# [SOLVED] nouveau....  blank console.... pit of despair

## corey_s

For the life of me I cannot get my console to _not_ go completely blank on bootup.

I'm using:

```

sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-2.6.34  USE="-build -symlink"

x11-libs/libdrm-2.4.20  USE="-debug"

x11-base/xorg-server-1.8.1-r1  USE="nptl udev xorg -dmx -doc -hal* -ipv6 -kdrive -minimal -static-libs -tslib"

x11-drivers/xf86-video-nouveau-0.0.16_pre20100510  USE="-debug"

```

Some relevant kernel config:

```

CONFIG_FB_BOOT_VESA_SUPPORT=y

CONFIG_FB_CFB_FILLRECT=y

CONFIG_FB_CFB_COPYAREA=y

CONFIG_FB_CFB_IMAGEBLIT=y

CONFIG_FB_BACKLIGHT=y

CONFIG_FB_MODE_HELPERS=y

CONFIG_FB_TILEBLITTING=y

CONFIG_FB_VESA=y

CONFIG_DRM_NOUVEAU=m

CONFIG_DRM_NOUVEAU_BACKLIGHT=y

CONFIG_BACKLIGHT_LCD_SUPPORT=y

CONFIG_BACKLIGHT_CLASS_DEVICE=y

```

What happens is about half-way through bootup sequence, the screen blinks, then goes completely black... and doesn't ever light up again.

I've read the framebuffer howto (http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/Framebuffer) and the nouveau howto (http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/Nouveau), and I've tried many different things and many different kernel re-configurations, but to no avail... the screen always goes blank during bootup, way before even X is started.

Here's my grub.conf:

```

title kernel 2.6.34 (1)

root (hd0,0)

kernel /boot/kernel-genkernel-x86-2.6.34-gentoo root=/dev/ram0 init=/linuxrc ramdisk=8192 real_root=/dev/sda1 video=1280x1024-24@75

initrd /boot/initramfs-genkernel-x86-2.6.34-gentoo

title kernel 2.6.34 (2)

root (hd0,0)

kernel /boot/kernel-genkernel-x86-2.6.34-gentoo root=/dev/ram0 init=/linuxrc ramdisk=8192 real_root=/dev/sda1 vga=0x31B video=vesafb:mtrr:3,ywrap

initrd /boot/initramfs-genkernel-x86-2.6.34-gentoo

title kernel 2.6.34 (3)

root (hd0,0)

kernel /boot/kernel-genkernel-x86-2.6.34-gentoo root=/dev/ram0 init=/linuxrc ramdisk=8192 real_root=/dev/sda1

initrd /boot/initramfs-genkernel-x86-2.6.34-gentoo

```

(I've been ssh'ing into the box in order to recompile kernel and try other grub video options)

I've tried everything, tired of compiling and re-compiling and booting and rebooting over and over again - at wits end... anyone have any advice?

Much appreciated!Last edited by corey_s on Thu May 20, 2010 9:07 am; edited 1 time in total

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## s4e8

you miss the CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE=y.

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## corey_s

 *s4e8 wrote:*   

> you miss the CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE=y.

 

That was indeed the missing link!

(actually, I had that enabled at one point, but some other config option or other was missing, and somewhere along the line, I turned it off... etc.)  ugh

Thanks for the assist!

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## guyr

I'm having the same symptoms, but only with kernel 2.6.33.  I'm not using nouveau, and I boot up to the console and do startx.  My screen is going blank right after it starts to process udev events.   If I carefully and blindly type my user name, password and startx, it will start up gnome-light normally; everything works.

I still have 2.6.31 on this system (laptop) and it starts up without issue.  Here are my .config settings from 2.6.31:

CONFIG_VGA_CONSOLE=y

CONFIG_VGACON_SOFT_SCROLLBACK=y

CONFIG_VGACON_SOFT_SCROLLBACK_SIZE=256

CONFIG_DUMMY_CONSOLE=y

CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE=m

# CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE_DETECT_PRIMARY is not set

# CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE_ROTATION is not set

And here is 2.6.33:

CONFIG_VGA_CONSOLE=y

# CONFIG_VGACON_SOFT_SCROLLBACK is not set

CONFIG_DUMMY_CONSOLE=y

CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE=m

CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE_DETECT_PRIMARY=y

# CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE_ROTATION is not set

I just set that PRIMARY to see if it would change results; unfortunately, it did not.   I tried setting CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE to Y but it would not let me; it claimed some module upon which it depends is compiled as a module, and demanded it compile as a module.

Thanks for any ideas on how to correct this.

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## alacheesu

You're compiling it as a module. Are you sure it's loaded? Try something like modprobe fbcon or something (don't remember the exact name) and see if console starts working.

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## guyr

alacheesu, thanks that was it.  Adding fbcon to /etc/modules.autoload/kernel-2.6 brings back the display after a momentary blank pause.  Grub is booting up in text mode, and apparently when I saw the udev line in the bootup text, it started switching to kernel graphics mode.  That's when my screen went blank.

Apparently this change was implemented after 2.6.31.  I read somewhere (sorry so vague, I've been reading feverishly trying to get this to work) that I should also load a fb driver specific to my actual hardware.  I have an ATI x1200 in my laptop, so I loaded radeonfb in addition to fbcon.  That doesn't seem to do anything, so I took it back out.

From what I've been able to find (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VESA_BIOS_Extensions), support for 80x25 text mode has been dropped.  According to that page, the only 80 column mode left is x60.  Shame for us older folks whose vision isn't what it used to be.

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