[arch-general] VTs are unusable (too dim) after X starts

didier gaumet didier.gaumet at libertysurf.fr
Thu Jul 9 15:43:53 EDT 2009


Hi all,

It is probably trivial and I surely am the dumbest poster of the week,
but I can't use my VT's (so dim that it is unusable) after X is
started. During the boot process, VT1 is "normal" (i.e. readable).
If I boot in a non-graphical mode (init level <5) there is no problem.
If I boot in graphical mode (init level 5), the problem is persistent
even if I switch to, say, an init level 3.

My question:
 Have you met this problem and how did you solve it?

I am not against reading docs and searching google or Archwiki but
so far without success.

My video card is an OEM ATI 9250, my monitor is an old Delta
Electronics 17" CRT, Archlinux (i686) is up-to-date and booted via
Grub2 without vga/video parameters (non framebuffer mode), X is used
without an xorg.conf and automatically loads the radeon and drm
modules.

some info:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
$ lspci -vv
00:00.0 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8366/A/7 [Apollo KT266/A/333]
	Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. Device 0000
	Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
	Status: Cap+ 66MHz+ UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort+ >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
	Latency: 0
	Region 0: Memory at e0000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]
	Capabilities: <access denied>
	Kernel driver in use: agpgart-via
	Kernel modules: via-agp

00:01.0 PCI bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8366/A/7 [Apollo KT266/A/333 AGP] (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
	Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR+ FastB2B- DisINTx-
	Status: Cap+ 66MHz+ UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort+ >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
	Latency: 0
	Bus: primary=00, secondary=01, subordinate=01, sec-latency=0
	I/O behind bridge: 0000c000-0000cfff
	Memory behind bridge: dfe00000-dfefffff
	Prefetchable memory behind bridge: bfc00000-dfcfffff
	Secondary status: 66MHz- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- <SERR- <PERR-
	BridgeCtl: Parity- SERR- NoISA+ VGA+ MAbort- >Reset- FastB2B-
		PriDiscTmr- SecDiscTmr- DiscTmrStat- DiscTmrSERREn-
	Capabilities: <access denied>
	Kernel modules: shpchp

[...]

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc RV280 [Radeon 9200 PRO] (rev 01) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
	Subsystem: Micro-Star International Co., Ltd. Device 9522
	Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
	Status: Cap+ 66MHz+ UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
	Latency: 32 (2000ns min), Cache Line Size: 32 bytes
	Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 16
	Region 0: Memory at d0000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=128M]
	Region 1: I/O ports at c800 [size=256]
	Region 2: Memory at dfef0000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
	Expansion ROM at dfec0000 [disabled] [size=128K]
	Capabilities: <access denied>
	Kernel modules: radeonfb

01:00.1 Display controller: ATI Technologies Inc RV280 [Radeon 9200 PRO] (Secondary) (rev 01)
	Subsystem: Micro-Star International Co., Ltd. Device 9523
	Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
	Status: Cap+ 66MHz+ UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
	Latency: 32 (2000ns min), Cache Line Size: 32 bytes
	Region 0: Memory at c8000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=128M]
	Region 1: Memory at dfee0000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
	Capabilities: <access denied>

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

# Config file for GRUB2 - The GNU GRand Unified Bootloader
# /boot/grub/grub.cfg

# DEVICE NAME CONVERSIONS
#
#  Linux           Grub
# -------------------------
#  /dev/fd0        (fd0)
#  /dev/sda        (hd0)
#  /dev/sdb2       (hd1,2)
#  /dev/sda3       (hd0,3)
#

# Timeout for menu
set timeout=5

# Set default boot entry as Entry 0
set default=0

# didier: modules
insmod vbe
insmod radeonfb

# (0) Arch Linux
menuentry "Arch Linux" {
set root=(hd0,5)
linux /vmlinuz26 root=/dev/sda7 ro
initrd /kernel26.img
}

# (1) Arch Linux fallback
menuentry "Arch Linux fallback" {
set root=(hd0,5)
linux /vmlinuz26 root=/dev/sda7 ro single
initrd /kernel26.img
}

# (2) Memtest86+
menuentry "Memtest86+" {
set root=(hd0,5)
linux16 /memtest86+/memtest.bin root=/dev/sda7
}

# (3) Windows
menuentry "Windows" {
set root=(hd0,3)
chainloader +1
}

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Module                  Size  Used by
aes_i586                8100  0 
aes_generic            27204  1 aes_i586
radeon                367232  2 
drm                   154720  3 radeon
rfkill_input            6020  0 
sco                    10952  2 
bridge                 54040  0 
stp                     2088  1 bridge
llc                     5552  2 bridge,stp
bnep                   10916  2 
l2cap                  23940  3 bnep
ipv6                  277908  18 
bluetooth              56484  5 sco,bnep,l2cap
fuse                   61088  2 
arc4                    1732  2 
ecb                     2788  2 
b43                   138720  0 
snd_seq_dummy           2696  0 
rfkill                 10640  3 rfkill_input,b43
snd_seq_oss            31168  0 
dvb_usb_cinergyT2       8716  0 
usblp                  13028  0 
snd_seq_midi_event      7012  1 snd_seq_oss
snd_seq                53744  5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi_event
dvb_usb                16752  1 dvb_usb_cinergyT2
mac80211              182880  1 b43
ueagle_atm             31132  0 
usbatm                 16004  1 ueagle_atm
cfg80211               67332  2 b43,mac80211
dvb_core               86848  1 dvb_usb
snd_pcm_oss            40352  0 
snd_mixer_oss          17540  2 snd_pcm_oss
atm                    39924  1 usbatm
led_class               3976  1 b43
input_polldev           3628  1 b43
snd_via82xx            24060  1 
snd_ac97_codec        106088  1 snd_via82xx
i2c_viapro              7384  0 
i2c_core               22776  3 drm,dvb_usb,i2c_viapro
ac97_bus                1540  1 snd_ac97_codec
snd_pcm                73768  3 snd_pcm_oss,snd_via82xx,snd_ac97_codec
snd_timer              21068  2 snd_seq,snd_pcm
snd_page_alloc          8812  2 snd_via82xx,snd_pcm
snd_mpu401_uart         7524  1 snd_via82xx
ppdev                   7720  0 
via_ircc               18968  0 
snd_rawmidi            21824  1 snd_mpu401_uart
snd_seq_device          6768  4 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_rawmidi
psmouse                59644  0 
ssb                    45932  1 b43
lp                      9700  0 
ns558                   4548  0 
irda                  126744  1 via_ircc
analog                 10656  0 
uhci_hcd               23476  0 
ohci_hcd               24116  0 
snd                    58404  11 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_via82xx,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm,snd_timer,snd_mpu401_uart,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq_device
serio_raw               5704  0 
sg                     27896  0 
pcspkr                  2404  0 
8139too                24904  0 
crc_ccitt               1700  1 irda
soundcore               6784  2 snd
via_agp                 8324  1 
pcmcia                 36268  2 b43,ssb
parport_pc             36932  1 
parport                34476  3 ppdev,lp,parport_pc
ehci_hcd               35824  0 
gameport               11280  4 snd_via82xx,ns558,analog
usbcore               149936  9 dvb_usb_cinergyT2,usblp,dvb_usb,ueagle_atm,usbatm,uhci_hcd,ohci_hcd,ehci_hcd
pcmcia_core            35128  3 b43,ssb,pcmcia
shpchp                 34424  0 
pci_hotplug            28964  1 shpchp
8139cp                 21476  0 
agpgart                32756  2 drm,via_agp
mii                     4804  2 8139too,8139cp
thermal                13888  0 
evdev                  10176  10 
processor              35864  0 
fan                     4392  0 
button                  5588  0 
battery                10984  0 
ac                      4360  0 
rtc_cmos               11244  0 
rtc_core               18048  1 rtc_cmos
rtc_lib                 2500  1 rtc_core
ext3                  135340  3 
jbd                    48856  1 ext3
mbcache                 7112  1 ext3
sr_mod                 16676  0 
cdrom                  36032  1 sr_mod
sd_mod                 27808  6 
pata_acpi               4228  0 
ata_generic             4680  0 
pata_via                9452  5 
libata                168428  3 pata_acpi,ata_generic,pata_via
floppy                 55780  0 
scsi_mod              110516  4 sg,sr_mod,sd_mod,libata

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
$ grep EE /var/log/Xorg*

/var/log/Xorg.0.log:Current Operating System: Linux pc-didier
2.6.30-ARCH #1 SMP PREEMPT Sat Jul 4 11:13:08 UTC 2009
i686 /var/log/Xorg.0.log:	(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not
implemented, (??) unknown. /var/log/Xorg.0.log:(II) Loading extension
MIT-SCREEN-SAVER /var/log/Xorg.0.log:(EE) open /dev/fb0: No such file
or directory /var/log/Xorg.0.log.old:Current Operating System: Linux
pc-didier 2.6.30-ARCH #1 SMP PREEMPT Sat Jul 4 11:13:08 UTC 2009
i686 /var/log/Xorg.0.log.old:	(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not
implemented, (??) unknown. /var/log/Xorg.0.log.old:(II) Loading
extension MIT-SCREEN-SAVER /var/log/Xorg.0.log.old:(EE) open /dev/fb0:
No such file or directory /var/log/Xorg.0.log.old:(EE) XKB: No
components provided for device Virtual core keyboard
-----------------------------------------------------------------------





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