# (SOLVED) Nouveau fb makes laptop screen  a GIANT BARCODE.

## aka.bugle

Help.... !!

  This is an older Compaq Tablet... TC1000 that I'm trying to get the kernel updated on (wiped the hard drive... (starting fresh!)

 *Quote:*   

> 00:00.0 Host bridge: Transmeta Corporation LongRun Northbridge (rev 03)
> 
> 00:00.1 RAM memory: Transmeta Corporation SDRAM controller
> 
> 00:00.2 RAM memory: Transmeta Corporation BIOS scratchpad
> ...

 

I can boot fine... (using a vesa framebuffer ) but when I set a test kernel up as a second boot option in grub... it boots fine,BUT the screen looks 

like a Giant Barcode!     I can shh into  the tablet, and every thing is hunky dory as far as a basic install (no X yet) ... I can plug an external monitor

in and the screen is fine  (1024x768 true colour...)

my grub.conf...

 *Quote:*   

> # If you are not using Genkernel and you need help creating this file, you
> 
> # should consult the handbook. Alternatively, consult the grub.conf.sample that
> 
> # is included with the Grub documentation.
> ...

 

       and here's a section of the boot log from booting the nouveau/kms kernel...

 *Quote:*   

> Apr 19 22:09:46 [kernel] [   12.943660] input: Video Bus as /devices/LNXSYSTM:00/LNXSYBUS:00/PNP0A03:00/LNXVIDEO:00/input/input5
> 
> Apr 19 22:09:46 [kernel] [   13.160868] nouveau  [  DEVICE][0000:00:05.0] BOOT0  : 0x011200b2
> 
> Apr 19 22:09:46 [kernel] [   13.160909] nouveau  [  DEVICE][0000:00:05.0] Chipset: NV11 (NV11)
> ...

 

I'm  unclear on how to post my kernel config. I saved the last config, but I'm not sure if its the Nouveau/KMS version... Are these saved everytime I make changes?

I was using nvidia-drivers- 96.43  on the last build a few years back... but Its looking like I have to use an older xorg-server to maintain that version driver.

   AnyBody?Last edited by aka.bugle on Mon Apr 29, 2013 8:32 pm; edited 1 time in total

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## wcg

You can use a pastebin site to post the kernel .config, etc. This one

works: http://pastebin.ca/

I do not know what site(s) wgetpaste uses.

The fact that it works with an external monitor plugged in and

not with the laptop's built-in monitor is suspicous. I would suspect

a quirk rather than some blatant kernel misconfiguration.

What's different? Different EDID information maybe.

make menuconfig saves the configuration in /usr/src/linux/.config when

you exit, saving the old .config in .config.old. Each time you run

make menuconfig and save changes, though, it overwrites the

previous .config.old. So you only have the current .config and

the previous one unless you save your own copies somewhere

each time after you exit menuconfig. (I save two copies, one in

/boot/ tagged with the kernel version and date, and another in

the kernel source directory tagged with the date and usually

some abbreviated keywords to identify it to myself, like

"config.USB-wifi-no-raid_2012_03_16", for example, which

would differentiate it from a .config with raid support, one without

USB support, or one without wifi support for the same kernel version.

I do not need the kernel version in the filename for the copy in

the source tree for that kernel, the kernel version is in the directory

name where the file is found.)

(I have not used nouveau on old laptops with early nvidia chips,

so I have no idea about the quirk.)

----------

## chithanh

```
 video=VGA-1:1024x768 nouveau.nofb$ 
```

It seems that your kernel command line in grub got truncated.

You specify video= parameter for VGA-1, what happens if you do this for your internal panel too?

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## salahx

The video chip is very old (NV11) and only 16MB of video ram (one of my comptuers has the same chipset, but twice as much video ram, framebuffer works, X doesn't unless acceleration is disabled). I recommending adding "nouveau.noaccel=1" to the kernel command line and and see if that helps.

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## aka.bugle

 *wcg wrote:*   

> You can use a pastebin site to post the kernel .config, etc. This one
> 
> works: http://pastebin.ca/
> 
> I do not know what site(s) wgetpaste uses.
> ...

 

  @ wcg...Thank you for those tips !  

these kernel lines are troubling to me... 

 *Quote:*   

> Apr 19 22:09:46 [kernel] [ 13.834207] nouveau [ VBIOS][0000:00:05.0] ... checksum invalid 
> 
> Apr 19 22:09:46 [kernel] [ 13.834245] nouveau [ VBIOS][0000:00:05.0] checking PROM for image... 
> 
> Apr 19 22:09:46 [kernel] [ 13.834931] nouveau [ VBIOS][0000:00:05.0] ... signature not found 
> ...

 

then these!   

 *Quote:*   

> Apr 19 22:09:46 [kernel] [ 1.705527] ACPI: Invalid Power Resource to register!  
> 
> Apr 19 22:09:46 [kernel] [ 15.251894] Console: switching to colour frame buffer device 128x48 
> 
> Apr 19 22:09:46 [kernel] [ 15.273229] fb0: nouveaufb frame buffer device 
> ...

 

@ salahx...  I've got nouveau.nofbaccel-1   (not much I can do about the memory   :Wink:  ) 

@ chithanh...  is VGA-1 not the internal panel?  if not... would it be VGA-0?

 *Quote:*   

> title Gentoo Linux Nouveau-KMS kernel 3.7.10
> 
> root (hd0,0)
> 
> kernel /boot/bugle-nouveau-3.7.10-gentoo root=/dev/sda3 net.ifnames=0 nouveau.modeset=1 video=VGA-1:1024x768 nouveau.nofbaccel=1
> ...

 

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## chithanh

VGA-1 is the external monitor.

Internal panel is something with LVDS, see /sys/class/drm/card0/ and read http://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/KernelModeSetting for details.

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## aka.bugle

 *chithanh wrote:*   

> VGA-1 is the external monitor.
> 
> Internal panel is something with LVDS, see /sys/class/drm/card0/ and read http://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/KernelModeSetting for details.

 

gotcha... thanks... will do.

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## aka.bugle

well... no joy yet... tried this grub.conf after reading the Mode setting doc...  still have BARCODE screen   :Sad: 

 *Quote:*   

> default 0
> 
> timeout 30
> 
> splashimage=(hd0,0)/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz
> ...

 

 Is it possible I have to emerge xorg-server to bring in a necessary nouveau dependency for the console framebuffer?

    Seems crazy to me that simple vesafb can find and display this tablet screen, yet nouveau gets confused...  

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## Gusar

 *aka.bugle wrote:*   

> Seems crazy to me that simple vesafb can find and display this tablet screen, yet nouveau gets confused...

 

There's nothing crazy about it: vesafb is plain dumb, nouveau actually tries to use the GPU. Which means vesafb will show you something, but it won't be accelerated, only limited resolutions are available, there's no xv for video playback, etc, etc.

At this point, I'd suggest you go with the proprietary nvidia driver. You need xorg-server-1.12 (not a problem, it's in portage) and kernel 3.4. It's possible to use later kernels if you patch the driver (patches somewhere in bugzilla), but going with 3.4 is much simpler, and it's a LTS kernel so it'll be supported for a while.

You could also file a bug report to the nouveau devs, a driver won't fix itself, only if the devs know about a problem is there a possibility of fixing it.

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## Ant P.

 *aka.bugle wrote:*   

> well... no joy yet... tried this grub.conf after reading the Mode setting doc...  still have BARCODE screen  :( 
> 
>  *Quote:*   default 0
> 
> timeout 30
> ...

 

It may help to use a correct modeline, what you have there is a syntax error:

```
video=LVDS-1:1024x768M-32@60
```

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## aka.bugle

Well... hmmm.

I did file a bug  ... although it didn't quite feel the right place as I haven't even emerged X on the machine yet.

https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=63790

I've never gone backwards in kernel versions before... hmmmm. I've seen tutorials on upgrading kernels, but not downgrading... Looks like I need to do a bit more studying on what can be done w/ nvidia-drivers-96.43... Just looking for a stable X (Its never gonna be fast on this tablet, but I love the old guy.)

I've patched inner tubes for decades..  never a driver.. ( but getting nouveau running seems like a hole I can't handle alone)

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## aka.bugle

 *Ant P. wrote:*   

> 
> 
> It may help to use a correct modeline, what you have there is a syntax error:
> 
> ```
> ...

 

Thanks for that Ant P.      ...  that wasn't it ...   :Embarassed:  [/quote]

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## aka.bugle

I've done a bit more studying... Probably shouldn't downgrade my kernel (I'm using 3.7.10  and ext4 file system on root) I'm not sure how to downgrade the kernal any way... this is a new build, so if I have to go that route... would I mask >=gentoo-sources-3.7.10  and portage would bring in the next lower stable version?  (3.4.34).... is ext4 file system stable in that kernel?

Anywaaayyyyyy.....

First  I'd like to try to patch nvidia-drivers-96.43.23   to build with this current kernel ( 3.7.10  

 I think    :Confused:    this is the patch to get  n'd'96.43.23  to build in my current kernel...

https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/nvidia-96xx/

 or this?

https://447566.bugs.gentoo.org/attachment.cgi?id=339470

any kind wisdom here?

should I follow this example...?

http://devmanual.gentoo.org/ebuild-writing/functions/src_prepare/epatch/

or this... further down...

http://www.gentoo-wiki.info/HOWTO_Create_an_Updated_Ebuild

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## aka.bugle

I've solved this the long way.... I've got Nouveau and KMS running on Kernel 3.4.34   I have a Gnome Minimal install running also.

Thank you everyone for the advise and tips... 

  I think I may have a bigger hurdle getting the Touch screen going as developement of the fpit drivers are quite minimal.  I may just have to use an old version of Ubuntu to get the stylus working.   :Shocked: 

   I had EVERYTHING dialed in in gentoo 2.6  ... But it just seems there's no going back in Gentoo. (so much good hardware out here, no longer supported)

    Touching the screen with the pen just shuts down The X server... 4 days of seraching, trying different things, but no luck yet... I have a great driver that worked in kernel 2.6 an X server 1.4... but the API has changed in X, and I don't know C.  driver won't compile. The developer no longer is maintaining the package.     STRUGGLE!

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## wcg

I have used nouveau without video problems with kernel 2.6.38 (vanilla),

3.2.12 (gentoo-sources), 3.3.8 (gentoo), 3.5.7 (gentoo), and 3.7.10 (gentoo),

but I did not have exotic hardware: geforce6150se, g86, and gt218 nvidia gpus.

I did not need nouveau.modeset kernel parameter, nor even a connector

specification in "video=", only resolution, bit depth, and refresh rate

for the nouveau framebuffer.  A vga-capable monitor is hooked up

to the default vga connector, and nouveau simply checks there first and

finds it at boot.

The acpi message may mean that suspend, etc, is a no-go with that device,

without some device-specific workaround (that knows how that device has

to be powered down and back up at resume).

Many times kernel error messages do not reflect permanent failure,

the device driver reporting the error tries an alternate method to configure

the hardware, and that works.

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