Upgrade Kernel, Lose External Display
Running Squeeze with Xfce desktop environment (only) on Dell Latitude
D810. Nvidia video card running the VESA driver (though there's a bunch
of verbiage in dmesg about nouveau). System is normally connected to a
port replicator and DVI display (1680x1050).
Upgraded from 2.6.32-3 to 2.6.32-6 this morning, saying yes to
reconfiguration.
Upon reboot I see the normal scrolling of messages in the middle of the
screen, but (after populating devices message) the screen goes black.
After the system stops accessing the HD I use the power button to shut
down. (System is configured to shut down when power button is pressed.)
I reboot with old kernel. Everything goes normally, of course.
I undock from the port replicator and use the notebook's built-in
1920x1200 display, and the boot with the new kernel brings me to normal
gdm login and then desktop. The only difference between appearance of
boot using old kernel and new kernel is that, after the populating
devices message, the text stops scrolling down the middle of the screen
and starts scrolling down the left side. So I guess this is a video mode
issue.
What with all of the recent changes in the way video is handled (and an
aging brain) I gave up months ago on keeping up with changes in the
video functions of the system. I was going to wait for the dust to
settle and then learn how video works after the "migration' (or whatever
you call it) is complete. I guess I don't have that luxury now.
Can someone point me at documentation so I can try to figure out how to
deal with this? (I'd like to use the new kernel. I try to keep my system
as up-to-date as possible.)
Many thanks for clues.
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