Red Hat Bugzilla – Bug 439939
No xserver with install dvd or at first boot.
Last modified: 2009-01-09 02:45:14 EST
Description of problem: No xserver when booting into install DVD or on 1st boot into fresh install. Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): xorg/x11-drv-nv-2.1.6-1.fc8.x86_64-XorgX11 How reproducible: Set video device driver to 'nv' in '/etc/X11/xorg.conf' and normal boot. Happens every time. Also try to boot install DVD and no xserver. Steps to Reproduce: 1. Have on board nVidia Corporation C51PV [GeForce 6150] 2. Set video device driver to 'nv' in '/etc/X11/xorg.conf' 3. Normal boot 0r 4. Boot install DVD Actual results: On booting install DVD I have no xserver. Same on 1st boot of fresh install. 1st boot starts in run level 3. Startx results in alternating bands of color. >Ctrl>Alt>F2-F6 also has alternating bands of black and white and are unusable. Expected results: To have working xserver with install DVD or live CD. After install boot into run level 5 with working xserver and be able to set up user accounts and so forth. Additional info: # lspci -v ... 00:05.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation C51PV [GeForce 6150] (rev a2) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller]) Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. A8N-VM CSM Flags: bus master, 66MHz, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 16 Memory at fb000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16M] Memory at d0000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M] Memory at fc000000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16M] [virtual] Expansion ROM at f8000000 [disabled] [size=128K] Capabilities: [48] Power Management version 2 Capabilities: [50] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit+ Queue=0/0 Enable- Kernel driver in use: nvidia Kernel modules: nvidia, nvidiafb ... Obviously I now have the proprietary nVidia driver installed [yum install kmod-nvidia]. But in Fedora to use install DVD and initially boot into fresh install is tricky and difficult at first if you DO have nVidia graphics card and the 'nv' driver doesn't work. FWIW the 'nv' driver does work on my box in Mandriva 2008.1 Free x86_64. I'll check and see if it works in Mandriva 2008.0 PWP x86_64 as well. Let me know if any other info would be helpful.
Thanks for the report. We are sorry that we cannot help you with your problem, but we are not able to support binary-only drivers. If you would be able to reproduce this issue using only open source software, please, reopen this bug with the additional information, but in meantime I have no choice than to close this bug as CANTFIX (because we really cannot fix it). For users who are experiencing problems installing, configuring, or using the unsupported 3rd party proprietary "nvidia" video driver, Nvidia provides indirect customer support via an online web based support forum. Nvidia monitors these web forums for commonly reported problems and passes them on to Nvidia engineers for investigation. Once they've isolated a particular problem, it is often fixed in a future video driver update. The NVNews Nvidia Linux driver forum is located at: http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=14 Once you have reported this issue in the Nvidia web forums, others who may have experienced the particular problem may be able to assist. If there is a real bug occuring, Nvidia will be able to determine this, and will likely resolve the issue in a future driver update for the operating system releases that they officially support. While Red Hat does not support the proprietary nvidia driver, users requiring technical support may also find the various X.Org, XFree86, and Red Hat mailing lists helpful in finding assistance: X.Org mailing lists: http://www.freedesktop.org/XOrg/XorgMailingLists XFree86 mailing lists: http://www.xfree86.org/sos/lists.html Red Hat mailing lists: https://listman.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo
I am confused. Nothing in my report has to do with the 'nvidia' driver. The problem is with the 'nv' driver which the install DVD uses by default on my system. The current driver package is 'xorg/x11-drv-nv-2.1.6-1.fc8.x86_64-XorgX11' which is a Fedora package in Fedora repos and which on my system does not work. Are you saying that to fix 'nv' driver in Fedora I need to file a bug report with X.Org or XFree86? If Fedora/Red Hat don't support the 'nv' driver then shouldn't the install DVD be configured to use vesa instead?
No, what I was saying is that I was afraid you wouldn't be willing to fullfil the following: Please follow the instructions on http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Xorg/3rdPartyVideoDrivers to clean your system from nVidia modules and then attach your X server config file (/etc/X11/xorg.conf) and X server log file (/var/log/Xorg.*.log) to the bug report as individual uncompressed file attachments using the bugzilla file attachment link below. Could you please also try to run without any /etc/X11/xorg.conf whatsoever and let X11 autodetect your display and video card? Attach to this bug /var/log/Xorg.0.log from this attempt as well, please. Note, that we may need more information in the future and then we would need these information always only from a disinfected computer. Thanks a lot.
Reporter, could you please reply to the previous question? If you won't reply in one month, I will have to close this bug as INSUFFICIENT_DATA. Thank you.
Sorry for not getting back sooner. Been swamped by that pesky thing work. I'm going to do a fresh install of Fedora 9 on an empty partition and report with: 1. original /etc/X11/xorg.conf 2. /var/log/Xorg.*.log from 1st boot 3. anything else you may ask for Hope this will do what we need.
Created attachment 309293 [details] booted without /etc/X11/xorg.conf
Above attachment is result of: 1. Fresh install of Fedora 9. 2. 'mv /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.backup' 3. reboot Nothing visual during boot [normal splash not visiable] so I logged in blind at appropriate point and got Gnome login sound and gray, not black, screen. Virtual console ie. >Alt>F2 had black and white lines and was also unviewable. Next I used computer rest button to restart and: 4. Booted into another partition 5. chrooted into new Fedora 9 partition to retrieve /var/log/Xorg.0.log contents of which are in attachment in comment # 6. Hope this helps.
Correction. I was viewing a lcd monitor with picture window wide open on very sunny day. Screen is black NOT gray. Sorry about that.
You are my hero, thanks a lot!
Created attachment 309301 [details] with 'nv' driver. Ok. At the risk of being redundant here's more data. This is the '/etc/X11/xorg.conf' that results from these steps: 1. Fresh install of Fedora 9 with boot option 'xdriver=vesa'. This allows me to use graphical installer as well as to have an installation with working X on first boot. This creates an 'xorg.conf' with Device Driver 'vesa'. 2. I changed Device Driver to 'nv'. 3. Rebooted. And again no visible splash screen during boot and so I login blind. Get Gnome login sound and black screen. Virtual console ie. >Alt>F2 is again black and white lines and unviewable. 4. Use reset button on computer to restart and log into another partition. 5. Mount new Fedora 9 partition and chroot into it to provide contents of /etc/X11/xorg.conf' and '/var/log/Xorg.0.log'. '/var/log/Xorg.0.log' attachment will be provided in next comment.
Created attachment 309303 [details] using 'nv' driver Results of booting with device driver in '/etc/X11/xorg.conf' set to 'nv'.
Comment on attachment 309303 [details] using 'nv' driver FWIW I currently have a Fedora 9 partition that has no 3rd party apps. No nvidia. Everything is from Fedora installer or repositories. Just to see if this issue can be resolved.
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Fedora 8 changed to end-of-life (EOL) status on 2009-01-07. Fedora 8 is no longer maintained, which means that it will not receive any further security or bug fix updates. As a result we are closing this bug. If you can reproduce this bug against a currently maintained version of Fedora please feel free to reopen this bug against that version. Thank you for reporting this bug and we are sorry it could not be fixed.