see if it changes anything?

---

http://phraktured.net

puntmuts

Member

Registered: 2005-02-22

Posts: 138

Re: can't see virtual consoles from/after X [FXx]

Or try it without framebuffer at all. Just add an kernelline option vga=normal or something during boot. IIRC I had this when using the matroxfb modules in 2.6.x . I don't use them, I use vesafb and never had those problems since. You could try and type reset and see if something happens. I think you will have to be logged in the VC session to use the reset command. But my guess would be framebuffermodules.

---

Out / Gone
Mirgrating all my machines off ArchLinux . No longer part of the ArchLinux community / users .
Done. Goodbye.

cyberphiliac

Member

From: Golgafrincham

Registered: 2004-08-20

Posts: 9

Re: can't see virtual consoles from/after X [FXx]

Thanks for the suggestions, phrakture & puntmuts.

ok, well you seem to know what you're doing

I know just barely enough to make it seem like I know what I'm doing - but no more than that

I've managed to get the problem fixed, though! What follows is FYI for anyone else who might encounter the same problem.

I tried 'video=vesafb' and 'vga=normal' but they didn't work (neither did 'reset'). Then I had the shrewd idea of trying the Arch live CD. Virtual console switching worked fine for it, so I looked at xorg.conf - the CD used the "vesa" driver, rather than the "vga" driver xorgconfig had set me up with.

This, along with the vesa bios message for my graphics card (which I see every time I boot up) and phrakture's 'video=vesafb' suggestion triggered another shrewd idea - namely "Hey ... why don't I try the vesa driver?"

So I did...but X locked up bad The only way I could find to get back control was to hit the reset switch. After that, I fiddled around some more with xorg.conf & kernel params, but no dice.

I then spent a number of hours scrounging about the web looking for anything that might help. I couldn't make heads or tails of 95% of what I found, and what I did understand wasn't much use (for this problem, anyway). At this point I was getting desperate (and sorta fed up), but I knew it worked for the live CD, so I tried the vesa driver again.

It worked right off the bat! Huh?? Then I realized I had been using a 'vga=normal' or 'vga=773' kernel param (or something like that) when I had tried the first time. To test the theory, I tried with 'vga=normal' again, and sure enough, X locked up right away when I started it. So that was it.

The relevant xorg.conf sections are below (modified from my earlier post to fix my problem).

Note that I commented out the "1920x1440" resolution mode in each "Display" Subsection. This is because (on my machine, using the vesa driver) when I start X with 1920x1440 and then switch to 1600x1200 (or vice versa), the picture goes all funky/nasty. I prefer 1600x1200 and almost never use 1920x1440, so...

Also, I kept the vga device section because it *does* work - it just screws up my virtual consoles - and resolution switching works fine for it.

I suppose one could get fancy and create several "Screen" sections for the various scenarios, but right now, I'm just gonna leave well enough alone

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier "Philips 109B"
    DisplaySize 355 265
    HorizSync   30-97
    VertRefresh 50-160
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier "Standard VGA"
    Driver     "vga"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier "Pine PV-S05A"
    Driver     "sis"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier "VESA"
    Driver     "vesa"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier  "Screen 1"
    Device      "VESA"
    Monitor     "Philips 109B"
    DefaultDepth 24

    Subsection "Display"
        Depth    8
        Modes   "1600x1200" "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480" # "1920x1440"
        ViewPort 0 0
    EndSubsection
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth    16
        Modes   "1600x1200" "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480" # "1920x1440"
        ViewPort 0 0
    EndSubsection
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth    24
        Modes   "1600x1200" "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480" # "1920x1440"
        ViewPort 0 0
    EndSubsection
EndSection