Re: kernel 2.6.19: system freeze with blinking CapsLock and ScrollLock leds
On Thu, Dec 07, 2006 at 12:36:53PM +0100, Gabor Gombas wrote:
> On Wed, Dec 06, 2006 at 04:01:28PM -0800, Max A. wrote:
>
> > Why kernel in the case of panic cannot simply switch the screen to the
> > text mode and print out a message there?
>
> Because that is quite a complex task on a modern graphics card. Usually
> there is no way to switch to a mode (be it text or graphics) without
> knowing the current mode, and that information is only present in the X
> server, not in the kernel. And since the kernel is in panic, the X
> server can not run and can not do the mode switch.
>
> I think there are patches to print panic messages to the frame buffer if
> it is in use; but that still requires the X server to be configured to
> use the kernel-provided frame buffer, and that can be quite slow (and it
> also has other problems like not working on dual-head setups etc.)
>
Sounds like another reason to have a serial console.
Doug.
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