Re: Upgrade Kernel, Lose External Display
On 2010-06-11 19:06 +0200, Gilbert Sullivan wrote:
> 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).
The new kernel has a new framebuffer driver called nouveau that is
(usually) autoloaded by udev and replaces the vesa framebuffer driver.
> Upon reboot I see the normal scrolling of messages in the middle of
> the screen, but (after populating devices message) the screen goes
> black.
Ouch. There have been several such reports, but as none of the
developers seems to be able to reproduce them, there is not much
progress in this area.
> 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.
I'm not sure I understand "middle of the screen" and "left side", but
the existing screen contents will be erased when nouveau is loaded.
> 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.)
Please send the dmesg output. If possible, connect to the machine via
ssh when the port replicator is docked in.
Sven
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