[SOLVED] Screen Goes Black After 14.2 Update

abga · 10-25-2019, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by poetgrant

And the caps button does turn the light on

If it's blinking too then you might have a kernel panic and SSH won't help...

abga · 10-25-2019, 12:47 PM

Forgot to mention that I'm (always) using the huge kernel Slackware is providing on the Acer Atom N270 system and also loading the latest CPU microcode.

Considering the discussion around the modeset potential issue&workaround, just checked how the Slackware kernel is built and according to this article:
https://wiki.debian.org/KernelModese...Intel_GfxCards
the Slackware kernel looks to have all the necessary conf in place:

Code:

linux-4.4.190# grep CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE .config
CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE=y
CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE_DETECT_PRIMARY=y
CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE_ROTATION=y
linux-4.4.190#  grep CONFIG_DRM_I915 .config
CONFIG_DRM_I915=m
# CONFIG_DRM_I915_PRELIMINARY_HW_SUPPORT is not set

Again, I have no issues with the modeset and my lilo kernel boot parameters append line is the default: append="vt.default_utf8=0"

hazel · 10-25-2019, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lysander666

However, and someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think lilo.conf is ever updated, PV has said as much and is the unofficial maintainer for that very reason - it doesn't need any improvements or fixes.

Besides, a lot of people personalise it for booting multiple Linux systems. Same for elilo.

TracyTiger · 10-25-2019, 01:20 PM

@abga @hazel
Thanks for the tip about CAPS LOCK light. Every year or two I end up helping someone over the phone with a blank Linux screen and this could be helpful.

There were several examples in this thread of lilo configuration "append=" lines without a leading space before the string of parameters. My habit has always been to include the leading space with "append" and "addappend" options in lilo.conf so that parameters will be properly separated.

I've believed this to be a "best practice", however I could be wrong and perhaps a space is automatically added these days. I've not tested this.

I also find the following useful to check boot parameter settings.

Code:

cat /proc/cmdline

upnort · 10-25-2019, 02:00 PM

In addition to SSH, try booting to run level 3 (init 3) rather than 4 (init 4)?

abga · 10-25-2019, 03:07 PM

@TracyTiger

I always considered the leading empty space after the quote sign unnecessary (typo) and removed it. In a recent thread I was involved the lilo manual link was provided and on this occasion now I took again a look at the syntax - no leading blank space seems to be required:
https://www.joonet.de/lilo/olddoc/ht...#x1-420004.2.1

P.S.
The extra space comes from /sbin/liloconfig (due to how the append line is constructed):

Code:

echo "append=\"$APPEND $UTFVT\""

- nothing wrong, just cosmetics

0XBF · 10-25-2019, 05:50 PM

Well I just finished updating my Eee 1000H with the latest 14.2 packages. I overwrote with the newer kernel (risky I know), overwrite configs, ran the mkinitrd generator, and updated lilo. Everything came out working on the other side. I guess I wont be able to add much the the suggestions here. I was sort of hoping I could get the same problem and spend some time troubleshooting with you.

Here are some bits I printed off. I don't know it will help, maybe someone more experienced will have an idea.

/etc/lilo.conf:

Code:

append=" vt.default_utf8=0"
boot = /dev/sda2


  bitmap = /boot/slack.bmp
  bmp-colors = 255,0,255,0,255,0
  bmp-table = 60,6,1,16
  bmp-timer = 65,27,0,255


prompt
timeout = 1200
change-rules
  reset
vga = normal
image = /boot/vmlinuz
  root = /dev/sda2
  label = Linux
  read-only

uname -a:

Code:

Linux slacktop 4.4.190-smp #1 SMP Mon Aug 26 17:15:17 CDT 2019 i686 Intel(R) Atom(TM) CPU N270   @ 1.60GHz GenuineIntel GNU/Linux

VGA controller on this laptop (from lspci):

Code:

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GSE Express Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)
00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS/GME, 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)

abga · 10-25-2019, 07:44 PM

@poetgrant

You should also check the video RAM setting in your BIOS, maybe adding a little more (if you have the option) could fix the issue. In my Acer BIOS I have 8MB allocated for the video card and the option is greyed out. That's the minimum you should maybe increase.

allend · 10-25-2019, 08:54 PM

@0XBF - Some comments on your /etc/lilo.conf
'boot = /dev/sda2' I would change to 'boot = /dev/sda'
I would add the 'lba32', 'large-memory' and 'compact' options for improved performance.
Personally, I prefer a shorter timeout value. Here I use 50.
I do not include change-rules.

Quote:

ran the mkinitrd generator

If you want to run the generic kernel with an initrd, then ensure that 'image = /boot/vmlinuz' points to the generic kernel. Here I use 'image = /boot/vmlinuz-generic-smp'.
You also need a line 'initrd = /boot/initrd.gz'
With an initrd, there is no need for 'root = /dev/sda2', as it is specified in the initrd.

PS - With this hardware, the size of the initrd can be reduced by not including unneeded modules. With an ext4 filesystem, then running mkinitrd with
'-m usdhid:hid_generic:ehci-hcd:uhci-hcd:mbcache:jbd2:ext4' is sufficient. Only a minor reduction in memory use, but with limited memory it is a useful tweak.

0XBF · 10-25-2019, 09:23 PM

@allend

Thanks for the useful input. I wasn't sure if I had used the generic kernel & initrd since its been a long while since I've updated that machine. I have all my other machines on generic so I ran that just to be certain it would work when I did the first reboot. I also don't use lilo much since I've swapped my regular laptop to using grub. I believe those settings are just the default that came with lilo.conf.

I'll try out your suggestions, including the ones to reduce memory use. With 1GB of ram the Eee can use all the tweaks it can get!

0XBF · 10-25-2019, 09:59 PM

Quick little followup:
I edited my lilo.conf with all your suggestions, except I left change-rules since I'm not sure what it did and want to look it up first. I rebooted the machine before making changes and top reported (all from runlevel 3):

Code:

MiB Mem : 986.6 total, 664.3 free, 51.7 used, 270.7 buff/cache

Then applied the new lilo and mkinitrd command, rebooted and checked top again:

Code:

MiB Mem : 994.7 total, 723.9 free, 48.4 used, 222.22 buff/cache

Seems likes its improved a little, I'll take it.

Now hopefully we can give poetgrant some help.

rnturn · 10-26-2019, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by poetgrant

So with all of this talk of LILO, when it tells me to run LiLo and I do, it also allows me what to do with the conf files. On my main rig, I have always just said to overwrite the old ones. Is that a mistake? And if I customize my LiLo conf, then I probably don't want to do that right?

Well, lilo.conf is a text file. You could maintain it under some form of version control using Git/Gitolite, Subversion, even [gasp] RCS if you're worried about that. Check it into your version control software of choice before letting lilo overwrite anything.

poetgrant · 10-27-2019, 06:42 AM

After reading everything, I'm going to try again... I can't even think of what is possibly going wrong, but we'll see in a few minutes if it works. I'll check all the things I see here in this conversation before rebooting. I will be honest, I'm half tempted to upgrade to current just to see if that doesn't fix it, but after reading 0XBF's comments, I'm thinking that maybe I'm doing something wrong and am just not realizing it. So we'll see. I'll check back when I've upgraded and checked the configs and run LiLo and all that.

poetgrant · 10-27-2019, 07:57 AM

Here's a little update....

`[ 10.859221] cfg80211: World regulatory domain updated:
[ 10.863631] cfg80211: DFS Master region: unset
[ 10.863746] cfg80211: (start_freq - end_freq @ bandwidth), (max_antenna_gain, max_eirp), (dfs_cac_time)
[ 10.872599] cfg80211: (2402000 KHz - 2472000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (N/A, 2000 mBm), (N/A)
[ 10.877197] cfg80211: (2457000 KHz - 2482000 KHz @ 20000 KHz, 92000 KHz AUTO), (N/A, 2000 mBm), (N/A)
[ 10.881770] cfg80211: (2474000 KHz - 2494000 KHz @ 20000 KHz), (N/A, 2000 mBm), (N/A)
[ 10.886308] cfg80211: (5170000 KHz - 5250000 KHz @ 80000 KHz, 160000 KHz AUTO), (N/A, 2000 mBm), (N/A)
[ 10.890821] cfg80211: (5250000 KHz - 5330000 KHz @ 80000 KHz, 160000 KHz AUTO), (N/A, 2000 mBm), (0 s)
[ 10.895310] cfg80211: (5490000 KHz - 5730000 KHz @ 160000 KHz), (N/A, 2000 mBm), (0 s)
[ 10.899715] cfg80211: (5735000 KHz - 5835000 KHz @ 80000 KHz), (N/A, 2000 mBm), (N/A)
[ 10.904115] cfg80211: (57240000 KHz - 63720000 KHz @ 2160000 KHz), (N/A, 0 mBm), (N/A)
[ 11.370190] Linux video capture interface: v2.00
[ 11.608171] uvcvideo: Found UVC 1.00 device USB 2.0 Camera (13d3:5108)
[ 11.621286] input: USB 2.0 Camera as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.7/usb1/1-2/1-2:1.0/input/input12
[ 11.626212] usbcore: registered new interface driver uvcvideo
[ 11.631060] USB Video Class driver (1.1.1)
[ 11.876174] [drm] GMBUS [i915 gmbus dpd] timed out, falling back to bit banging on pin 6
[ 11.950162] [drm] GMBUS [i915 gmbus dpc] timed out, falling back to bit banging on pin 4
[ 12.302000] Adding 1100628k swap on /dev/sda2. Priority:-1 extents:1 across:1100628k
[ 12.430685] fuse init (API version 7.23)
[ 13.415582] EXT4-fs (sda1): re-mounted. Opts: (null)
[ 21.710822] intel_rng: FWH not detected
[ 21.730853] leds_ss4200: no LED devices found
[ 29.862689] NET: Registered protocol family 10
[ 36.586965] wlan0: authenticate with 60:38:e0:db:ad:7a
[ 36.623144] wlan0: send auth to 60:38:e0:db:ad:7a (try 1/3)
[ 36.646214] wlan0: authenticated
[ 36.647322] wlan0: associate with 60:38:e0:db:ad:7a (try 1/3)
[ 36.676289] wlan0: RX AssocResp from 60:38:e0:db:ad:7a (capab=0x411 status=0 aid=7)
[ 36.676460] wlan0: associated`

So the screen cuts out where it says "DFS Master region: unset" the next line prints for a fraction of a second, then it goes to black. I got this running dmesg after SSHing into my laptop. Anyone have any ideas?

Oh and if you look down to the [drm] GMBUS [i915 gmbus dpd] section, that has never appeared before either. I don't think this is LiLo related... I'm wondering if it is kernel related?

hazel · 10-27-2019, 08:09 AM

It's certainly nothing to do with lilo. This has to be a kernel issue. I looked up GMBUS and found this. You seem to have a rather unusual video bus. And it looks like the kernel drm driver doesn't like it.