Latest working kernel version:Unknown Earliest failing kernel version: At least 2.6.17 Distribution:Mandriva 2007.1-2008.1 Hardware Environment:Panasonic toughbook W7 Software Environment:Mandriva 2008.1 installation Problem Description: When I try to install Mandriva 2008.1 onto a Panasonic Toughbook W7 after intial splash sceen ( which displays presumably because it uses the bios) and the loading of the kernel, the screen goes blank. This seems to be because the kernel is unable to actually display any of the text in the VGA console mode onto the screen. If I make menu choices blindly, the DVD disk is read. When I used the MCNLinux Toronto ( based on the Mandriva 2007.1 with the 2.6.17 kernel) after the kernel loads I see nothing until finally X is started and it displays fine. If I do alt-ctrl-F1 (or F2 or ..) ( which should open a console screen) I again see nothing. This makes me think strongly that the problem is taht somehow the console VGA driver within the kernel is not working, although the xorg video card works fine (since X displays without problem). Of course not having the VGA console output makes it impossible to actually install Mandriva or any Linux onto the system. The Panasonic toughbook line has been wonderful with Linux, until the W7. Perhaps there are some kernel options I could try, to see where the problem lies, but have no idea what they might be (I tried to remove the vga=788 kernel option but that made no difference, nor did putting in vga=normal) How in the world can bog standard VGA not work? Steps to reproduce: See above.
Reply-To: akpm@linux-foundation.org (switched to email. Please respond via emailed reply-to-all, not via the bugzilla web interface). On Thu, 25 Dec 2008 19:22:25 -0800 (PST) bugme-daemon@bugzilla.kernel.org wrote: > http://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=12300 > > Summary: The VGA console driver does not work with the Panasonic > W7 (Intel 965 video) > Product: Drivers > Version: 2.5 > KernelVersion: 2.6.24.4 > Platform: All > OS/Version: Linux > Tree: Mainline > Status: NEW > Severity: blocking > Priority: P1 > Component: Console/Framebuffers > AssignedTo: jsimmons@infradead.org > ReportedBy: unruh@physics.ubc.ca > > > Latest working kernel version:Unknown > Earliest failing kernel version: At least 2.6.17 > Distribution:Mandriva 2007.1-2008.1 > Hardware Environment:Panasonic toughbook W7 > Software Environment:Mandriva 2008.1 installation > Problem Description: > When I try to install Mandriva 2008.1 onto a Panasonic Toughbook W7 after > intial splash sceen ( which displays presumably because it uses the bios) and > the loading of the kernel, the screen goes blank. This seems to be because > the > kernel is unable to actually display any of the text in the VGA console mode > onto the screen. If I make menu choices blindly, the DVD disk is read. > > When I used the MCNLinux Toronto ( based on the Mandriva 2007.1 with the > 2.6.17 > kernel) after the kernel loads I see nothing until finally X is started and > it > displays fine. If I do alt-ctrl-F1 (or F2 or ..) ( which should open a > console > screen) I again see nothing. This makes me think strongly that the problem is > taht somehow the console VGA driver within the kernel is not working, > although > the xorg video card works fine (since X displays without problem). Of course > not having the VGA console output makes it impossible to actually install > Mandriva or any Linux onto the system. > The Panasonic toughbook line has been wonderful with Linux, until the W7. > > Perhaps there are some kernel options I could try, to see where the problem > lies, but have no idea what they might be (I tried to remove the vga=788 > kernel > option but that made no difference, nor did putting in vga=normal) > > How in the world can bog standard VGA not work? > > Steps to reproduce: See above.
It looks like the problem was with the standard vga=788 mode that at least mandriva uses. When managed to switch to text mode, and used vga=ask and chose the first mode , everything suddenly worked. It seems that Mandriva outsmarted themselves (well at least me) with their installation routine. Sorry about the alarm re the kernel itself. (and the console modes also now work-- alt-ctrl-F1-6). On Thu, 25 Dec 2008, Andrew Morton wrote: > > (switched to email. Please respond via emailed reply-to-all, not via the > bugzilla web interface). > > On Thu, 25 Dec 2008 19:22:25 -0800 (PST) bugme-daemon@bugzilla.kernel.org > wrote: > >> http://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=12300 >> >> Summary: The VGA console driver does not work with the Panasonic >> W7 (Intel 965 video) >> Product: Drivers >> Version: 2.5 >> KernelVersion: 2.6.24.4 >> Platform: All >> OS/Version: Linux >> Tree: Mainline >> Status: NEW >> Severity: blocking >> Priority: P1 >> Component: Console/Framebuffers >> AssignedTo: jsimmons@infradead.org >> ReportedBy: unruh@physics.ubc.ca >> >> >> Latest working kernel version:Unknown >> Earliest failing kernel version: At least 2.6.17 >> Distribution:Mandriva 2007.1-2008.1 >> Hardware Environment:Panasonic toughbook W7 >> Software Environment:Mandriva 2008.1 installation >> Problem Description: >> When I try to install Mandriva 2008.1 onto a Panasonic Toughbook W7 after >> intial splash sceen ( which displays presumably because it uses the bios) >> and >> the loading of the kernel, the screen goes blank. This seems to be because >> the >> kernel is unable to actually display any of the text in the VGA console mode >> onto the screen. If I make menu choices blindly, the DVD disk is read. >> >> When I used the MCNLinux Toronto ( based on the Mandriva 2007.1 with the >> 2.6.17 >> kernel) after the kernel loads I see nothing until finally X is started and >> it >> displays fine. If I do alt-ctrl-F1 (or F2 or ..) ( which should open a >> console >> screen) I again see nothing. This makes me think strongly that the problem >> is >> taht somehow the console VGA driver within the kernel is not working, >> although >> the xorg video card works fine (since X displays without problem). Of course >> not having the VGA console output makes it impossible to actually install >> Mandriva or any Linux onto the system. >> The Panasonic toughbook line has been wonderful with Linux, until the W7. >> >> Perhaps there are some kernel options I could try, to see where the problem >> lies, but have no idea what they might be (I tried to remove the vga=788 >> kernel >> option but that made no difference, nor did putting in vga=normal) >> >> How in the world can bog standard VGA not work? >> >> Steps to reproduce: See above. >
I have now used the vga=ask kernel parameter and tried a large fraction of the VESA modes and the VGA modes listed. (7 VGA modes F00-F03 F05-7 and 9 VESA modes 305 307 318 312 314 315 301 303 311) . None of the VESA modes I tried worked . All of the VGA modes I tried work. By work I mean display anything after the mode is selected In the VESA modes the screen is simply blank.-- no cursor, no nothing. In the VGA modes, text appears, scrolling by (various kernel reports during the startup). Ie, the kernel's handling of the VESA modes on this system do not seem to work at all. I have no idea if the fault lies within the kernel or whether Mandriva did something to the kernel. Note again that the xorg drivers work fine, as X works and displays. On Thu, 25 Dec 2008, Andrew Morton wrote: > > (switched to email. Please respond via emailed reply-to-all, not via the > bugzilla web interface). > > On Thu, 25 Dec 2008 19:22:25 -0800 (PST) bugme-daemon@bugzilla.kernel.org > wrote: > >> http://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=12300 >> >> Summary: The VGA console driver does not work with the Panasonic >> W7 (Intel 965 video) >> Product: Drivers >> Version: 2.5 >> KernelVersion: 2.6.24.4 >> Platform: All >> OS/Version: Linux >> Tree: Mainline >> Status: NEW >> Severity: blocking >> Priority: P1 >> Component: Console/Framebuffers >> AssignedTo: jsimmons@infradead.org >> ReportedBy: unruh@physics.ubc.ca >> >> >> Latest working kernel version:Unknown >> Earliest failing kernel version: At least 2.6.17 >> Distribution:Mandriva 2007.1-2008.1 >> Hardware Environment:Panasonic toughbook W7 >> Software Environment:Mandriva 2008.1 installation >> Problem Description: >> When I try to install Mandriva 2008.1 onto a Panasonic Toughbook W7 after >> intial splash sceen ( which displays presumably because it uses the bios) >> and >> the loading of the kernel, the screen goes blank. This seems to be because >> the >> kernel is unable to actually display any of the text in the VGA console mode >> onto the screen. If I make menu choices blindly, the DVD disk is read. >> >> When I used the MCNLinux Toronto ( based on the Mandriva 2007.1 with the >> 2.6.17 >> kernel) after the kernel loads I see nothing until finally X is started and >> it >> displays fine. If I do alt-ctrl-F1 (or F2 or ..) ( which should open a >> console >> screen) I again see nothing. This makes me think strongly that the problem >> is >> taht somehow the console VGA driver within the kernel is not working, >> although >> the xorg video card works fine (since X displays without problem). Of course >> not having the VGA console output makes it impossible to actually install >> Mandriva or any Linux onto the system. >> The Panasonic toughbook line has been wonderful with Linux, until the W7. >> >> Perhaps there are some kernel options I could try, to see where the problem >> lies, but have no idea what they might be (I tried to remove the vga=788 >> kernel >> option but that made no difference, nor did putting in vga=normal) >> >> How in the world can bog standard VGA not work? >> >> Steps to reproduce: See above. >
Could also be the BIOS handling. Not enough info to do anything about it
Is there any other information that would be helpful? I have given you all the info I have. What would you need?