Bug#696571: installation-reports: Linux 3.2 VGA controller regression

[Bob Proulx <bob@proulx.com>]

Package: installation-reports
Severity: important

This is really an upgrade report.  I am upgrading from Squeeze to
Wheezy.

I am trying to support a site running Debian with many systems with an
ASUS F1A75-M LE motherboard.  This hardware runs the Squeeze Linux
2.6.32-5-amd64 kernel without problem.

  http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/AMD_Socket_FM1/F1A75M_LE/

Unfortunately upgrading to Wheezy or later is a complete fail.  The
kernel is generally usable and installs and boots okay.  But part way
through the boot process with text characters being displayed but then
the display switches into a ~60% snow ~40% white and becomes unusable.
To be clear this is the vt console.  This is not the X Window System
display.  The Linux vt console is unusable.

On Squeeze's 2.6.32-5-amd64 kernel all works (mostly) well.  When
attached to 4:3 aspect ration monitors up through 1600x1200 all works
fine all around and no problems were ever logged.  It turns out it is
using the vesa driver for this function.  It worked well.  (However
changing the monitor to a 16:10 widescreen monitor causes the vesa
driver to fail and fallback to the fbdev driver.  The fbdev driver
tries to drive the 1440x900 monitor in 1280x1024 mode and looks
terrible.  Therefore I attempted to upgrade to the Wheezy and ran into
this problem.  This is parenthetical background information only.)

Since the vt console works on Squeeze but fails hugely on Wheezy I am
calling this a regression.  It isn't possible to use Wheezy on a
system that used to run Squeeze.  Since this is the Linux vt console,
not X, there isn't even the proprietary driver to try.

I will happily provide additional information.  At the moment I don't
know what I would add.  Any hints?

Bob

Machine: ASUS F1A75-M LE motherboard

00:01.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI Device 9644 (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
        Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device 84c8
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 18
        Memory at c0000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]
        I/O ports at f000 [size=256]
        Memory at fef00000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256K]
        Expansion ROM at <unassigned> [disabled]
        Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 3
        Capabilities: [58] Express Root Complex Integrated Endpoint, MSI 00
        Capabilities: [a0] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
        Capabilities: [100] Vendor Specific Information: ID=0001 Rev=1 Len=010 <?>
        Kernel driver in use: radeon

processor       : 1
vendor_id       : AuthenticAMD
cpu family      : 18
model           : 1
model name      : AMD A4-3400 APU with Radeon(tm) HD Graphics
stepping        : 0
cpu MHz         : 2699.755
cache size      : 512 KB
physical id     : 0
siblings        : 2
core id         : 0
cpu cores       : 2
apicid          : 0
initial apicid  : 0
fdiv_bug        : no
hlt_bug         : no
f00f_bug        : no
coma_bug        : no
fpu             : yes
fpu_exception   : yes
cpuid level     : 6
wp              : yes
flags           : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush mmx fxsr sse sse2 ht syscall nx mmxext fxsr_opt pdpe1gb rdtscp lm 3dnowext 3dnow constant_tsc nonstop_tsc extd_apicid pni monitor cx16 popcnt lahf_lm cmp_legacy svm extapic cr8_legacy abm sse4a misalignsse 3dnowprefetch osvw ibs skinit wdt arat
bogomips        : 5399.51
clflush size    : 64
cache_alignment : 64
address sizes   : 40 bits physical, 48 bits virtual
power management: ts ttp tm stc 100mhzsteps hwpstate