Bug 15456

Summary:	nouveau + two outputs == X crash
Product:	Mageia	Reporter:	Renato Dali <mkare>
Component:	RPM Packages	Assignee:	Mageia Bug Squad <bugsquad>
Status:	RESOLVED OLD	QA Contact:
Severity:	normal
Priority:	Normal	CC:	thierry.vignaud
Version:	Cauldron	Keywords:	NEEDINFO
Target Milestone:	---
Hardware:	i586
OS:	Linux
Whiteboard:
Source RPM:	x11-driver-video-nouveau	CVE:
Status comment:

Description Renato Dali 2015-03-09 04:01:43 CET

I came across the need to reinstall Mageia 5 RC1.

I was using it with a monitor which has two inputs: analog (DB9?) and digital (DVI). I have used until now with the analog input only.

Prior to installing I connected also the digital input; I then proceeded to reinstall M5 RC1 with success.

Rebooting the computer, there came the traditional KDM screen, I write my password and then... nothing! I'm greeted with the login screen again.

Turning to the console, I logged in with the same pw, this time succesfully. I then typed "startx -- :1", X started and crashed with a reference from nouveau to an undefined symbol "exaGetPixmapDriverPrivate", like in this bug from another distribution (here for illustration purposes):

https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/42121

Looking at my version and after the comments of the poster of that bug, I saw there was an attempt of a resize to 2560x1024. Since my monitor is 1280x1024, I suspected nouveau "thought" it was connected to two monitors.

I removed the analog connection, rebooted and voilÃ : everything works!

I'm filing this bug to document the situation. Maybe there's some sort of recommendation or configuration to be done when installing, but probably this is something for the nouveau folks to sort out.

Thanks for your excellent work. I've been otherwise very satisfied with Mageia 5.

Relevant hardware configurations (ask me if I forgot something):

- Geforce 6200 (NV44a)
- AMD Sempron CPU

Comment 1 Thierry Vignaud 2015-03-09 06:17:23 CET

Please check journalctl for xorg output and attach the part related to the crash you saw

Keywords: (none) => NEEDINFO
CC: (none) => thierry.vignaud
Source RPM: (none) => x11-driver-video-nouveau

Comment 2 Renato Dali 2015-03-10 04:11:20 CET

Thanks for the quick reply.

I was using an old version (RC1) and I was having a very obnoxious bug: windows without text, but otherwise working -- even the shortcut "accelerators" were underlined (e.g. "File" appearing as "_ ", indicating that the "F" was underlined). I intend to file a bug for that and to mark it as solved by upgrading to RC3.

In the context of chasing that bug, I noticed the present one, which is less annoying (in my case!) because both outputs were connected to the same monitor.

At first, I tried to reinstall RC1 (the disk was available). I had removed the VGA cable and was only using the digital output.

I installed directly from the i586 DVD and left the (more than a thousand) updates to be done while I was asleep. The "missing chars" bug remained, so I decided to download and install RC3 -- which is what you guys tell users to do and what I should have done in the first place before annoying you all.

After installing RC3, the two outputs X crash was gone. Therefore, I think we can mark this bug as solved because of that.

It's interesting to notice that KDE defaults to using both outputs and builds a multi-monitor configuration, while Xfce assumes both monitors have the same image ("cloned" desktops is sometimes used to designate that, I think).

Unfortunately, new problems arose, so I filed bug 15462 . Some data you asked me is there, though I tried the recommended "journalctl -b -e /bin/Xorg" to no avail. I confess I have yet to learn how to use well these new things (systemd).

Thanks. Feel free to mark the present one as resolved, if you agree.

Comment 3 Renato Dali 2015-03-10 13:03:42 CET

Added bug 15465 about the GTK missing text problem -- no attachments there, just the description of the circumstances in which the problem appeared. Also, since it's also relative to RC1, I suggest that it be closed.

Comment 4 Renato Dali 2015-03-11 10:51:20 CET

As this bug no longer occurs in RC3, I'm closing it as RESOLVED OLD.

FIXED would imply something was done. Please correct that if not right.

Thanks.

Status: NEW => RESOLVED
Resolution: (none) => OLD