5328 corrupts virtual console (framebuffer)

[puterguy]

Just tried upgrading from 4496 to 5328 and have discovered the following 2 issues:

1. Using 5328, whenever I switch to one of the Linux virtual consoles (ct-alt-Fx), the resulting text console is corrupted.

Typically, I just get a set of vertical black-and-white bars going across the screen, with no text visible. If I log in "blindly", then the corruption disappears and I get my standard text console. In fact, all the other text consoles are simultaneously "cured" until I go back into X which then causes all the consoles to revert to their corrupted state.

From googling, it seems that this may be some type of framebuffer problem.

Note, if I go back to 4496, then everything works perfectly again, suggesting that the problem is a driver one. (The only difference between the two installations is that for 4496, I had to use "export CC=gcc32" due to the known Fedora Core1 gcc incompatibility)

I am running Fedora Core/Linux 2.4.22 with a GF4600 board on a 19" Dell LCD with an ASUS p4pe board and a P4-2.53 cpu.

Note that /proc/fb is an empty file (both under 4496 and 5328).


2. I also note that glxgears drops from about 5000 fps to 4500 fps under the new version

[SuLinUX]

The best advice I can give you is stick with the 4496 or try the 4620 driver as they are the best.

[puterguy]

Pretty sobering and sad advice... Looking through the other postings on 5328, it seems like it has created many more problems than solutions (though of course there always is a selection bias potential).

Any thoughts on when nVidia might release a non-buggy official successor to the now 6 month old 4496 driver?

[SuLinUX]

I dont see the problem, you have 4496, 5328 and the 4496 driver the pick from, us Linux users dont need the driver updating very often anyway.

I have quiet a few games in running in linux and the drivers are spot on, just because they are the latest dont mean they are the best.

[rengels]

Correct,
this is an old problem. Switching of the tv-out with IgnoreDisplayDevices (read the readme) "TV" solves it.
The thing is that I bought the Nvidia to have a good tv-out so that's not really an option for me.

[puterguy]

Just upgraded to 5336 and still having console corruption problem.

Again, I never had this problem on 4496 or earlier.

In response to Andy's suggestion on the main 5336 thread, I do have the latest BIOS according to Leadtek's site -- BIOS2528.exe.

I am hesitant to use a "generic" bios since my card also has TVO and VIVO which I am afraid may not be supported properly in a generic bios. I am thinking right here?

In any case, I like the 5336 driver because I will soon be upgrading to the 2.6 kernel.

Any idea on when nVidia may fix this seemingly very basic and common bug?