[SOLVED] Strange problem with laptop display

lpallard · 09-02-2010, 06:31 PM

Hey guys!

Last week I accidentally dropped an object on my laptop while I was laying on the couch, badly damaging the LCD screen. I immediately called Dell to get the thing fixed and I shipped the machine to them. Yesterday I got the laptop back with a new LCD.

Upon reception I plugged the laptop to my LED TV via a DVI to HDMI converter and it worked. I got a few problems to split the monitors within the Nvidia-settings applet but managed to get it working. At the end, I unplugged to go to bed and noticed that on the laptop, the pure white appeared as bright yellow. I figured it was probably only a glitch or some kind of a refresh problem and rebooted. the problem went away. Today, I turned on the laptop and noticed the problem was back. Basically everywhere I would normally see pure white (like window background, cursor, icons, etc) it appears as bright yellow, like pure yellow. I tried to reinstall the nvidia driver, no results. The only thing I managed to do is to change the resolution or color depth and the bright yellow changes into a different tint like ivory...

There is also some flickering where the pure white color would normally blend with other colors, like in color palettes (gimp) or on my desktop wallpaper... All other colors seems to be fine. The Dell diagnosis application (press F12 during POST) seems to display pure white normally, but then again, is this really pure white...

What is going on? Did Dell messed up? Is X server the problem? that is really annoying...

****************************
EDIT: I hooked up an external monitor and everything appears fine on that one. I forgot to mention that DEll changed the brand of the LCD as the name in the nvidia-settings application is now Seiko, I dont recall that name...

EDIT2: I just tried something interesting... In console mode (no X server running => init 3), I ran a command to generate colored text and I used the hexadecimal for pure white. The text appeared pure white! In KDE (so using X), the same command will generate yellowish text. SO it seems that X is the problem!?

yooy · 09-02-2010, 08:31 PM

you should try with different live cd so you can find out if it is software related, otherwise something may be wrong with monitor connection on motherboard if all white is replaced with yellow.

lpallard · 09-02-2010, 09:08 PM

Tried with SLax live CD and all is fine. COlors are behaving normally and no flickering at all.... So it seems that it is either the X server or my driver in my Slackware install..

Can I reinstall the X server?

I confirm the problem to be software related at 95%...

It works with:
-terminal only (either init3 or simply before invoking startx);
-Live distro (used Slax) with 24 bbp depth and 1920x1200 @ 60Hz;
-BIOS diagnosis application (it generates colorful lines to test LCD) and I see the pure white;
-Everything is fine on an external monitor;

I have problems with:
-Logging into KDE with my Slackware 13.1 environment (using Xserver 11) & nvidia driver 195.36.31

Fooling around (both as root & normal user) in the nvidia driver config wont help;
rebooting wont help;
Reinstalling the nvidia driver wont help;

brianL · 09-03-2010, 03:13 AM

13.1's xorg-server has just been updated according to the changelog, so you could try installing that, see if it makes any difference.

lpallard · 09-03-2010, 03:37 PM

Strangely, I just turned on my laptop and the problem was away... no more yellow, but I noticed that the whole display was kinda blue, like if the gamma setting was set to ultra white or something like that..... Then I opened the nvidia driver applet and BANG! yellow is back....

lpallard · 09-03-2010, 04:19 PM

Attached is a photo of the pain.... people can see what I am talking about.

lpallard · 09-04-2010, 08:00 PM

Problem seems to be a fried video card.... WIll be replaced soon.

Thanks for the help guys!

EDIT: False statement! Read next post...

lpallard · 09-10-2010, 07:57 PM

I unfortunately have to bring this thread as "Unsolved" because my problems are escalating... Basically Dell just replaced both videocards, the physx card and the RAM, and I am still having problems with the video cards/drivers... After they replaced the hardware, I:

-recloned the machine from my last clone;
-reinstalled the X server with:

Code:

slackpkg reinstall x

-Upgraded to -current;
-reinstalled the nvidia driver 256.53 (tried older drivers such as 195.36.31);

...to find the same result (yellow color that replace the white, and no SLI...

I know this has to be software related as all the hardware was replaced, I tried with Windows and I dont have color problems & have SLI working... This problem does not occur with other linux distros (either live cd's or normal installs)

I highlighted the messages of interest with "<==== !?!?!?!"
From Xorg.log.0:

Code:

(**) NVIDIA(0): Depth 24, (--) framebuffer bpp 32
(==) NVIDIA(0): RGB weight 888
(==) NVIDIA(0): Default visual is TrueColor
(==) NVIDIA(0): Using gamma correction (1.0, 1.0, 1.0)
(**) NVIDIA(0): Option "TwinView" "1"
(**) NVIDIA(0): Option "MetaModes" "DFP-0: nvidia-auto-select +0+0, DFP-1: nvidia-auto-select +1920+0"
(**) NVIDIA(0): Option "TwinViewXineramaInfoOrder" "DFP-0"
(**) NVIDIA(0): Option "SLI" "on"
(**) NVIDIA(0): Option "MultiGPU" "on"
(**) Sep 10 21:55:18 NVIDIA(0): Enabling RENDER acceleration
(**) Sep 10 21:55:18 NVIDIA(0): NVIDIA SLI auto-select rendering option.
(**) Sep 10 21:55:18 NVIDIA(0): NVIDIA Multi-GPU auto-select rendering option.
(II) Sep 10 21:55:18 NVIDIA(0): Support for GLX with the Damage and Composite X extensions is <==== !?!?!?!
(II) Sep 10 21:55:18 NVIDIA(0):     enabled.
(EE) Sep 10 21:55:21 NVIDIA(0): Failed to initialize one NVIDIA graphics device!              <==== !?!?!?!
(WW) Sep 10 21:55:21 NVIDIA(0): Failed to initialize SLI configuration.  Reason: One GPU      <==== !?!?!?!
(WW) Sep 10 21:55:21 NVIDIA(0):     failed to initialize; Only one GPU will be used for this X
(WW) Sep 10 21:55:21 NVIDIA(0):     screen.
(II) Sep 10 21:55:22 NVIDIA(0): NVIDIA GPU GeForce 8700M GT (G84) at PCI:3:0:0 (GPU-0)
(--) Sep 10 21:55:22 NVIDIA(0): Memory: 524288 kBytes
(--) Sep 10 21:55:22 NVIDIA(0): VideoBIOS: 60.84.6a.00.06
(II) Sep 10 21:55:22 NVIDIA(0): Detected PCI Express Link width: 16X
(--) Sep 10 21:55:22 NVIDIA(0): Interlaced video modes are supported on this GPU
(--) Sep 10 21:55:22 NVIDIA(0): Connected display device(s) on GeForce 8700M GT at PCI:3:0:0:
(--) Sep 10 21:55:22 NVIDIA(0):     Seiko (DFP-0)
(--) Sep 10 21:55:22 NVIDIA(0): Seiko (DFP-0): 330.0 MHz maximum pixel clock
(--) Sep 10 21:55:22 NVIDIA(0): Seiko (DFP-0): Internal Dual Link LVDS
(**) Sep 10 21:55:22 NVIDIA(0): TwinView enabled
(II) Sep 10 21:55:22 NVIDIA(0): Display Device found referenced in MetaMode: DFP-0
(WW) Sep 10 21:55:22 NVIDIA(0): TwinView requested, but only 1 display devices found.
(II) Sep 10 21:55:22 NVIDIA(0): Assigned Display Device: DFP-0
(WW) Sep 10 21:55:22 NVIDIA(0): Invalid display device in Mode Description
(WW) Sep 10 21:55:22 NVIDIA(0):     "DFP-1:nvidia-auto-select+1920+0"
(WW) Sep 10 21:55:22 NVIDIA(0): Not using mode description "DFP-1:nvidia-auto-select+1920+0";  <==== !?!?!?!
(WW) Sep 10 21:55:22 NVIDIA(0):     unable to map to display device
(II) Sep 10 21:55:22 NVIDIA(0): Validated modes:
(II) Sep 10 21:55:22 NVIDIA(0):    
(II) Sep 10 21:55:22 NVIDIA(0):     "DFP-0:nvidia-auto-select+0+0,DFP-1:nvidia-auto-select+1920+0"
(II) Sep 10 21:55:22 NVIDIA(0): Virtual screen size determined to be 1920 x 1200
(--) Sep 10 21:55:23 NVIDIA(0): DPI set to (131, 132); computed from "UseEdidDpi" X config
(--) Sep 10 21:55:23 NVIDIA(0):     option
(==) Sep 10 21:55:23 NVIDIA(0): Enabling 32-bit ARGB GLX visuals.
(--) Depth 24 pixmap format is 32 bpp
(II) Sep 10 21:55:23 NVIDIA: Using 768.00 MB of virtual memory for indirect memory access.
(EE) Sep 10 21:55:23 NVIDIA(GPU-1): Failed to initialize the NVIDIA graphics device PCI:4:0:0.   <==== !?!?!?!
(EE) Sep 10 21:55:23 NVIDIA(GPU-1):     Please check your system's kernel log for additional error <==== !?!?!?!
(EE) Sep 10 21:55:23 NVIDIA(GPU-1):     messages and refer to Chapter 8: Common Problems in the   <==== !?!?!?!
(EE) Sep 10 21:55:23 NVIDIA(GPU-1):     README for additional information.
(EE) Sep 10 21:55:23 NVIDIA(GPU-1): Failed to initialize the NVIDIA graphics device!              <==== !?!?!?!
(II) Sep 10 21:55:23 NVIDIA(0): Initialized GPU GART.
(II) Sep 10 21:55:23 NVIDIA(0): ACPI display change hotkey events enabled: the X server is new
(II) Sep 10 21:55:23 NVIDIA(0):     enough to receive ACPI hotkey events.
(II) Sep 10 21:55:23 NVIDIA(0): ACPI brightness change hotkey events enabled.
(II) Sep 10 21:55:23 NVIDIA(0): Setting mode
(II) Sep 10 21:55:23 NVIDIA(0):     "DFP-0:nvidia-auto-select+0+0,DFP-1:nvidia-auto-select+1920+0"
(II) Loading extension NV-GLX
(II) Sep 10 21:55:24 NVIDIA(0): Initialized OpenGL Acceleration
(==) NVIDIA(0): Disabling shared memory pixmaps

And /varlog/syslog:

Code:

Sep 10 21:54:49 xpsm1730 kernel: NVRM: loading NVIDIA UNIX x86 Kernel Module  195.36.31  Tue Jun  1 22:08:27 PDT 2010   <==== !?!?!?!
Sep 10 21:55:20 xpsm1730 kernel: NVRM: RmInitAdapter failed! (0x26:0xffffffff:1076)                                           <==== !?!?!?!
Sep 10 21:55:20 xpsm1730 kernel: NVRM: rm_init_adapter(1) failed                                                              <==== !?!?!?!
Sep 10 21:55:23 xpsm1730 kernel: vmap allocation for size 16781312 failed: use vmalloc=<size> to increase size.
Sep 10 21:55:23 xpsm1730 kernel: NVRM: RmInitAdapter failed! (0x26:0xffffffff:1076)                                           <==== !?!?!?!
Sep 10 21:55:23 xpsm1730 kernel: NVRM: rm_init_adapter(1) failed

<==== !?!?!?!

And lspci:

Code:

01:00.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation Device 01b3 (rev a3)
02:00.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation Device 01b3 (rev a3)
02:01.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation Device 01b3 (rev a3)
03:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation G84 [GeForce 8700M GT] (rev a1)
04:00.0 3D controller: nVidia Corporation G84 [GeForce 8700M GT] (rev a1)

And lspci -t

Code:

-[0000:00]-+-00.0
           +-01.0-[01-04]----00.0-[02-04]--+-00.0-[03]----00.0
           |                               \-01.0-[04]----00.0
           +-1a.0
           +-1a.1
           +-1a.7
           +-1b.0
           +-1c.0-[0b]--
           +-1c.1-[0c]----00.0
           +-1c.3-[0d-0e]--
           +-1c.4-[0f]----00.0
           +-1c.5-[09]----00.0
           +-1d.0
           +-1d.1
           +-1d.2
           +-1d.7
           +-1e.0-[05]--+-01.0
           |            +-01.1
           |            +-01.2
           |            \-01.3
           +-1f.0
           +-1f.1
           +-1f.2
           \-1f.3

SO to summarize, I have color problems and no SLI... Pretty depressing... This used to work almost out of the box...

What should I do???

lpallard · 09-11-2010, 11:18 AM

I just want to mention that I came back to my "clone" with the stable release of 13.1 and the driver 195.36.31 because -current was way to unstable... all other info still valid.

lpallard · 09-12-2010, 09:23 PM

I managed to fix the yellow color problem.. a bios update from dell did it. as for the rest of my problems (no sli, wrong identification from lspci...) it has been suggested to install a driver prior to series 190 as apparently the 185 series were the last working drivers on the XPS M1730 laptop....

MTK358 · 09-13-2010, 07:08 AM

Then mark the thread as solved.

lpallard · 09-13-2010, 08:51 AM

Its not completely solved... I still cant get SLI to work.. the only problem solved is the yellow color.

lpallard · 09-28-2010, 11:11 AM

Ok it seems that I will have to move over Slackware 64 in order to get the SLI working. Right now I dont have time to do this and wont have time soon... I am marking this thread solved.