Bug 25120 – Virtual Terminals blank with nvidia acceleration

• Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME
• Product: Gentoo Linux

[Description Vidur Vare 2003-07-23 08:33:11 UTC]

When I configure X to work with nvidia acceleration (i.e. nvidia is loaded as a
module in the kernel and the line 'Driver "nvidia"' is added to XF86config) the
virtual terminals show up as a blank screen when I use ctrl-alt-[f1-f4]. The
virtual terminals remain blank even after I quit X.

However, when I remove the nvidia module from the kernel and fire up X without
acceleration, the virtual terminals work perfectly.

Reproduceable: Always. Steps to reproduce should be evident from above.

I am using
nvidia-glx-1.0.4363
nvidia-kernel-1.0.4363-r2
xfree-4.3.0-r2

Here is my XF86Config
Section "ServerLayout"
        Identifier     "XFree86 Configured"
        Screen      0  "Screen0" 0 0
        InputDevice    "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
        InputDevice    "Mouse1" "SendCoreEvents"
        InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection
 
Section "Files"
        RgbPath      "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/rgb"
        ModulePath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/modules"
        FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc/"
        FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo/"
        FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/"
        FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/CID/"
        FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/"
        FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/"
EndSection
 
Section "Module"
        Load  "record"
        Load  "extmod"
        Load  "dbe"
#       Load  "dri"
        Load  "glx"
        Load  "xtrap"
        Load  "type1"
        Load  "speedo"
EndSection
 
Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier  "Keyboard0"
        Driver      "keyboard"
EndSection
 
Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier  "Mouse0"
        Driver      "mouse"
#       Option      "Protocol" "auto"
        Option      "Protocol" "IMPS/2"
        Option      "Emulate3Buttons" "off"
        Option      "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
        Option      "Device" "/dev/mouse"
EndSection
 
Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier  "Mouse1"
        Driver      "mouse"
#       Option      "Protocol" "auto"
        Option      "Protocol" "IMPS/2"
        Option      "Emulate3Buttons" "off"
        Option      "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
        Option      "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
EndSection
 
Section "Monitor"
        #DisplaySize      300   230     # mm
        Identifier   "Monitor0"
        VendorName   "DEL"
        ModelName    "DELL D1028L"
        Option      "DPMS"
EndSection
 
Section "Device"
        ### Available Driver options are:-
        ### Values: <i>: integer, <f>: float, <bool>: "True"/"False",
        ### <string>: "String", <freq>: "<f> Hz/kHz/MHz"
        ### [arg]: arg optional
        #Option     "SWcursor"                  # [<bool>]
        #Option     "HWcursor"                  # [<bool>]
        #Option     "NoAccel"                   # [<bool>]
        #Option     "ShowCache"                 # [<bool>]
        #Option     "ShadowFB"                  # [<bool>]
        #Option     "UseFBDev"                  # [<bool>]
        #Option     "Rotate"                    # [<str>]
        #Option     "VideoKey"                  # <i>
        #Option     "FlatPanel"                 # [<bool>]
        #Option     "FPDither"                  # [<bool>]
        #Option     "CrtcNumber"                # <i>
        Identifier  "Card0"
#       Driver      "nv"
        Driver      "nvidia"
        VendorName  "nVidia Corporation"
        BoardName   "NV17 [GeForce4 MX 420]"
        BusID       "PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection
 
Section "Screen"
        Identifier "Screen0"
        Device     "Card0"
        Monitor    "Monitor0"
        DefaultDepth 16
 
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth     1
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth     4
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth     8
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth     15
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth     16
                Modes     "1280x1024"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth     24
#               Modes     "1024x768"
                Modes     "1280x1024"
        EndSubSection
EndSection

[Comment 1 SpanKY 2003-07-23 16:27:17 UTC]

to be honest, i say we mark this as CANTFIX ... 
 
the frame buffer nvidia kernel driver is highly recommended to *not* be used in 
conjunction with the official nvidia driver ... 
 
in other words, if you plan on using media-libs/nvidia-kernel, then you should 
switch to using the vesa frame buffer driver ... 

[Comment 2 Vidur Vare 2003-07-24 05:05:58 UTC]

I am actually not using framebuffer. I made sure that all options pertaining to framebuffer are turned off in the kernel configuration. 

Vidur

[Comment 3 Perchut2 2003-07-31 18:34:52 UTC]

I have _exactly_ the same problem !
no framebuffer stuff in the kernel
all latest realeases of Xfree, nvidia. (same problem for all 4xxx drivers...)

my config :

ASUS p4p800
PIV
1 gb ram
geforce 4 4200
 

[Comment 4 Perchut2 2003-08-06 15:28:07 UTC]

2 different problems to be considered :

1st one : 

you try to switch to a vt, but get a blank screen ; anyway, you can "type in the dark" or go back to your X terminal

2nd one :

you try to switch to a vt, but get a blank screen : you can't do anything else but reboot.



HERE's what may be the fix for both problems (found on nvnews.net) :

1st one :

disable dpms in /etc/X11/XF86Config
add "IgnoreDisplayDevices" "DFP,TV" in same file.

2nd one :

bug caused by a tv cable plugged in the card.
unplug the tv cable, and reboot. the cable musn't be plugged during the boot process. i still don't know if you can get twinview if you plug the cable back in the card, and if the problem goes back. I won't try.
then you can switch your vt.



My problem was the second one. This solution worked for me. 

[Comment 5 Martin Holzer (RETIRED) 2003-10-15 12:15:38 UTC]

closing