building my own kernel: no video output on notebook LCD

business_kid · 06-30-2017, 02:14 PM

If you even get going on software rendering, you'll sort it.

enorbet · 06-30-2017, 03:45 PM

You can get good info on what works in your Huge kernel with modinfo which will include firmware modules. Here's some good info ---
--- Understanding Modinfo ---

nVidia makes the following driver for your card

Code:

Version: 	375.66
Release Date: 	2017.5.4
Operating System: 	Linux 64-bit

So if you load the Huge kernel and install nVidia's 375.66 and use modinfo on that driver you can see all it needs to work. Rebuild your kernel with that, launch in VGA (no modeset) and install 375.66 on the new kernel. I think that covers it.

wowbaggerHU · 07-02-2017, 10:58 AM

I did some testing:

efifb doesn't work with 4.9.34 for some reason (with 4.4.74 it produces 800x600):

Code:

root@janos-mobile:~# dmesg | fgrep fb                                      
[    0.360060] PCI: MMCONFIG for domain 0000 [bus 00-3f] at [mem 0xf8000000-0xfbffffff] (base 0xf8000000)
[    0.384675] PCI: MMCONFIG for domain 0000 [bus 00-3f] at [mem 0xf8000000-0xfbffffff] (base 0xf8000000)
[    0.385007] PCI: MMCONFIG at [mem 0xf8000000-0xfbffffff] reserved in ACPI motherboard resources
[    0.394168] pci 0000:00:1f.3: reg 0x20: [io  0xefa0-0xefbf]
[    0.449352] system 00:01: [mem 0xf8000000-0xfbffffff] could not be reserved

nouveau surprisingly works: I provides fb-console when I compile it in. I haven't checked graphical mode yet.
there still is no image with the latest nvidia.ko in the initrd, even though the driver is loaded:

Code:

root@janos-mobile:~# lsmod | grep nvidia                              
nvidia_drm             40973  0
nvidia_modeset        782816  1 nvidia_drm
nvidia              12296880  1 nvidia_modeset
root@janos-mobile:~# dmesg | fgrep nv     
[    0.030200] efi_bgrt: Ignoring BGRT: invalid version 0 (expected 1)
[    1.789549] rtc_cmos 00:02: alarms up to one month, y3k, 114 bytes nvram, hpet irqs
[    2.715483] nvidia: loading out-of-tree module taints kernel.
[    2.715498] nvidia: module license 'NVIDIA' taints kernel.
[    2.723623] nvidia 0000:01:00.0: enabling device (0006 -> 0007)
[    2.723792] nvidia-nvlink: Nvlink Core is being initialized, major device number 247
[    4.148113] nvidia-modeset: Loading NVIDIA Kernel Mode Setting Driver for UNIX platforms  375.66  Mon May  1 14:33:30 PDT 2017
[    4.149008] [drm] [nvidia-drm] [GPU ID 0x00000100] Loading driver
root@janos-mobile:~# cat /proc/cmdline 
BOOT_IMAGE=dev000:\EFI\Slackware\vmlinuz  root=/dev/rootvg/root-lv vga=normal nomodeset vt.default_utf8=1 ipv6.disable=1 thinkpad-acpi.brightness-enable=1 ro ro
root@janos-mobile:~# modinfo nvidia
filename:       /lib/modules/4.9.34-janos/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.ko
alias:          char-major-195-*
version:        375.66
supported:      external
license:        NVIDIA
srcversion:     68751AFD79A210CEFFB8758
alias:          pci:v000010DEd00000E00sv*sd*bc04sc80i00*
alias:          pci:v000010DEd*sv*sd*bc03sc02i00*
alias:          pci:v000010DEd*sv*sd*bc03sc00i00*
depends:        
vermagic:       4.9.34-janos SMP mod_unload 
parm:           NVreg_Mobile:int
parm:           NVreg_ResmanDebugLevel:int
parm:           NVreg_RmLogonRC:int
parm:           NVreg_ModifyDeviceFiles:int
parm:           NVreg_DeviceFileUID:int
parm:           NVreg_DeviceFileGID:int
parm:           NVreg_DeviceFileMode:int
parm:           NVreg_UpdateMemoryTypes:int
parm:           NVreg_InitializeSystemMemoryAllocations:int
parm:           NVreg_UsePageAttributeTable:int
parm:           NVreg_MapRegistersEarly:int
parm:           NVreg_RegisterForACPIEvents:int
parm:           NVreg_CheckPCIConfigSpace:int
parm:           NVreg_EnablePCIeGen3:int
parm:           NVreg_EnableMSI:int
parm:           NVreg_TCEBypassMode:int
parm:           NVreg_UseThreadedInterrupts:int
parm:           NVreg_MemoryPoolSize:int
parm:           NVreg_RegistryDwords:charp
parm:           NVreg_RmMsg:charp
parm:           NVreg_AssignGpus:charp
root@janos-mobile:~#

I have tried installing 340.102, but I have hit some compilation/module load errors

wowbaggerHU · 07-02-2017, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wowbaggerHU

I did some testing:

I have tried installing 340.102, but I have hit some compilation/module load errors

I eventually managed to compile and load the 340.102 driver version, but still no framebuffer console for me.

Hints for compiling the module:
forum thread
patch for 4.9.x

Code:

root@janos-mobile:~# lsmod | grep nvidia                                   
nvidia              10554909  0
root@janos-mobile:~# modinfo nvidia                                                                  
filename:       /lib/modules/4.9.34-janos/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.ko
alias:          char-major-195-*
version:        340.102
supported:      external
license:        NVIDIA
alias:          pci:v000010DEd00000E00sv*sd*bc04sc80i00*
alias:          pci:v000010DEd00000AA3sv*sd*bc0Bsc40i00*
alias:          pci:v000010DEd*sv*sd*bc03sc02i00*
alias:          pci:v000010DEd*sv*sd*bc03sc00i00*
depends:        
vermagic:       4.9.34-janos SMP mod_unload 
parm:           NVreg_Mobile:int
parm:           NVreg_ResmanDebugLevel:int
parm:           NVreg_RmLogonRC:int
parm:           NVreg_ModifyDeviceFiles:int
parm:           NVreg_DeviceFileUID:int
parm:           NVreg_DeviceFileGID:int
parm:           NVreg_DeviceFileMode:int
parm:           NVreg_RemapLimit:int
parm:           NVreg_UpdateMemoryTypes:int
parm:           NVreg_InitializeSystemMemoryAllocations:int
parm:           NVreg_UsePageAttributeTable:int
parm:           NVreg_MapRegistersEarly:int
parm:           NVreg_RegisterForACPIEvents:int
parm:           NVreg_CheckPCIConfigSpace:int
parm:           NVreg_EnablePCIeGen3:int
parm:           NVreg_EnableMSI:int
parm:           NVreg_MemoryPoolSize:int
parm:           NVreg_RegistryDwords:charp
parm:           NVreg_RmMsg:charp
parm:           NVreg_AssignGpus:charp                                          
root@janos-mobile:~# dmesg | grep nv
[    0.030170] efi_bgrt: Ignoring BGRT: invalid version 0 (expected 1)
[    1.618544] rtc_cmos 00:02: alarms up to one month, y3k, 114 bytes nvram, hpet irqs
[    2.528627] nvidia: loading out-of-tree module taints kernel.
[    2.528642] nvidia: module license 'NVIDIA' taints kernel.
[    2.535403] nvidia 0000:01:00.0: enabling device (0006 -> 0007)
[    2.535798] [drm] Initialized nvidia-drm 0.0.0 20150116 for 0000:01:00.0 on minor 0
root@janos-mobile:~# cat /proc/cmdline 
BOOT_IMAGE=dev000:\EFI\Slackware\vmlinuz  root=/dev/rootvg/root-lv vga=normal nomodeset vt.default_utf8=1 ipv6.disable=1 thinkpad-acpi.brightness-enable=1 ro ro
root@janos-mobile:~#

business_kid · 07-02-2017, 03:52 PM

In the stuff you showed, the module seemed to load, not to barf.

What's 'nomodeset' doing in the kernel command line options? Surely, that needs to come out.

wowbaggerHU · 07-02-2017, 04:04 PM

In the end I also tried to switch back to the built-in Intel card, but that did not yield any graphics output either (with my own kernel).

Only with the old distro kernel, and there nouveau worked as well when the NVidia card was enabled.

wowbaggerHU · 07-02-2017, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by business_kid

What's 'nomodeset' doing in the kernel command line options? Surely, that needs to come out.

Nomodeset was recommended here when using the old NVidia driver.

business_kid · 07-03-2017, 03:11 AM

Nomodeset prevents the kernel module from making settings adjustments. It's the sort of thing that goes in when you have video trouble (e.g. video crashing/going AWOL halfway through the boot). If the system works well, you won't want it.

enorbet · 07-03-2017, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by business_kid

Nomodeset prevents the kernel module from making settings adjustments. It's the sort of thing that goes in when you have video trouble (e.g. video crashing/going AWOL halfway through the boot). If the system works well, you won't want it.

I also mentioned "nomodeset" as my personal preference is to forego higher bootup resolution in favor of graphics and boot simplicity. I see now that for some reason OP really wants higher resolution during bootup, so nomodeset does indeed need to come out.

business_kid · 07-04-2017, 04:30 AM

I have the same issue. I don't like high resolution on bootup, as the fonts become tiny. I have a 1600x900 17.3" laptop screen. What I did was to load the Red Hat terminus fonts. They go big - up to 32 points. In rc.local, I have the line

Code:

setfont ter-928n

in the sequence. I don't load the 32 point font as it's too big for the console and causes side issues.

I forget where I got them, but I'm sure you'll find them.

wowbaggerHU · 07-06-2017, 07:21 AM

In deed my problem is not that the framebuffer console fonts are tiny or unreadable.
There is nothing displayed at all.

In the meantime I tried removing nomodeset, and recompiled my kernel with the EFI frame buffer disabled, and I got the framebuffer console working with the integrated Intel card.
Switching over to the NVidia discrete card however meant that I lost everything on the bootup console again, plus the graphical GUI did not come up either.
I will have to debug that issue further. Perhaps the X logs may tell me some information...

enorbet · 07-06-2017, 05:56 PM

Please forgive me if this question is too basic, but you do realize you don't need a frameuffer to see the bootup process, right? Basic VGA or VESA output is a requirement in all video cards, AFAIK. That's why there is a fundamental option in /etc/lilo.conf for "VGA = normal"

wowbaggerHU · 07-07-2017, 03:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by enorbet

Please forgive me if this question is too basic, but you do realize you don't need a frameuffer to see the bootup process, right? Basic VGA or VESA output is a requirement in all video cards, AFAIK. That's why there is a fundamental option in /etc/lilo.conf for "VGA = normal"

Yes, currently there is no explicit framebuffer device driver compiled into the kernel or as a module.
The intel graphics driver shows the boot process okay, and so does nouveau when the nvidia card is enabled.
With the proprietary nvidia driver however there is nothing shown on the screen.

In my case the "vga = normal" setting is a remnant of the original kernel parameter string from elilo.conf.

wowbaggerHU · 07-07-2017, 05:09 AM

I managed to make some further progress:
With the most recent nvidia driver (375.66) I managed to get the graphical GUI working, but still no text console for me.

So during a boot, I am basically flying blind, which is unacceptable for me.

Other part of the picture is (as I mentioned earlier) that intel graphics driver shows the boot process okay, and so does nouveau when the nvidia card is enabled.

business_kid · 07-08-2017, 03:43 AM

Ok, you're making progress.
You have the Intel card singing; the Nvidia card comes once the module is loaded, or when you start X?

Either way, it seems you're down to boot options. You have a couple of ways to go
1. Fix your Nvidia boot arrangement. Those lilo or grub video parameters may matter to you.
2. Boot on the Intel card and switch over to nvidia later.
3. Load the Nvidia module in an initrd and see if that improves things.

I would try them in that order