black screen at boot when setting i915 kms

crts · 08-20-2011, 12:35 PM

Hi everyone,

since two weeks I get a blank screen during boot at some point. I have searched on google for solutions and the only one that works so far is to disable i915 kms. However, this results in a lower screen resolution.
Since it was working before something must have broke. Does anyone have any possible solutions other than upgrading the kernel?

Some specs:
System: debian, squeeze
kernel: 2.6.32.5-amd64

lspci reports:

Code:

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile GME965/GLE960 Memory Controller Hub (rev 0c)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile GME965/GLE960 Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 0c)
00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile GME965/GLE960 Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 0c)
...

cynwulf · 08-20-2011, 03:22 PM

First try installing the latest kernel in backports (2.6.39 I think) and see if that resolves it:

http://backports-master.debian.org/Instructions/

Unfortunately you cannot disable KMS with i915 as the driver requires it.

crts · 08-20-2011, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caravel

First try installing the latest kernel in backports (2.6.39 I think) and see if that resolves it:

http://backports-master.debian.org/Instructions/

Unfortunately you cannot disable KMS with i915 as the driver requires it.

Hi,

thanks for taking interest. However, as I said earlier

Quote:

... any possible solutions other than upgrading the kernel

I do not want to upgrade the kernel. I am concerned that it might introduce other instabilities elsewhere. Since the system has been comprised around kernel 2.6.32 I really like to only use software that is in the standard repositories.

A kernel upgrade would be only the last resort.