gdm blank screen for 270 under Ubuntu Natty

nlamarra · 05-09-11, 04:48 PM

Just installed Ubuntu Natty Narwhal on a new Dell XPS 17 (i7-2630QM + nVidia 550GTm) and configured xorg.conf. No apparent errors, and graphics display is active but blank (or at zero brightness). Text logins are OK (tty01-06). Any clues?

Fackamato · 05-09-11, 06:01 PM

logs? bug report?

nlamarra · 05-09-11, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fackamato

logs? bug report?

I gave up on Natty and tried going back to Maverick (which is running fine on my older Dell XPS1730 Core2 duo), but got the same issue. Initial Maverick driver works OK in gdm (but doesn't recognize external monitor attached via HDMI), but when switched to activate the nvidia driver (requiring a reboot), there's no gdm display at all, and making the attached mods to the xorg.conf file again didn't help.

Here is the bug report. I forgot that I could create this even if the graphics mode wasn't running...

vvilhonen · 05-11-11, 04:31 AM

I have the same problem. I reported it for the first time 6 months ago, but haven't been getting any solutions.

**danix** · 05-11-11, 02:54 PM

The bug report is from Maverick, so it won't contain any information captured from the actual problem configuration. Could somebody post an nvidia-bug-report from Natty?

vvilhonen · 05-12-11, 12:33 AM

Here you go

nlamarra · 05-13-11, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by danix

The bug report is from Maverick, so it won't contain any information captured from the actual problem configuration. Could somebody post an nvidia-bug-report from Natty?

Ok, I'm back to natty and have progressed somewhat. The trick to getting video seemed to be adding the BusID to xorg.conf, but then I lost it when i started to debug the HDMI output. Eventually, I got video from the HDMI but now I can't get it back on the laptop display.

Moving on to the HDMI audio -- I have not been able to activate this in Linux. All works fine in Windows (as do both laptop and HDMI display), and Windows sound configuration shows 2 devices: Realtek audio and NVidia HDMI audio -- selecting the latter provides sound from the HDMI.

However, in Linux, I don't see any such NVidia HDMI device or any audio card other than card#0, which is Intel HDA. I had a similar problem with my desktop under Maverick, but this was fixed by discovering that card1 device 3 was the NVidia (hw=1,3). In this laptop, I don't see any such NVidia device in /proc/asound or via aplay -L.

Thanks, Norm

nlamarra · 05-15-11, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nlamarra

Ok, I'm back to natty and have progressed somewhat. The trick to getting video seemed to be adding the BusID to xorg.conf, but then I lost it when i started to debug the HDMI output. Eventually, I got video from the HDMI but now I can't get it back on the laptop display.

Moving on to the HDMI audio -- I have not been able to activate this in Linux. All works fine in Windows (as do both laptop and HDMI display), and Windows sound configuration shows 2 devices: Realtek audio and NVidia HDMI audio -- selecting the latter provides sound from the HDMI.

However, in Linux, I don't see any such NVidia HDMI device or any audio card other than card#0, which is Intel HDA. I had a similar problem with my desktop under Maverick, but this was fixed by discovering that card1 device 3 was the NVidia (hw=1,3). In this laptop, I don't see any such NVidia device in /proc/asound or via aplay -L.

Thanks, Norm

Latest update: I have verified that NVidia works along with Realtek in Windows, and have been able to get 7.1-ch digital audio via HDMI to my receiver which also passes the video properly to Aquos TV at 1920x1080. Selection between analog, Realtek digital, or NVidia digital output is handled properly by the Sound widget in Windows, as is configuration of each output for sample rate, no. bits, no. channels. S o the hardware all works properly.

However, Linux does not see the NVidia audio device (see the aplay -L) attached. I've tried all sorts of probe_mask settings (thanks to http://wiki.xbmc.org/?title=HOW-TO_s...20%2C_or_GT240) but cannot get the NVidia audio to show up. Once I get the device to show up, I know what to do because I went through this successfully with a desktop under Maverick for a GT240 recently. But I need more help getting Linux to recognize the NVidia audio...

One other curiosity -- I "lost" the laptop display when I activated the NVidia driver (it worked under Nouveau), but then discovered that the video was working via the HDMI port (so maybe I should carry around an HDMI monitor with my laptop...). I've tried all sorts of mods to xorg.conf without success in reviving the laptop display, and this may be connected to the reason why I can't get HDMI audio from the NVidia even when I'm displaying on the external monitor. Needless to say, both displays work separately or together in Windows (which is how I got the EDID files for each display).

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Norm

05-09-11, 04:48 PM	#1
nlamarra Registered User Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 13	gdm blank screen for 270 under Ubuntu Natty Just installed Ubuntu Natty Narwhal on a new Dell XPS 17 (i7-2630QM + nVidia 550GTm) and configured xorg.conf. No apparent errors, and graphics display is active but blank (or at zero brightness). Text logins are OK (tty01-06). Any clues?

05-09-11, 06:01 PM	#2
Fackamato User Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 366	Re: gdm blank screen for 270 under Ubuntu Natty logs? bug report?

05-11-11, 04:31 AM	#4
vvilhonen Registered User Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 16	Re: gdm blank screen for 270 under Ubuntu Natty I have the same problem. I reported it for the first time 6 months ago, but haven't been getting any solutions.

05-11-11, 02:54 PM	#5
danix NVIDIA Corporation Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Santa Clara, CA Posts: 237	Re: gdm blank screen for 270 under Ubuntu Natty The bug report is from Maverick, so it won't contain any information captured from the actual problem configuration. Could somebody post an nvidia-bug-report from Natty?