Distribution: Gentoo Hardware Environment: IBM Thinkpad T30 model 2366 with Radeon Mobility 7500 Software Environment: Problem Description: I place my thinkpad in a port replicator with a digital video output to a flat screen. It works fine if I build the kernel without framebuffer, but if I build with framebuffer (radeonfb) then the output goes to the internal screen instead. If I build radeonfb as a module, then output switches to the internal screen when the module is loaded. I see it in the following kernel versions: 2.6.10, 2.6.11-rc2, 2.6.11-rc2-mm2 Strangely, if I apply the "Another whitelist patch with command line option for forcing" from bug 3022 to the 2.6.11-rc2-mm1 kernel, then the external screen works fine - until X starts at which point I get a black screen and a locked-up keyboard. Steps to reproduce:
Created attachment 4497 [details] /usr/src/linux-2.6.11-rc2/.config
I had forgotten to save the output of dmesg, so I booted back into the 2.6.11-rc2 kernel to produce it. But this time everything worked. I tried a few times without problems, and considering that it had failed several times earlier today, I am deeply mystified. But since I cannot be 100% sure that I did not do something wrong previously, I guess that I can only withdraw my bug report. I'll reopen it if I get any reproducible data.
I reopen this bug because it looks like it is a real problem, it is just not 100% reproducible. In most cases, when I boot a 2.6.11-rc4 kernel with radeonfb frame buffer enabled, the output goes to the build-in screen instead of the external screen attached to the docking station. See the description above. It looks like in a few cases (including the day I closed my bug as invalid) it works, but it is not reproducible, and I cannot figure out why it in rare cases work. It unfortunately makes the framebuffer unusable,for me, since I use an external display at work. I'll attach dmesg output and .config, and will be happy to provide any other info.
Created attachment 4589 [details] /usr/src/linux-2.6.11-rc4/.config
Created attachment 4590 [details] dmesg output. dmesg output from when I booted the 2.6.11-rc4 kernel with an external display attached through the port replicator. The output from the BIOS and grub went to the external display, but once the kernel started booting output switched to the internal display.
It appears to be related to the resolution. The built-in display is 1400x1050 and the external display is 1280x1024. The framebuffer should choose the latter resolution when the external display is attached, but apparently does not (at least not consistently). If I force the framebuffer to use 1024x768 then it works fine on both screens, so that is a working workaround. Given that there is a workaround, this no longer deserves to be a high-severity bug.
That's usually the problem with dual-displays, you have to know what is the least common denominator which, in your case, is the display with the lower maximum resolution. We don't have any definite support yet for dual heads/dual displays, so I'll defer this bug.
Any new status on this problem? Has it been fixed? Thanks.
I unfortunately no longer have the affected laptop, so I am unable to test if it works in newer kernels. Probably the bug should be closed.