• Registered: 2010-08-17
  • Posts: 24

Topic: blank screen at gdm / X startup after update && upgrade

hey guys,

my very first problem with statler.

after update && upgrade yesterday, todays startup resulted in a blank black screen where the gdm loginmanager shoud be.

i also cannot tab into a virtual console, nothing happens.
i've already tried to rename the xorg.conf, but no luck. 
graphics card is an ati radeon with fglrx (no problems so far).

have you guys any tips for me? sad

Last edited by shueddue (2010-09-06 11:20:05)

i'm a linux!
  • luc
  • #! Die-hard
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  • From: Munich, Germany
  • Registered: 2010-03-21
  • Posts: 560

Re: blank screen at gdm / X startup after update && upgrade

can you try to start some recovery or previous version from the grub menu?
luc

  • Registered: 2009-09-19
  • Posts: 108

Re: blank screen at gdm / X startup after update && upgrade

Same problem here.

I'm running an ibm thinkpad x40

Last edited by ErSandro (2010-09-06 18:09:22)

  • Registered: 2010-08-17
  • Posts: 24

Re: blank screen at gdm / X startup after update && upgrade

un- and reinstalling fglrx solved my problem.

ErSandro: you also got ATI graphics?

i'm a linux!
  • Registered: 2009-09-19
  • Posts: 108

Re: blank screen at gdm / X startup after update && upgrade

No, mine is a laptop with intel integrated video card

  • jelli
  • New member
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  • Registered: 2010-09-07
  • Posts: 5

Re: blank screen at gdm / X startup after update && upgrade

just experienced the same this morning, integrated intel video card too (lifebook laptop)

after playing around with in the recovery mode, updateing xserver , trying to reinstall the old package... (for no purpose)

i have come to find that removing xserver-xorg-video-intel
granted me access to my (grahpical) system again

  • Registered: 2009-09-19
  • Posts: 108

Re: blank screen at gdm / X startup after update && upgrade

In my case it was a conflict between the kernel 2.6.35 and the intel video driver.

I solved downgrading the kernel.

Last edited by ErSandro (2010-09-10 12:46:45)

  • Registered: 2010-08-17
  • Posts: 24

Re: blank screen at gdm / X startup after update && upgrade

and here we go again, same thing as last time. after update && upgrade yesterday,  blank screen again.
but this time, reinstalling doesnt work, after un- and reinstalling fglrx, x just wont start up.
probably downgrading the kernel would fix the problem, but thats not really a solution.

Last edited by shueddue (2010-09-22 13:01:49)

i'm a linux!
  • Registered: 2010-08-17
  • Posts: 24

Re: blank screen at gdm / X startup after update && upgrade

i've just tried to install the slightly older fglrx version via apt-get:

shueddue@crunchbang:~$ sudo apt-get install fglrx-driver && aticonfig --initial
[sudo] password for shueddue: 
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
  acpi-support-base acpid fglrx-atieventsd fglrx-glx
  fglrx-glx-ia32 fglrx-modules-dkms laptop-detect
Suggested packages:
  acpi-support fglrx-control
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  acpi-support-base acpid fglrx-atieventsd fglrx-driver
  fglrx-glx fglrx-glx-ia32 fglrx-modules-dkms laptop-detect
0 upgraded, 8 newly installed, 0 to remove and 17 not upgraded.
Need to get 27.1MB of archives.
After this operation, 94.9MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
Get:1 http://ftp.de.debian.org squeeze/non-free fglrx-glx 1:10-7-1 [256kB]
Get:2 http://ftp.de.debian.org squeeze/main laptop-detect 0.13.7 [5,224B]
Get:3 http://ftp.de.debian.org squeeze/non-free fglrx-driver 1:10-7-1 [17.2MB]
Get:4 http://ftp.de.debian.org squeeze/non-free fglrx-glx-ia32 1:10-7-1 [7,882kB]
Get:5 http://ftp.de.debian.org squeeze/main acpid 1:2.0.6-1 [50.5kB]
Get:6 http://ftp.de.debian.org squeeze/main acpi-support-base 0.137-5 [19.1kB]
Get:7 http://ftp.de.debian.org squeeze/non-free fglrx-atieventsd 1:10-7-1 [146kB]
Get:8 http://ftp.de.debian.org squeeze/non-free fglrx-modules-dkms 1:10-7-1 [1,605kB]
Fetched 27.1MB in 28s (952kB/s)                                  
Preconfiguring packages ...
Selecting previously deselected package fglrx-glx.
(Reading database ... 102794 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking fglrx-glx (from .../fglrx-glx_1%3a10-7-1_amd64.deb) ...
Adding 'diversion of /usr/lib/libGL.so.1.2 to /usr/lib/fglrx/diversions/libGL.so.1.2 by fglrx-glx'
Adding 'diversion of /usr/lib/libGL.so.1 to /usr/lib/fglrx/diversions/libGL.so.1 by fglrx-glx'
Selecting previously deselected package laptop-detect.
Unpacking laptop-detect (from .../laptop-detect_0.13.7_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package fglrx-driver.
Unpacking fglrx-driver (from .../fglrx-driver_1%3a10-7-1_amd64.deb) ...
Adding 'diversion of /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/libglx.so to /usr/lib/fglrx/diversions/libglx.so by fglrx-driver'
Selecting previously deselected package fglrx-glx-ia32.
Unpacking fglrx-glx-ia32 (from .../fglrx-glx-ia32_1%3a10-7-1_amd64.deb) ...
Adding 'diversion of /usr/lib32/libGL.so.1.2 to /usr/lib32/fglrx/diversions/libGL.so.1.2 by fglrx-glx-ia32'
Adding 'diversion of /usr/lib32/libGL.so.1 to /usr/lib32/fglrx/diversions/libGL.so.1 by fglrx-glx-ia32'
Selecting previously deselected package acpid.
Unpacking acpid (from .../acpid_1%3a2.0.6-1_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package acpi-support-base.
Unpacking acpi-support-base (from .../acpi-support-base_0.137-5_all.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package fglrx-atieventsd.
Unpacking fglrx-atieventsd (from .../fglrx-atieventsd_1%3a10-7-1_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package fglrx-modules-dkms.
Unpacking fglrx-modules-dkms (from .../fglrx-modules-dkms_1%3a10-7-1_amd64.deb) ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Setting up laptop-detect (0.13.7) ...
Setting up fglrx-driver (1:10-7-1) ...
Setting up fglrx-glx (1:10-7-1) ...
Setting up fglrx-glx-ia32 (1:10-7-1) ...
Setting up acpid (1:2.0.6-1) ...
Starting ACPI services....
Setting up acpi-support-base (0.137-5) ...
Setting up fglrx-atieventsd (1:10-7-1) ...
Starting atieventsd: done.
Setting up fglrx-modules-dkms (1:10-7-1) ...

Creating symlink /var/lib/dkms/fglrx/10-7/source ->
                 /usr/src/fglrx-10-7

DKMS: add Completed.

Kernel preparation unnecessary for this kernel.  Skipping...

Building module:
cleaning build area....
make KERNELRELEASE=2.6.32-5-amd64 -C /lib/modules/2.6.32-5-amd64/build M=/var/lib/dkms/fglrx/10-7/build.....(bad exit status: 2)

Error! Bad return status for module build on kernel: 2.6.32-5-amd64 (x86_64)
Consult the make.log in the build directory
/var/lib/dkms/fglrx/10-7/build/ for more information.
0
0
dpkg: error processing fglrx-modules-dkms (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 10
Errors were encountered while processing:
 fglrx-modules-dkms
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

hmm

i'm a linux!
  • xaber
  • #! CrunchBanger
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  • From: Viterbo, Italy
  • Registered: 2010-04-26
  • Posts: 190

Re: blank screen at gdm / X startup after update && upgrade

So: it really seems like a kernel/graphic driver problem. I also had one some time ago and I had solved upgrading to the very last version of the kernel.
Anyway, the first thing I would try would be to see if your system works with the opengl ati driver installed. That would be my first try!

If that does not work, I surely would downgrade the kernel: I know that's not a solution, but these are common problems among rolling/semirolling release distros: you can't do anything but accept it! It's the counterpart for having last up-to-date cutting edge software!

Anyway, try removing fglrx and using the opengl drivers first.

xaber's Website

  • Registered: 2010-08-17
  • Posts: 24

Re: blank screen at gdm / X startup after update && upgrade

with "opengl driver", do you mean the "radeon" driver?

hmm a kernel downgrade... is it just installing an earlier kernel via synaptic and add it to grub?

i'm a linux!
  • xaber
  • #! CrunchBanger
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  • From: Viterbo, Italy
  • Registered: 2010-04-26
  • Posts: 190

Re: blank screen at gdm / X startup after update && upgrade

No, I mean the xserver-xorg-video-ati ones... I know that the radeon ones are less stable: whihc card you got?

xaber's Website

  • Registered: 2010-08-17
  • Posts: 24

Re: blank screen at gdm / X startup after update && upgrade

the card is a Radeon HD 5670. i've tried to use the xserver-xorg-video-ati driver but it resulted in a black screen at startup.
heres my very basic xorg.conf which i used for testing:

Section "Device"
    Identifier "ATI Radeon HD"
    Driver "ati"
    BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier  "LG Flatron"
    Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier "My Screen"
    Device "ATI Radeon HD"
    Monitor "LG Flatron"
    DefaultDepth 24
    SubSection "Display"
        Modes "1680x1050"
    EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier "My Layout"
    Screen "My Screen"
EndSection
i'm a linux!
  • xaber
  • #! CrunchBanger
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  • From: Viterbo, Italy
  • Registered: 2010-04-26
  • Posts: 190

Re: blank screen at gdm / X startup after update && upgrade

I see... Try with the xserver-xorg-video-radeon instead and tell us what happens.

Anyway, if I were you, I also would try by backupping my xorg.conf like xorg.conf.bak and reboot the system without a xorg.conf file and letting #! autodetect the settings.

xaber's Website

  • Registered: 2010-08-17
  • Posts: 24

Re: blank screen at gdm / X startup after update && upgrade

i've already tried that and all ive got was a black screen at gdm statup again.
odd, because a fresh statler install also have no xorg.conf.

i'll try the xserver-xorg-video-radeon driver tomorrow and report back, thank you so far xaber.

i'm a linux!
  • xaber
  • #! CrunchBanger
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  • From: Viterbo, Italy
  • Registered: 2010-04-26
  • Posts: 190

Re: blank screen at gdm / X startup after update && upgrade

No worry: it's a pleaure! It rather would be a pleasure to solve the problem itself!

Also, if the radeon drivers don't work, I would temporarily deactivate gdm and try manually starting X after login: sometimes login managers can be some nuisance!

xaber's Website

  • Registered: 2010-08-17
  • Posts: 24

Re: blank screen at gdm / X startup after update && upgrade

i just managed to install fglrx again. big_smile

as  it turned out after some log digging,  the problem was a function rename, in the last kernel patch the function "compat_alloc_user_space" was renamed to "arch_compat_alloc_user_space", so fglrx failed at install.
i edited the /usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.32-5-common/arch/x86/include/asm/compat.h
and just duplicated the function with the old name and fglrx installation works again.

thanks for your help xaber. smile

Last edited by shueddue (2010-09-25 00:52:01)

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  • jelli
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  • Registered: 2010-09-07
  • Posts: 5

Re: blank screen at gdm / X startup after update && upgrade

fine at last

i was already thinking about downgrading the kernel since it took so long, but finally the intel-video-driver is working again with the new updates (kernel, xserver, intel-driver) - if anybody was waiting as patiently as i smile

Last edited by jelli (2010-10-26 21:19:09)