Lucid frequently crashes while starting gdm on Averatec 3280

This still happens with Lucid alpha-2 updated through today, but not always.

I think that this may not be a problem with the driver itself, but with timing related to the upstart scripts in /etc/init/ .

If I start the system in recovery mode, log in as root, and run the script

 #!/bin/sh
 echo start some services like the ssh daemon and apache
 service ssh start
 service apache2 start
 echo start X
 service gdm start

then gdm always starts.

Note that Bug #945553 mentions this problem.

In the past, when a similar problem occurred, I could change the order in which gdm started from /init/rc2.d, relative to other daemons, but I don't know how to do this with the new upstart scripts.

This is still happening on my Averatec 3280, somewhat at random.

This may be related to bug #497299, but there is some doubt in my mine.
For one thing, I have
$ cat /etc/network/interfaces
auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

Also, there seem to be problems specific to the display driver. In several Xorg.n.log files I see

(II) Loading extension DRI2
(II) LoadModule: "viafb"
(WW) Warning, couldn't open module viafb
(II) UnloadModule: "viafb"
(EE) Failed to load module "viafb" (module does not exist, 0)
(EE) No drivers available.

There are several Xorg.n.log* files showing this termination.

On the other hand, when startup is successful, I see, using "lspci -k":

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. K8M800/K8N800/K8N800A [S3 UniChrome Pro] (rev 01)
 Kernel driver in use: viafb
 Kernel modules: viafb

Also, when I start up successfully, there is no mention of viafb in the Xorg.0.log file.

On my most recent attempt, I booted successfully.

I've appended the Xorg logs, showing both successful and unsuccessful starts.

There are further attachments ...

Some current versions:

   upstart/lucid uptodate 0.6.3-11build1
   xserver-xorg-video-openchrome/lucid uptodate
     0.6.3-11build1

I'm not sure if earlier versions than the above upstart will work with lucid. (The 0.6.3.10 version is suggested in #497299, but that was apparently for Karmic).

I just executed this (running after the current successful boot):

# initctl list
alsa-mixer-save stop/waiting
avahi-daemon start/running, process 985
mountall-net stop/waiting
rc stop/waiting
rsyslog start/running, process 961
tty4 start/running, process 1171
udev start/running, process 600
upstart-udev-bridge start/running, process 579
ureadahead-other stop/waiting
apport start/running
hwclock-save stop/waiting
plymouth-log stop/waiting
tty5 start/running, process 1174
atd start/running, process 1218
dbus start/running, process 967
failsafe-x stop/waiting
plymouth stop/waiting
ssh start/running, process 962
control-alt-delete stop/waiting
hwclock stop/waiting
network-manager start/running, process 981
usplash stop/waiting
module-init-tools stop/waiting
cron start/running, process 1217
gdm start/running, process 975
mountall stop/waiting
acpid start/running, process 1192
rcS stop/waiting
ufw start/running
mounted-varrun stop/waiting
rc-sysinit stop/waiting
anacron stop/waiting
tty2 start/running, process 1182
udevtrigger stop/waiting
mounted-dev stop/waiting
rsyslog-kmsg start/running, process 956
tty3 start/running, process 1184
udev-finish stop/waiting
hostname stop/waiting
mountall-reboot stop/waiting
mysql start/running, process 952
mountall-shell stop/waiting
mounted-tmp stop/waiting
network-interface (lo) start/running
network-interface (eth0) start/running
network-interface (wlan0) start/running
tty1 start/running, process 1494
udevmonitor stop/waiting
dmesg stop/waiting
network-interface-security start/running
networking stop/waiting
procps stop/waiting
tty6 start/running, process 1188
ureadahead stop/waiting

Note that tty consoles are unusable - see Bug #495553 - a colored pattern is displayed for tt1 through tty6, but Alt-F7 switches properly back to Gnome.

Currently eth0 is configured with a static IP and route with network manager.

Same problem here

#uname -a
Linux brainless 2.6.32-12-generic #16-Ubuntu SMP Thu Jan 28 07:47:05 UTC 2010 x86_64 GNU/Linux

#initctl list
alsa-mixer-save stop/waiting
avahi-daemon start/running, process 1236
mountall-net stop/waiting
rc stop/waiting
tty4 start/running, process 1542
udev start/running, process 720
upstart-udev-bridge start/running, process 679
apport start/running
hwclock-save stop/waiting
plymouth-log stop/waiting
tty5 start/running, process 1544
atd start/running, process 1556
dbus start/running, process 1229
failsafe-x stop/waiting
plymouth stop/waiting
ssh stop/waiting
control-alt-delete stop/waiting
hwclock stop/waiting
network-manager start/running, process 1234
module-init-tools stop/waiting
gdm stop/waiting
mountall stop/waiting
acpid start/running, process 1554
rcS stop/waiting
ufw start/running
mounted-varrun stop/waiting
rc-sysinit stop/waiting
anacron stop/waiting
tty2 start/running, process 1549
udevtrigger stop/waiting
mounted-dev stop/waiting
tty3 start/running, process 1550
udev-finish stop/waiting
hostname stop/waiting
mountall-reboot stop/waiting
mysql start/running, process 1133
mountall-shell stop/waiting
mounted-tmp stop/waiting
network-interface (lo) start/running
network-interface (pan0) start/running
network-interface (eth0) start/pre-start, process 867
network-interface (wlan0) start/running
tty1 start/running, process 2500
udevmonitor stop/waiting
network-interface-security start/running
networking stop/waiting
procps stop/waiting
tty6 start/running, process 1551
bootchart stop/waiting

For example ssh is not starting at boot... have to start it manually.

I can not boot the distro normally, need to go in rescue mode and hit resume...
Sometimes it evens does not start at all, hanging looking for /boot partition like if it could not read the masterblock or something... I have to reboot to make it work.

nicobrainless - what kind of computer do you have?

It's an Asus MSI PR-201 barebone laptop.

#lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Memory Controller Hub (rev 07)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 07)
00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 07)
00:1a.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #4 (rev 03)
00:1a.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #5 (rev 03)
00:1a.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #2 (rev 03)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) HD Audio Controller (rev 03)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 1 (rev 03)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 2 (rev 03)
00:1c.2 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 3 (rev 03)
00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 03)
00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 03)
00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 03)
00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #1 (rev 03)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev 93)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation ICH9M LPC Interface Controller (rev 03)
00:1f.2 IDE interface: Intel Corporation ICH9M/M-E 2 port SATA IDE Controller (rev 03)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) SMBus Controller (rev 03)
00:1f.5 IDE interface: Intel Corporation ICH9M/M-E 2 port SATA IDE Controller (rev 03)
04:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller (rev 02)
05:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 5300 AGN [Shiloh] Network Connection

If you see mouse pointers, this is not an upstart problem but an X server issue

The situation is still: If I start up in recovery (text) mode, I can use the script in comment #2 to start gdm and a couple of other daemons that I want. In this case, I can log in and run normally.

However, if I try to start normally, I get to the login screen (a bit farther that I was getting earlier, when I first filed this bug), and the system hangs while I am trying to log in - sometimes I can get to starting to enter my password, sometimes not quite so far.

So the question is, why are these situations different? What has been started at the login time in one case but not the other, for example?

Same problem here, but only on my Laptop (MSI VR201) with intel graphics (x3100).
I don't have the "not-working-at-all" problem mentioned by nicobrainless, though.

I can also start by resuming normal boot in recovery mode and then starting the deamons i need from commandline.

I do not however see the login screen sometimes as described by Peter Belew on 5th of feb., but the login sound is played.

I also find, that the problem usually doesn't occur in the first reboot after an update, but I don't know wether this is just coincidental.

Another question to me is - cause Scott J. Remnant wrote it could be an x-server issue - if it could have something to do with intel graphics, as i can't enable visual effects either and was able to do so before installing lucid. Addiotionally the problem doesn't occur on my desktop, which uses nvidia graphics.

See also my bug #495553 for the latest startup behavior on my Averatec 3280. This includes a list of installed modules as of this morning.

Somehow installing compiz "solved" the weird startup behaviour.
I know, this is not a real solution, but I guess compiz changed the startup order in a way.

I did not yet test removing compiz again, though, to see if the problem is reproducable.

The latest version of compiz is in fact installed on my Averatec laptop.

On Thu, Feb 11, 2010 at 12:56 PM, Erik <email address hidden> wrote:
> Somehow installing compiz "solved" the weird startup behaviour.
> I know, this is not a real solution, but I guess compiz changed the startup order in a way.
>
> I did not yet test removing compiz again, though, to see if the problem
> is reproducable.
>

--
It's completely normal that you lose data on "Windows" platforms.
That's why you have a UNIX or Linux or BSD server for backups.

SMAUG: http://scruz.org/
My Web:http://littlegreenmen.armory.com/~peterbe/
UBUNTU 10.04 LTS April 2010
  https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LucidLynx

This is still happening as of Mon Feb 15 07:50:22 PST 2010 on my Averatec 3280

This is still happening as of Thu Feb 18 07:44:20 PST 2010 (Thu Feb 18 15:44:17 UTC 2010)

This has not happened for some time on my Averatec 3280 laptop. There is still a problem during startup: sometimes a clouded image partially obscures the screen during startup, but eventually X will start up, subject to some problems which are still happening (see Bug #495553 for that). (This under Lucid beta-1 updated as of 2010-03-21)

Hi Peter.
Does the latest kernel resolve this problem with start gdm?

Hi Bartosz - I'm not seeing the 'clouded image' problem (#17) any more, but the problems noted in Bug #495553 still remain. This includes the startup problem with the recent daily-build live CDs - where the system tries to auto-login and keeps failing and showing the login dialog.

This is not fixed still - I just tried it again - see my comment on #545367.

Actually the behavior is not quite as originally described above. The system gets past the Welcome screen, where the user can select a language and either do a live test or install the system. If I click on the 'try ubuntu' choice, it tries to log in - the screen goes blank, then the colored login screen background appears, and the system tries to automatically log in the first time. Then the screen goes blank, and then a login dialog appears. If I login as ubuntu with a blank password, it seems to accept that, but after several seconds the login fails, with no message, and the screen goes blank for a few seconds, then a login appears yet again - and on and on ....

I can install Lucid from scratch using the alternate install CD, however - I just did that today, completely overwriting the Karmic and Lucid installations on the computer.

Same problem on laptop Fujitsu Siemens Amilo L7310GW
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7LYpxwaOtM