[Solved] Blank screen at first reboot - and nothing

Akela NDE · n00b Joined: 18 Jan 2012 Posts: 14 Location: France

Hello,

I tried to install my first Gentoo on a new computer, following the Handbook. Then at reboot, GRUB passed OK, the kernel boot messages seemed to be OK for 2 or 3 seconds, then ... black. Nothing but a blank screen, and no way to move between tty1, 2 etc. I didn't see a single line looking like a kernel panic or whatever.
I tried to connect from another computer using ssh but I can't find it on my network.

Then I booted an Ubuntu live CD and mounted the partitions to have a look at dmesg, but I can't find anything looking like a deadly error message (But I'm probably no good at analyzing it). Here's the dmesg log.

I really don't know what it can be, is it that I made huge mistakes while configuring my kernel? (Here is the .config it saved after make menuconfig)

The hardware is a Xeon E3-1245 CPU, Gigabyte Z68XP-UD3 motherboard with Intel Z68 chipset, Nvidia GTS450 video card, 2*4 GB DDR3 and old SATA hard drives.

Thank you for your help.

comprookie2000 · Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 4:44 pm Post subject:

Boot up the livecd and chroot and add an entry without;
video=uvesafb:mtrr:3,ywrap,1920x1200-32@60
_________________
http://dev.gentoo.org/~dabbott/

Akela NDE · n00b Joined: 18 Jan 2012 Posts: 14 Location: France

Hi comprookie2000, thanks for your help.
I tried it and it didn't work, the symptoms are the same.
I chrooted and emerged nvidia-drivers to see if it would do something, but it didn't and it's still the same.
So I'll try re-compiling a kernel and see ...

A Gentoo install a bit more complicated than that of a Debian or CentOS !

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 7:37 pm Post subject:

Akela NDE,

I tried to reply last night but my post did not reach the forums.

Your dmesg looks OK ... it tells that your have the intel KMS driver compiled, which is good on intel hardware.
Your kernel config shows that uvesafb support is not included so video=uvesafb:mtrr:3,ywrap,1920x1200-32@60 was always doomed to fail.

Further Kernel Mode Switching provides a framebuffer console at no extra change but you must not build any other framebuffer support.
You have both VESA and EFI framebuffer support in your kernel.

You need to rebuild the kernel with those items removed.
If you don't have an intel graphics chip, you don't want Intel KMS support. You mentioned nvidia-drivers ... thats for Xorg and nvidia cards only.

I think we need sight of your

Akela NDE · n00b Joined: 18 Jan 2012 Posts: 14 Location: France

Hello NeddySeagoon, thanks for that.

Here's the lspci -k (in the chrooted environment) :

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 8:54 pm Post subject:

Akela NDE,

Akela NDE · n00b Joined: 18 Jan 2012 Posts: 14 Location: France

Yup, both lspci -n are the same.

There actually is an nVidia graphic card (I mounted it), but the motherboard seems to include an Intel graphical controller as well. So you're right, let's try to have it working first, graphics will come later.
I just hope it doesn't need the screen to be plugged on the motherboard then, cause it only has an HDMI port and I don't have an HDMI cable! (But I can buy one...)

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 9:22 pm Post subject:

Akela NDE,

Both graphics chips should drive both the internal and external displays at the same time.
The idea is tht the built in graphics are lower power, which is good for battery life but not as good for high performace graphical applications, so you switch (seamlessly) between them as the application demands.

Linux isn't quite there yet. It works with some chips in some combinations and there is no support for seamless switching in Xorg. You need to quit Xorg, switch graphics chips (and maybe xorg.conf files) then restart Xorg. I did not check your kernel to see if you selected support for multiple graphics chips but its on and set for two by default.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

Akela NDE · n00b Joined: 18 Jan 2012 Posts: 14 Location: France

OK. I don't remember playing with that multiple chips option, so it's probably by default. Anyway, we'll see later for the nVidia support.

I tried to recompile a kernel excluding the framebuffer options but apparently there was still some nvidia stuff cause it did the same black screen again, and after looking at dmesg from my live-USB, it ends like this:

Akela NDE · n00b Joined: 18 Jan 2012 Posts: 14 Location: France

OK, so now it works ! Well, somehow :-P

Apparently there is STILL some trace of an nvidia module, but it doesn't matter since it's not actually loaded.
And there is no network, which is a bit more annoying; according to the last messages before the welcome prompt, I should "ensure that [I] have loaded the correct kernel module for [my] hardware".
We'll see that tomorrow, but I'm really glad to have been able to log in my first Gentoo!

Thanks guys.

comprookie2000 · Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2012 2:25 am Post subject:

From your lspci;

Akela NDE · n00b Joined: 18 Jan 2012 Posts: 14 Location: France

And it works.
Well it was quite obvious when you think about it, but you have to get used to compiling kernels and doing things the Gentoo way.
I really like it when it works and you learns things like that. Gentoo rocks!
Now, time for X, then Gnome, then maybe I'll try nVidia again ... Hours of fun :-)

Thanks a lot, again.

Akela NDE · n00b Joined: 18 Jan 2012 Posts: 14 Location: France

... and it doesn't work any more.
I tried to install X following the instructions on that page for Intel integrated graphics, and it does the same again, blank screen and impossible to access tty1 2 etc.
On the other hand, networking does work and I can connect using ssh.

I tried a dmesg, here ; and here's the kernel's .config.

I can't see anything that's wrong in the dmesg (with my limited capacities), but when I try startx from the ssh console, here's what I get :

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2012 8:38 pm Post subject:

Akela NDE,

Very close ...

What do you have in your VIDEO_CARDS= in /etc/make.conf ?
It looks like its missing intel. Further, its needs to be set properly before you build Xorg. Add intel into the list now and

comprookie2000 · Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2012 9:06 pm Post subject:

@Akela NDE
Is this a motherboard with 2 graphic cards where one is the default and then the nvidia kicks in when graphics intensive, that comes with some of the newer laptops?
Or is this a motherboard with onboard graphics and you added a nvidia card to it for improved graphics?
_________________
http://dev.gentoo.org/~dabbott/

Akela NDE · n00b Joined: 18 Jan 2012 Posts: 14 Location: France

Well, in make.conf I had written :

comprookie2000 · Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2012 10:20 pm Post subject:

Akela NDE · n00b Joined: 18 Jan 2012 Posts: 14 Location: France

OK, I tried that, and it works a good bit.
No more blank screen: the systems loads normally, then classical login prompt , and I can even do startx and have an actual X server starting

I had installed twm and xterm as suggested in the handbook, so startx gave an xterm window, which is definitely an improvement over previous situations.

Well, actually there was still no xorg.conf created when emerging xorg-server, nor after update world after editing make.conf to add the VIDEO_CARDS="nvidia", so I created manually a tiny xorg.conf with just a few lines... This is probably why, while in X, I have no keyboard nor mouse! A problem which I'll try to fix tomorrow; there should be a way to have a proper xorg.conf generated. Just have to find how

(And yes, the monitor is connected to the nVidia card)

comprookie2000 · Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2012 12:24 am Post subject:

If you are going to use the nvidia proprietary driver, (thats what i use) :
eselect opengl set nvidia
Make sure you have this in /etc/make.conf
INPUT_DEVICES="evdev"
VIDEO_CARDS="nvidia"
then run this now and whenever you boot into a new kernel
emerge $(qlist -C -I x11-drivers/) -1av
That will rebuild the drivers
Then run nvidia-xconfig
and restart X

and one more thing

rc-update add dbus default
_________________
http://dev.gentoo.org/~dabbott/

Akela NDE · n00b Joined: 18 Jan 2012 Posts: 14 Location: France

OK, it works! Thanks a lot.

Now I'll continue with the install: Gnome, etc. Just hope it will be easier

comprookie2000 · Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2012 1:30 pm Post subject:

Add your user to the video group for the nvidia driver.
gpasswd -a youruser_here video
_________________
http://dev.gentoo.org/~dabbott/

Akela NDE · n00b Joined: 18 Jan 2012 Posts: 14 Location: France

Yep, did it.

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2012 6:16 pm Post subject:

Akela NDE,

The nvidia driver has a very nasty wart for the mildly paranoid like myself.
The 3D acceleration writes things to /tmp then executes them. The mildlly paranod put /tmp in tmpfs and mount it -o noexec, as nothing should ever be executed from /tmp.
Its an attack vector. Mounting /tmp with -o noexec will crash the nvidia driver (it segfaults) when it attempts 3D acceleration.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.