Latest working kernel version: 2.6.19 Earliest failing kernel version: No idea Distribution: Debian Lenny Hardware Environment: Athlon X2 5600, Asus m2m32ws prof, 4GB, HD4580 gfx Software Environment: Problem Description: I habe a new Club 3D ATI HD4850 (OC edition), that refuses to activate VESA mode. I don't get an error message, it just hangs forever with x.org 7.2 "vesa" driver. Also no boot time logo or in fact text output when compliling for framebuffer and seting vga=<anything> in the mode question. Reboot with CTRL-ALD-DEL still works, which is nice. The strange thing is that it worked for 2 days or so and then stopped, despite no updates to the Linux installation that I can recall. (I also run XP on this machine, if the Windows driver can screw the card up so that even removal and re-instertion does not help, that may be the source of the problem...). I tried with the lates non DVD Knoppix, and it works. That is Kernel 2.6.19. Unfortunately I cannot compile a kernel this old on Lenny (dome linking error at the end). I downloaded all the Changelogs between 2.6.19 and 2.4.27.4 and looked for "VESA", but could not identify a change that is likely to have caused this problem. Any advice as which kernels I should try? Any debugging advice? Side note: The ATI drivers do not work with 2.6.27.* either, and I rather would not use them anyways. Steps to reproduce: Compile kernel with VESA framebuffer support, see system not display any text after switching to VESA mode. Not hang, as rebooting still works, just no display. Also see hanging forever with x.org 7.2 VESA driver.
eww, ugly. How can something work for two days then magically stop? Perhaps some mysterious hardware failure? The best I can suggest wold be a git bisection search (http://www.kernel.org/doc/local/git-quick.html), which will be fairly painful.
Yes, I am quite surprised at this behaviour myself. By now I would agree this could be some obscure hardware problem that does not manifest istelf under XP. Still, with 2.6.19 it works. Some small checking revealed that the oldest kernel I can compile iwith Lenny s 2.6.24.x and there VESA does not work. Anyways, I have the old card in the PC again, this is not urgent at all for me now. Downgrde it to low and leave it here in case somebody else runs into this problem?
My old videocard died (8800GTS, likely the bonding-solder problem that Nvidia has, mostly manifested in laptops so far), and I had to install the 4850 again. Could not get VESA in Windows XP either (and hence could not install any drivers). Will RAM the card. So this is a) definitely not a Linux problem and b) likely a problem with this individual card. I am therefore closing the bug.