Xfree86 4.2, Radeon and virtual consoles

dali · 01-03-2003, 03:59 PM

I have problems with Xfree86 4.2 and ATI Radeon 7200. My problem is that after starting X I can't switch to a virtual console (Ctrl+Alt+Fn) or end X. If I do either my monitor goes into power save mode (or maybe out of sync). The machine is alive, but I can't see anything on the screen.

This only happens after I've started X, before that all virtual consoles work just fine. My novice theory is that X somehow messes up the console driver. I have tried different settings for the kernel video settings (vga=...) with no improvement.

Once I've started X I have no way back to console mode, unless I reboot. I've tried installing RedHat 8.0 and SuSE 8.1 but both use Xfree86 4.2 and the problem is still there.

Any ideas?

Half_Elf · 01-03-2003, 07:14 PM

I got the same problem with X if I try to use a keyboard mapping.
Seems there is few bugs in XFree 4.2?!? If you are using a different keyboard than the US one, try to turn it off and see what happen?

dali · 01-04-2003, 03:46 AM

Thanks for the info, I tried standard keyboard mapping but it didn't help for me. I still have "broken" virtual consoles.

Just to clarify: after starting X I can switch to a virtual console using Ctrl+Alt+Fn, but the screen goes blank and the monitor goes into power save mode (or out of sync). I can restore X using Ctrl+Alt+F7.

Before starting X the virtual consoles work, I can switch consoles without any problems. After starting X that option is rendered unusable.

Lempour · 01-19-2003, 06:30 PM

Hello,
I am experiencing the same problem with radeon8500+MDK9.0. The crippled virtual consoles appeared just after installing ATI drivers. I've thought it could be in the X-server settings, so I've copied all the monitor modes and modeline settings from my previous backed up XF86Config-4 file (which worked fine) ...but...no change.
I still think that it's a monitor sync problem, maybe the fglrx kernel module changes something, I don't know.

dali · 01-20-2003, 06:01 AM

I'm happy that I'm not alone with this problem, but I'm sorry to say that I have not found any fix for it. :-(

I've searched the web for weeks and have come up with nothing. The solution seems to be: use Windows ...

Microsoft - Linux ................... 1 - 0

*sigh*

UnTamed · 01-20-2003, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Lempour
Hello,
I am experiencing the same problem with radeon8500+MDK9.0. The crippled virtual consoles appeared just after installing ATI drivers.

Try to boot in nonfb mode, or explicitely with no "vga=xxx" boot parameter.
Edit /etc/lilo.conf [...or /boot/grub/menu.lst if you use grub] if you have no "nonfb" boot option.

As for you dali,
I've experienced this in the past with my old Radeon 7200 series but only with AGP 4x transfer mode. AGP 4x support was somewhat flaky with radeon and my mobo chipset [...even in M$ for that matter] and Option `"AGPMode" "4"` would result in such lockups, only when exiting X.
...it's a long shot but you may wanna try to set it to "2" or even "1" to see if it helps.

Code:

Section "Device"
    Identifier  "ATI Radeon"
    Driver      "radeon"
    Option      "AGPMode"  "2"
    Option      "DPMS"  "on"
EndSection

...If you don't have the option in your XF86Config-4, I think it defaults to "1" though ...iirc

Lempour · 01-20-2003, 09:18 AM

Thanx a lot!
Disabling the framebuffer really helped!

dali · 01-20-2003, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by UnTamed
As for you dali,
I've experienced this in the past with my old Radeon 7200 series but only with AGP 4x transfer mode. AGP 4x support was somewhat flaky with radeon and my mobo chipset [...even in M$ for that matter] and Option `"AGPMode" "4"` would result in such lockups, only when exiting X.
...it's a long shot but you may wanna try to set it to "2" or even "1" to see if it helps.

Sorry, no improvement. Tried AGP 1,2 and 4. Here's my (current) XF86Config-4:

---------------------------------------------

# File generated by XFdrake.

# **********************************************************************
# Refer to the XF86Config man page for details about the format of
# this file.
# **********************************************************************

Section "Files"
# Multiple FontPath entries are allowed (they are concatenated together)
# By default, Mandrake 6.0 and later now use a font server independent of
# the X server to render fonts.
FontPath "unix/:-1"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
#DontZap # disable <Crtl><Alt><BS> (server abort)
AllowMouseOpenFail # allows the server to start up even if the mouse doesn't work
#DontZoom # disable <Crtl><Alt><KP_+>/<KP_-> (resolution switching)
EndSection

Section "Module"
#Load "dbe" # Double-Buffering Extension
#Load "v4l" # Video for Linux
#Load "extmod"
#Load "type1"
#Load "freetype"
#Load "glx" # 3D layer
#Load "dri" # direct rendering
EndSection

Section "DRI"
Mode 0666
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Keyboard1"
Driver "Keyboard"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "se"
Option "XkbOptions" ""
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Mouse1"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "IMPS/2"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "monitor1"
VendorName "Generic"
ModelName "1280x1024 @ 60 Hz"
HorizSync 31.5-64.3
VertRefresh 50-70

# Sony Vaio C1(X,XS,VE,VN)?
# 1024x480 @ 85.6 Hz, 48 kHz hsync
ModeLine "1024x480" 65.00 1024 1032 1176 1344 480 488 494 563 -hsync -vsync

# TV fullscreen mode or DVD fullscreen output.
# 768x576 @ 79 Hz, 50 kHz hsync
ModeLine "768x576" 50.00 768 832 846 1000 576 590 595 630

# 768x576 @ 100 Hz, 61.6 kHz hsync
ModeLine "768x576" 63.07 768 800 960 1024 576 578 590 616
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "device1"
VendorName "ATI"
BoardName "ATI Radeon"
Driver "radeon"
Option "DPMS"
Option "AGPMode" "1"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "screen1"
Device "device1"
Monitor "monitor1"
DefaultColorDepth 24

Subsection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubsection

Subsection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubsection

Subsection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubsection

Subsection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubsection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "layout1"
InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"
InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"
Screen "screen1"
EndSection

---------------------------------------------

I've manually commented out everything in the "Module"-section. Didn't help either. I'm ready to give up on Linux (again) ... I try Linux every couple of years, but there's ALWAYS something that just doesn't work!

This time it looks like XFree86 4.2 and a two year old graphics card is the recipe for disaster. It's not exactly cutting edge hw, IT SHOULD WORK BY NOW!

Oh well, back to Windows XP again. Which works perfectly with my Radeon 7200 ...

UnTamed · 01-20-2003, 11:40 AM

Reset the file to it's original state, restart X, exit X, reboot in console mode and issue these commands,
cat /var/log/XFree86.0.log | grep EE
cat /var/log/XFree86.0.log | grep WW

...note and post your outputs.

dali · 01-20-2003, 12:02 PM

OK, here's the info:

(EE) RADEON(0): Failed to initialize Rage Theatre, chip disabled

(WW) Option "XkbOptions" requires an string value
(WW) RADEON(0): Cannot read colourmap from VGA. Will restore with default

Any ideas?

UnTamed · 01-20-2003, 12:37 PM

>OK, here's the info:
>
>(EE) RADEON(0): Failed to initialize Rage Theatre, chip disabled
commenting out `Load "v4l" # Video for Linux` would probably take care of this one.

>(WW) Option "XkbOptions" requires an string value
Commenting out `Option "XkbOptions" ""` will solve this one.
...btw I thought Option "DPMS" required a string too, mine is
Option "DPMS" "on"

>(WW) RADEON(0): Cannot read colourmap from VGA. Will restore with default
this one is not the problem, I always do get that too.

>Any ideas?
Well if that's the XFree86.0.log you get when rebooting in console _after_ your machine has locked exiting X, I'm affraid I can't help further except to suggest you inquire at a lower level than the OS.
...IRQ conflict, BIOS settings.

dali · 01-21-2003, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Well if that's the XFree86.0.log you get when rebooting in console _after_ your machine has locked exiting X, I'm affraid I can't help further except to suggest you inquire at a lower level than the OS.
...IRQ conflict, BIOS settings.

The machine doesn't lock up. It's somewhat difficult to describe the problem, but here's a step-by-step (example) description:

1. Boot Linux (have tried: RedHat 8.0, Mandrake 9.0, SuSE 8.1).
2. Log on to console.
3. Uses Ctrl+Alt+F2 to switch to virtual console #2. No problems.
4. Switch back to #1 and start X 4.2 (have tried KDE, Gnome).
5. When X startup is complete, try to switch to virtual console #2 using Ctrl+Alt+F2. Monitor shrieks and goes into suspend mode (looks like it anyway, the screen goes black and the power indicator turns orange and blinks). The machine is still alive.
6. Switch back to X using Ctrl+Alt+F7. Works.
7. Quits X. Monitor shrieks and goes into suspend mode (looks like it anyway, the screen goes black and the power indicator turns orange and blinks). The machine is still alive.
8. Shoot down machine blindly (shutdown -r now).
9. After 10-15 seconds, machine reboots. Monitor comes alive again.

The problems described ONLY appear after X has been started. The same problem exists in all distributions I've tried. All use XFree86 4.2.

I have *no* problems with the machine in Windows XP, so I'm pretty sure that the problem is with Xfree86 and/or kernel 2.4.18, not in the HW.

UnTamed · 01-21-2003, 01:16 PM

Although I had a good grasp [...or so I thought] on your situation, and "locked" was more a bad choice of expression,
tidying up your info that way, made me realise it sounds more like the vga driver not being re-initiated.

I double checked my config file and I have an extra "device" section that refers to vga:

Code:

Section "Device"
    Identifier "Generic VGA"
    Driver     "vga"
EndSection

...maybe that's what you're missing ...???

dali · 12-25-2003, 11:47 AM

I finally found the problem!

After abandoning Linux for a while I decided to try Mandrake 9.2, hoping that my problem would be fixed ... no such luck.

However, knowing that the graphic card and my TV seem to "talk" to each other at startup, I tried one more thing: disconnecting the video cable from my TV (connected to TV-out on my Radeon). After booting everything seems to work like it should, except of course that I can't use TV-out ... I would very much like to be able to use both TV-out AND virtual consoles.

Does anyone know how to make TV-out work while still having usable virtual consoles?