KDM Problem (??) - New KDE BSOD-Like Feature?

[sblass]

Did an update late last evening - was groggy and am not really sure what was updated. At update conclusion, simply did a shutdown.

At startup this AM, noticed 1-pixel, irregular fringing on bottom and right sides of the desktop image. Nothing I start is immune from crashing (Arora especially so), but I have pretty good luck with Kontact/KMail and Adept package manager. For a while I thought Opera 10.0 was immune to it, but I'm seeing it there also. Same goes for OpenOffice.

Programs simply crash and flow returns to KDE login screen for another iteration of same.

Anyone else experiencing this?

P.S. Running an old Sempron 2600+, with ATI Radeon R350 (Radeon 9800 Pro).

[Teunis]

The strange screen behaviour looks at first glance like a video driver problem.

But I feel crashing of (so many) individual applications has little to do with the video.

Have you checked you still have the right ATI driver installed?
What about (temporarily) reverting to a generic driver like VESA?

Anyhow, today there were more updates, maybe they'll fix your problems.

[molostoff]

For me its happens with OpenGL KDE desktop effects set on.

I have ati video card.

Setting OpenGL to off simply stops crashes.

By the way, KDE without opengl - is not kindly useful.

Please, give back opengl on ati card!

[sblass]

I don't think I have OpenGL effects set on, nor can I find out. The one program that is GUARANTEED to bomb is System Settings - it doesn't even begin to open. And currently can't get Arora/Opera/Konqueror to run, either.

The 1-pixel white fringing on the main desktop goes away after doing Ctrl-F2 / Ctrl-F1 toggle.

Currently Kontact/KMail and Adept are running, virtually without bombing. Strangely enough Kmahjongg/Kpat/Ksudoku all run just fine. Thought for a moment that Kstars did, too, but it just bombed.

Weird!!

[molostoff]

It seems to me that some solution I have got:

https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel/2009-October/029312.html

setting radeon.modeset=1 is helpful indeed and disables crashes. tty mode looks fine to me with this param.

I have used direct test providing "radeon.modeset=1" into /etc/defaults/grub (default kernel options where option splash resides). Then update-grub to rebuild grub.cfg.

I suspect there is a better place for customize radeon driver settings:

/etc/modprobe.conf (create if missing):
options radeon modeset=1

it still slower than vesa, but works...

also good source to get involved is https://edge.launchpad.net/~xorg-edgers/+archive/ppa

[sblass]

Thank you so much, molostoff!

Creating file /etc/modprobe.conf, with contents 'options radeon modeset=1' did the trick.

[tkteo]

I am experiencing the same problem sblass described. So perhaps it is not coincidence that the problem occurs on my system with ATI Radeon video.

I will try the workaround that molostoff has posted and report back.

[tkteo]

Darn. The workaround does not work well. As in, it works, but I had to add more workarounds to it.

What happened in my case:

I booted via grub to the recovery mode kernel option and to the command line. I added the line "options radeon modeset=1" to /etc/modprobe.conf

Then I rebooted and selected the normal kernel bootup option during grub.

I got a super BSOD. A Black screen of death. Lol? I then had to unplug the power from my computer before I could try any more workarounds.

Second try: I booted to recovery mode and selected command prompt with networking. Entered root password when prompted, then "sudo kdm"

That worked. At least I am able to type this followup posting in Kubuntu instead of THAT other operating system. Lol?

[molostoff]

That worked. At least I am able to type this followup posting in Kubuntu instead of THAT other operating system. Lol?


There could be a diff between ati cards (and other hw essentials) and a status of currently appearing new updates. For example, a have received new updates that broke this radeon tweak. Still in search.... It looks like there are intensive opengl developments and so on.... :/

[fsaravia]

my system (dell inspiron 6400, kubuntu karmic, ATI X1400, last update 2009/10/08) crashes when opening menu...

solution: turn desktop effects of from command line (if enabled)

open konsole and type:

qdbus org.kde.kwin /KWin org.kde.KWin.toggleCompositing

now i can use my laptop, but no fancy effects yet :-[


/var/log/kdm.log after crash:
*********************************WARN_ONCE******** *************************
File radeon_dma.c function radeonReleaseDmaRegions line 348
Leaking dma buffer object!
************************************************** *************************
X: radeon_bo_legacy.c:207: legacy_is_pending: Assertion `bo_legacy->is_pending <= bo->cref' failed.

see http://www.mail-archive.com/dri-devel@lists.sourceforge.net/msg43452.html

[tkteo]

Yup, I just updated some packages from the Karmic repositories, which have rendered (pun intended) the workaround ineffective.

And I am typing these remarks while booted into that other OS. Weep!

[molostoff]

X: radeon_bo_legacy.c:207: legacy_is_pending: Assertion `bo_legacy->is_pending <= bo->cref' failed.

see http://www.mail-archive.com/dri-devel@lists.sourceforge.net/msg43452.html



With new mesa libs that come in update an radeon.modeset is still helping/working.
anyway, it looks like a bug, so i have submitted it into https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xorg/+bug/446845

[tkteo]

Thank you so very much for your help. I have subscribed to the bug report, and will update things on my end when I can.

[tkteo]

solution: turn desktop effects of from command line (if enabled)

open konsole and type:

qdbus org.kde.kwin /KWin org.kde.KWin.toggleCompositing

now i can use my laptop, but no fancy effects yet :-[

fsaravia's suggeston to toggle off the desktop effects via the command line does help so far. After toggling off, I went into Kubuntu System Settings, then Desktop, then turned off all desktop effects by unchecking the box.

So far so good.

On the other hand, the radeon.modeset=1 method does not work for me at all, regardless of whether I am including the option via /etc/defaults/grub or /etc/modprobe.conf

I also ran "sudo update-grub" after creating the /etc/defaults/grub file but I do not see the "radeon.modeset=1" option present anywhere in menu.lst

Is there something I did wrong?

molostoff: would you please list the contents of what /etc/defaults/grub and /etc/modprobe.conf should be?

thanks,
tkteo

[molostoff]

molostoff: would you please list the contents of what /etc/defaults/grub and /etc/modprobe.conf should be?

thanks,
tkteo



/etc/default/grub:


# If you change this file, run 'update-grub' afterwards to update
# /boot/grub/grub.cfg.

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
GRUB_TIMEOUT="10"
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet radeon.modeset=1 splash"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""


/etc/modprobe.conf:


options radeon modeset=1


as for me, with the latest updates i have received it seems that modprobe.conf does not help anymore, only grub kernel option helps.

I am not sure which updates you have already received and which are still pending for you, so both methods are desirable, but grub option is prefered, i suppose.

I still dont know better solution, modeset=1 slows down kubuntu opengl effects, slows down video and in overall is a resource hog solution, eventually freezing desk, but now the tty console with vbemode=3 autoenabled at boot by radeon driver is indeed only one thing i like from this "patch".

Still looking for good solution to make workable on ati card! Please, help return happy day!

[tkteo]

Note: right now I have managed to update my kernel boot options in menu.lst to include "radeon.modeset=1" by referring to the following:

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/RadeonKMS
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootOptions

I added "radeon.modeset=1" to the end of the "# kopt=root=" line in menu.lst , then ran "sudo update-grub".

[tomp01]

The crashing occurs in KDE but not in Gnome which would be fine only I now have the problem that wicd won't run either so I can't connect to the internet to get more updates. I will have to put networkmanager back and see if that makes a difference.

[tkteo]

If wicd does not work, give nm-applet a try. That's under the networkmanager-gnome package I think. It has worked better than the knetworkmanager.

[molostoff]

I will have to put networkmanager back and see if that makes a difference.


I am not sure but it seems to me that radeon driver (and new KMS modeset enabled) detects adapter memory incorrectly. I checked dmesg radeon and drm messages and found that they differ from one boot to another. In one moment dmesg reported that there are over 600MiB of mem while I have only max 384MiB for graphic and 1G at all (e.g. more than 60% of system).

If somebody can test it on his/her hardware?

[tkteo]

I am not sure but it seems to me that radeon driver (and new KMS modeset enabled) detects adapter memory incorrectly. I checked dmesg radeon and drm messages and found that they differ from one boot to another. In one moment dmesg reported that there are over 600MiB of mem while I have only max 384MiB for graphic and 1G at all (e.g. more than 60% of system).

If somebody can test it on his/her hardware?

I will be glad to check on my system. How do I go about doing so? (Think of me as a total newbie if that helps!)

[molostoff]

I will be glad to check on my system. How do I go about doing so? (Think of me as a total newbie if that helps!)


just do dmesg and see what is radeon or drm reports at each boot. if there is difference between boots or values are not equal to your hardware capabilities - this is the case. If you will see all ok - no problems.

Also I have digged some hopeful posts here:

http://www.phoronix.com/forums/showpost.php?p=80662&postcount=53
http://www.phoronix.com/forums/showpost.php?p=81753&postcount=56

http://www.phoronix.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19325

[tkteo]

Also I have digged some hopeful posts here:

http://www.phoronix.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19325

This particular phoronix forum thread appears very relevant to our problem. I also noticed that you posted in your bug report whether it is the same problem already reported by the phoronix members. Yes, sure seems like a duplicate to me.

[molostoff]

Also I think that in regards to new release of RadeonHD 1.3 http://www.phoronix.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19518
it would be fine to see the update of http://packages.ubuntu.com/karmic/xserver-xorg-video-radeonhd which is stay at 1.2.5 and (with taking into account new mesa updates) this radeonhd is strangely unsupported (universe).

Please, give us more drivers to test.

[tkteo]

Installing a ppa version of Mesa which has the potential problem removed seems to work so far. I updated current status at:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/mesa/+bug/446578

[sblass]

The burning question is when will it be safe to go back in the water..... er, I mean, when will it be safe to upgrade again. I see there are new kernel and Mesa version in the 62 items which are available for me to download/upgrade. With the radeon modeset forced as it is now, by system eventually slows to a crawl.

Even more disturbing, though, is the boot process. Yesterday the boot process (no splash, of course) went through the usual early on-screen messages and then hung. After hitting the reset button, the next boot brought up the GRUB screen (which has NEVER appeared under Karmic before), and then proceded to boot okay.

Today, the first foot hung, and I hit the reset button. Saw GRUB on the second boot, but it also hung. Hit the reset button again. Third boot had no GRUB, but finally made it to the KDE login.

Hopefully an upgrade - when it's safe - will cure this, but given the wacky GRUB stuff, I may be well advised to do an install from scratch once the 9.10 final is released.

[dibl]

@sblass that sounds more like failing hardware than a software issue -- just my two cents. I'd be backing up my data and considering how to test the hard drive, PSU, and memory. :P

[molostoff]

@sblass that sounds more like failing hardware than a software issue -- just my two cents. I'd be backing up my data and considering how to test the hard drive, PSU, and memory. :P


I have got the same about 4-5 days ago (suppose last kernel and grub update this did)...

In general, troubleshooting of mistakes we receive sometimes (with package updates, fully or partially) is too complicated to display... Nobody can say in which state its own system, except using apport 20meg report...

I keep /home separately from other system.

Also I think that usual user installed packages (browsers, readers, etc) should be kept separatelry from /usr (as an example - /opt or /usr/local fs, as it is usually in sunos)

[sblass]

I have got the same about 4-5 days ago (suppose last kernel and grub update this did)...
...
Also I think that usual user installed packages (browsers, readers, etc) should be kept separatelry from /usr (as an example - /opt or /usr/local fs, as it is usually in sunos)

Although reassuring to see I'm not alone in this boat (misery loves company and all that) and confirming - as I pretty much knew - that this wasn't a failing H/W issue, we're still left wanting on the Radeon driver issue.

I grew tired of waiting, and since my system performance was so degraded, I updated with the 62 packages available to me this A.M. I now am seeing the graphical bootup progress indicator, although near the very end a broken purple line probably at least 10 pixels wide appears about 1/3 of the way from the progress indicator to the bottom of the screen (looks like high-speed, deep purple Morse code!).

After logging in, I'm unfortunately back to the point I was when I originally started this thread. Even though I'm forcing the radeon modeset in /etc/modprobe.conf, it seemingly has no effect. Once again I can reliably run Kontact (KMail), Adept, and Opera - but not all at once! Opera works fine from the moment of fresh system availability, so long as I simply browse and never go to the menus to do any operation that has ties to OS hooks. If I do, then I'm screwed.

[molostoff]

Even though I'm forcing the radeon modeset in /etc/modprobe.conf,


/etc/modprobe.conf does not work anymore, because radeon driver now acts as a console driver too, that modeset option should be set before kernel is loaded - e.g. as a boot parameter.

I use /etc/default/grub to supply modeset option, also I have added ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates into repo sources, so I have got updates for all radeon-kms stuff, so at this moment - all is work (no morse, as it is a patented work), but the speed of KDE has dramatically degraded ...

I have tried also 7.7 mesa from x-edgers repo - same result, works but slowly, and looks like no much progress for last week.

[tkteo]

Well, I took the big risk: I manually edited the /boot/grub/menu.lst to include the "radeon.modeset=1" option. I also removed the "splash" option. Then sudo update-grub.

And I downgraded Mesa to use Bryce Harrington's version which removes the potential problem with ATI cards.

I won't detail the steps here cos I don't want to appear that I recommend manually editing grub entries.

But I share molostoff's observation that enabling radeon.modeset=1 does really slow down the system. Right now I enable it but leave desktop effects turned off just to not slow down the system too much.

Meanwhile on the launchpad bug reports there is no update on whether a newer bug-fix version of mesa will be committed to the karmic repositories. Sigh.

[tomp01]

To my mind, the easiest workaround is just to disable Special Effects, this stops the problem occurring at all. I just tried turning them back on to see if the the latest updates fixed it but it is still the same.

[tkteo]

Mesa update without the problematic commit should be uploaded to karmic repositories soon:
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/karmic-changes/2009-October/010941.html

[tkteo]

Oops. I think I'd better warn people that with the most recent kernel update linux 2.6.31-13.45, setting "radeon.modeset=1" makes my system unable to boot to the kdm login screen.

[Teunis]

tkteo, where's the big risk in manually editing grub?
As long as you save a copy of the original you can always go back.

(Using a Live CD or USB stick)

[molostoff]

Oops. I think I'd better warn people that with the most recent kernel update linux 2.6.31-13.45, setting "radeon.modeset=1" makes my system unable to boot to the kdm login screen.


I have booted successufully with new kernel.

Then with this new kernel I have removed modeset from grub and from module config, and rebooted ok. At this moment console is fine, kde effects - ok, except I havnt tested it for speed, but functional part works.

Only repo from ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates still in sources.

[sblass]

I have booted successufully with new kernel.

Then with this new kernel I have removed modeset from grub and from module config, and rebooted ok. At this moment console is fine, kde effects - ok, except I havnt tested it for speed, but functional part works.


Ahhhh, life is good. I, too, have updated this A.M., and system is extremely zippy with new kernel and Mesa.

Much thanks to all thread contributors along the odyssey.

[hteles]

Hi,

mine is too damn slow with desktop effects turned on but at least it's stable now.
BTW, why can't i switch to a virtual terminal anymore???



lspci -vv
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Radeon Mobility X700 (PCIE)
Subsystem: Acer Incorporated [ALI] Device 0066
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
Latency: 0, Cache Line Size: 32 bytes
Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 16
Region 0: Memory at c0000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]
Region 1: I/O ports at 3000 [size=256]
Region 2: Memory at b0100000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
[virtual] Expansion ROM at b0120000 [disabled] [size=128K]
Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 2
Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1+ D2+ AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0-,D1-,D2-,D3hot-,D3cold-)
Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-
Capabilities: [58] Express (v1) Endpoint, MSI 00
DevCap: MaxPayload 128 bytes, PhantFunc 0, Latency L0s <256ns, L1 <4us
ExtTag+ AttnBtn- AttnInd- PwrInd- RBE- FLReset-
DevCtl: Report errors: Correctable- Non-Fatal- Fatal- Unsupported-
RlxdOrd+ ExtTag- PhantFunc- AuxPwr- NoSnoop+
MaxPayload 128 bytes, MaxReadReq 128 bytes
DevSta: CorrErr- UncorrErr- FatalErr- UnsuppReq- AuxPwr- TransPend-
LnkCap: Port #0, Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x16, ASPM L0s L1, Latency L0 <256ns, L1 <2us
ClockPM- Suprise- LLActRep- BwNot-
LnkCtl: ASPM Disabled; RCB 64 bytes Disabled- Retrain- CommClk+
ExtSynch- ClockPM- AutWidDis- BWInt- AutBWInt-
LnkSta: Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x16, TrErr- Train- SlotClk+ DLActive- BWMgmt- ABWMgmt-
Capabilities: [80] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit+ Queue=0/0 Enable-
Address: 0000000000000000 Data: 0000
Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting <?>
Kernel modules: radeon

[hteles]

Spoke too soon ;D

After some Xorg updates right now everything is really fast again and virtual terminals are back ::)

[molostoff]

Spoke too soon ;D

After some Xorg updates right now everithing is really fast again and virtual terminals are back ::)


Yes, too soon, updates revert back the situation, but I still stay with radeon-kms params (returned them back).

Could you tell what x/radeon parameters (or none of them - just clean install) you use ?

[hteles]

Hi,

plain system, no xorg.conf, radeon driver.

[tkteo]

And I have turned off both Radeon KMS and desktop effects for now. Will play around with enabling desktop effects after I, ahem, focus on my job. :P

[hteles]

Better do it ;D

[molostoff]

And I have turned off both Radeon KMS and desktop effects for now. Will play around with enabling desktop effects after I, ahem, focus on my job. :P


Effects are speedy now as it was before, radeon.modeset is still should be set in grub kernel options.