Plymouth attemps to use video resolutions that HP DL165 G5 LO100i frame buffer does not support

Bug #605481 reported by nutznboltz
12
This bug affects 2 people
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
linux (Ubuntu)
Expired
Undecided
Unassigned

Bug Description

Binary package hint: plymouth

The LO100i ("Lights Out") is a remote console solution from HP (via Compaq) Proliant servers.

The LO100i features a java KVM (Keyboard/Video/Mouse) switch emulator. The KVM switch emulator only supports certain video resolutions. Even if you configure grub2 with "fb=0" or "gfxmode=640x480" Plymouth comes along and sets a resolution that results in an unreadable display.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: plymouth 0.8.2-2ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-23.37-generic 2.6.32.15+drm33.5
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-23-generic x86_64
Architecture: amd64
Date: Wed Jul 14 11:47:28 2010
DefaultPlymouth: Error: command ['readlink', '/etc/alternatives/default.plymouth'] failed with exit code 1:
Lsusb:
 Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
 Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
 Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0000:0000
 Bus 001 Device 002: ID 04b4:6560 Cypress Semiconductor Corp. CY7C65640 USB-2.0 "TetraHub"
 Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
MachineType: HP ProLiant DL165 G5
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-23-generic root=/dev/mapper/rootvg-rootlv ro console=ttyS0,9600n8 quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcFB: 0 VGA16 VGA
SourcePackage: plymouth
TextPlymouth: /lib/plymouth/themes/ubuntu-text/ubuntu-text.plymouth
dmi.bios.date: 11/03/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: HP
dmi.bios.version: O13
dmi.chassis.type: 23
dmi.chassis.vendor: HP
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnHP:bvrO13:bd11/03/2009:svnHP:pnProLiantDL165G5:pvr:cvnHP:ct23:cvr:
dmi.product.name: ProLiant DL165 G5
dmi.sys.vendor: HP

Revision history for this message
nutznboltz (nutznboltz-deactivatedaccount) wrote :
Revision history for this message
Steve Langasek (vorlon) wrote :

plymouth doesn't set resolutions; the resolution comes from the kernel. Reassigning.

affects: plymouth (Ubuntu) → linux (Ubuntu)
Revision history for this message
nutznboltz (nutznboltz-deactivatedaccount) wrote :

Are there kernel options to try that would work around this?

When I used the defaults in grub2 the display is scrambled from the time the system firmware finishes. No readable messages are displayed after the last firmware message.

When I used "fb=0" or "gfxmode=640x480" kernel messages as readable text appear for an interval of time after the firmware completes. Before the login prompt appears the display resolution is changed to an incompatible one.

Thanks

Revision history for this message
nutznboltz (nutznboltz-deactivatedaccount) wrote :

Uncommenting "GRUB_TERMINAL=console" in /etc/default/grub and then running "update-grub" does not improve this issue.

Revision history for this message
nutznboltz (nutznboltz-deactivatedaccount) wrote :

Uncommenting "GRUB_TERMINAL=console" in /etc/default/grub and then running "update-grub" and then running "update-initramfs -u" does not improve this issue.

Revision history for this message
nutznboltz (nutznboltz-deactivatedaccount) wrote :

I activated the serial console while leaving the KVM switch emulator running side-by-side. The video resolution on the KVM switch emulator display changed when

Begin: Running /scripts/local-bottom ...
Done.
Done.
Begin: Running /scripts/init-bottom ...
Done.

was displayed on the serial console.

Revision history for this message
nutznboltz (nutznboltz-deactivatedaccount) wrote :

System boots from md so it requires /etc/initramfs-tools/initramfs.conf to contain "MODULES=most" or you get

mkinitramfs: missing md root /dev/mapper/rootvg-rootlv /sys entry
mkinitramfs: workaround is MODULES=most
mkinitramfs: Error please report the bug

so adding fbcon and vgafb16 to blacklist.conf will not work.

Revision history for this message
nutznboltz (nutznboltz-deactivatedaccount) wrote :

alias fbcon off FTW

$ cat /etc/modprobe.d/inhibit-fbcon.conf
alias fbcon off

then run:

update-initramfs -u
update-grub

Revision history for this message
nutznboltz (nutznboltz-deactivatedaccount) wrote :

The alternate and server installation media have no work-around for systems where the fbcon, etc modules wreck the display.

Revision history for this message
Jeremy Foshee (jeremyfoshee) wrote :

Hi nutznboltz,

If you could also please test the latest upstream kernel available that would be great. It will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue. Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please remove the 'needs-upstream-testing' tag. This can be done by clicking on the yellow pencil icon next to the tag located at the bottom of the bug description and deleting the 'needs-upstream-testing' text. Please let us know your results.

Thanks in advance.

    [This is an automated message. Apologies if it has reached you inappropriately; please just reply to this message indicating so.]

tags: added: needs-upstream-testing
tags: added: kj-triage
Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
status: New → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
nutznboltz (nutznboltz-deactivatedaccount) wrote :

Alternate work-around:

LABEL install
        kernel ubuntu/x86_64/lucid/ubuntu-installer/amd64/linux
        append initrd=ubuntu/x86_64/lucid/ubuntu-installer/amd64/initrd.gz -- console=ttyS0,9600n8 console=tty0 vga=normal nomodeset noacpi nosplash nofb fb=false

Revision history for this message
Jeremy Foshee (jeremyfoshee) wrote :

This bug report was marked as Incomplete and has not had any updated comments for quite some time. As a result this bug is being closed. Please reopen if this is still an issue in the current Ubuntu development release http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/ . Also, please be sure to provide any requested information that may have been missing. To reopen the bug, click on the current status under the Status column and change the status back to "New". Thanks.

[This is an automated message. Apologies if it has reached you inappropriately; please just reply to this message indicating so.]

tags: added: kj-expired
Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
status: Incomplete → Expired
Revision history for this message
Sergey Svishchev (svs) wrote :

In 10.04.1, working workaround is: "vga16fb.modeset=0" (found it on ubuntuforums)

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