Blank screen on boot

**dick222** · 13-Nov-2010, 11:47

A surprising thing has happened! I have been happily using open suse 11.3 on an HP probook 4320s laptop. On reboot this morning, the screen starts out fine, but progressively fades into white and the boot does not seem to happen (at least there is no sound, since I cannot see anything). I am left with a completely white screen.

Things are fine with the failsafe mode.

Any clues on how to fix it?

**caf4926** · 13-Nov-2010, 12:16

Please try the Failsafe boot option
What happens?

**dick222** · 13-Nov-2010, 13:06

Hi,

The failsafe mode works fine.

**caf4926** · 13-Nov-2010, 13:42

My search suggests Intel Graphics, which if working, it seems unlikely to be not working now
Yet it seems to play out like a graphics issue
Sorry I missed seeing you mentioned Failsafe in your OP ;-)

Post the result of

Code:

/sbin/lspci -nnk

**dick222** · 13-Nov-2010, 16:06

Hi,
Thanks for your help! The output from your request from the failsafe mode (which is working) is below. Since I cannot boot normally, cannot get the response in those conditions. I have been thinking of trying an update installation, would this be of any value?
dick@linux-tq40:~> /sbin/lspci -nnk
00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation Core Processor DRAM Controller [8086:0044] (rev 02)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:1423]rom the failsa
Kernel driver in use: agpgart-intel
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:0046] (rev 02)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:1423]
00:16.0 Communication controller [0780]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset HECI Controller [8086:3b64] (rev 06)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:1423]
00:1a.0 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset USB2 Enhanced Host Controller [8086:3b3c] (rev 05)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:1423]
Kernel driver in use: ehci_hcd
00:1b.0 Audio device [0403]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset High Definition Audio [8086:3b56] (rev 05)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:1423]
Kernel driver in use: HDA Intel
00:1c.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 1 [8086:3b42] (rev 05)
Kernel driver in use: pcieport
00:1c.1 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 2 [8086:3b44] (rev 05)
Kernel driver in use: pcieport
00:1c.3 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 4 [8086:3b48] (rev 05)
Kernel driver in use: pcieport
00:1c.5 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 6 [8086:3b4c] (rev 05)
Kernel driver in use: pcieport
00:1d.0 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset USB2 Enhanced Host Controller [8086:3b34] (rev 05)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:1423]
Kernel driver in use: ehci_hcd
00:1e.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge [8086:2448] (rev a5)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge [0601]: Intel Corporation Mobile 5 Series Chipset LPC Interface Controller [8086:3b0b] (rev 05)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:1423]
00:1f.2 SATA controller [0106]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset 6 port SATA AHCI Controller [8086:3b2f] (rev 05)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:1423]
Kernel driver in use: ahci
00:1f.6 Signal processing controller [1180]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset Thermal Subsystem [8086:3b32] (rev 05)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:1423]
43:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Atheros Communications Inc. AR9285 Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express) [168c:002b] (rev 01)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:3040]
Kernel driver in use: ath9k
44:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller [10ec:8168] (rev 03)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:1423]
Kernel driver in use: r8169
ff:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation Core Processor QuickPath Architecture Generic Non-core Registers [8086:2c62] (rev 02)
Subsystem: Intel Corporation Device [8086:8086]
ff:00.1 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation Core Processor QuickPath Architecture System Address Decoder [8086:2d01] (rev 02)
Subsystem: Intel Corporation Device [8086:8086]
ff:02.0 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation Core Processor QPI Link 0 [8086:2d10] (rev 02)
Subsystem: Intel Corporation Device [8086:8086]
ff:02.1 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation Core Processor QPI Physical 0 [8086:2d11] (rev 02)
Subsystem: Intel Corporation Device [8086:8086]
ff:02.2 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation Core Processor Reserved [8086:2d12] (rev 02)
Subsystem: Intel Corporation Device [8086:8086]
ff:02.3 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation Core Processor Reserved [8086:2d13] (rev 02)
Subsystem: Intel Corporation Device [8086:8086]
dick@linux-tq40:~> /sbin/lspci -nnk/sbin/lspci -nnk

**caf4926** · 13-Nov-2010, 22:28

Somehow that doesn't look quite as I expected.
Generally things don't happen as you describe. I mean can you think if you had updated at the time and what they were. There is a log at /var/log/zypp/history

What did you originally install with? CD or DVD?
I take it - it worked fine originally?

Post the output of this

Code:

rpm -qa | grep kernel

Code:

uname -a

**dick222** · 14-Nov-2010, 01:42

Yes, it is a strange fault. I keep up with all updates and do not cancel any of them (through lack of understanding).
It was installed with a DVD of open SUSE 11.3 64 bit about two weeks ago (the laptop is new). Everything worked fine. I have a desktop using the SUSE installed with the same DVD and that is working well - I keep updated there too.

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The log shows latest update was several days before the fault occurred (13 Nov), but it did affect the kernel:

2010-11-11 08:24:16|install|fuse|2.8.5-2.3.1|x86_64||Updates for openSUSE 11.3 11.3-1.82|301f74e6a278d8d4cd7c7679ce51d811e80496ee
2010-11-11 08:24:17|install|dhcp|4.1.1.P1-4.3.1|x86_64||Updates for openSUSE 11.3 dick@linux-tq40:~> rpm -qa | grep kernelrpm -qa | grep kernel11.3-1.82|9d927143d44e25ea6453f272eec9faaa8f732a12
2010-11-11 08:24:18|install|dhcp-client|4.1.1.P1-4.3.1|x86_64||Updates for openSUSE 11.3 dick@linux-tq40:~> rpm -qa | grep kernelrpm -qa | grep kernel11.3-1.82|88ab2d9f2fc6cfca2c02006b4f6c8c839933dd1b
2010-11-11 19:29:41|install|fluidsynth|1.1.1-1.11|x86_64|root@linux-tq40.site|repo-oss|472b0984fdac36ddc48fe4c1408a042282c4107f
2010-11-11 19:43:55|install|qjackctl|0.3.6-1.25|x86_64|root@linux-tq40.site|repo-dick@linux-tq40:~> rpm -qa | grep kernelrpm -qa | grep kerneloss|2e3157a72ba56753e7898b2ae9012bf2e39c900d
2010-11-11 19:45:17|install|awesfx|0.5.1a-90.2|x86_64||repo-oss|e085221b517c255da75e1513d033a766aeb00408
2010-11-11 19:45:26|install|snd_sf2|0.1.2-663.1|noarch|root@linux-tq40.site|repo-oss|72aa1a3df527013dcfaa45eb39afa3a689dc5c88
# 2010-11-11 19:46:33 GeneralUser-1.43-2.pm.2.1.noarch.rpm installed ok
# Additional rpm output:
# warning: /var/cache/zypp/packages/ftp.uni-erlangen.de-suse/noarch/GeneralUser-1.43-2.pm.2.1.noarch.rpm: Header V3 DSA/SHA1 Signature, key ID 9a795806: NOKEY
#
2010-11-11 19:46:33|install|GeneralUser|1.43-2.pm.2.1|noarch|root@linux-tq40.site|ftp.uni-erlangen.de-suse|96c202153a6930d5516526b9c6f12cd89d03b0e8
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rpm -qa | grep kernel has this output:

dick@linux-tq40:~> rpm -qa | grep kernel
kernel-xen-devel-2.6.34.7-0.5.1.x86_64
kernel-source-2.6.34.7-0.5.1.noarch
kernel-syms-2.6.34.7-0.5.1.x86_64
kernel-desktop-2.6.34.7-0.5.1.x86_64
kernel-default-devel-2.6.34.7-0.5.1.x86_64
kernel-desktop-devel-2.6.34.7-0.5.1.x86_64
kernel-devel-2.6.34.7-0.5.1.noarch

I have installed virtualbox (which worked fine) and this needed the kernel to be altered. I do not use Xen and have not installed it's kernel. Don't know why Xen is listed here.
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The final output from uname -a is:

dick@linux-tq40:~> uname -a
Linux linux-tq40.site 2.6.34.7-0.5-desktop #1 SMP PREEMPT 2010-10-25 08:40:12 +0200 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

I certainly appreciate your help. I guess I can reinstall SUSE if necessary, but it would be good to understand what went wrong, and at last I have got the applications set up as I want them. I shutdown the machine at night and the problem was there on bootup next morning. I don't remember any updates that day. The problem is that for a few seconds the bootup looks normal but then there is a sharp switch to graphics which is overlayed with a transparent white screen and this whiteness increases to the point where there is nothing else visible. I don't think the boot finishes, since there is no startup sound and the software does not respond to keyboard inputs.

Dick.

**caf4926** · 14-Nov-2010, 01:53

That's OK
I was just checking if additional kernels had been added and were now booting. But you seem OK

Now please post result of this, you need to switch to su -

Code:

cat /boot/grub/menu.lst

**dick222** · 14-Nov-2010, 02:02

I had to be a SU to get this response:

dick@linux-tq40:~> su
Password:
linux-tq40:/home/dick # cat /boot/grub/menu.lst
# Modified by YaST2. Last modification on Sun Nov 14 21:51:22 NZDT 2010
# THIS FILE WILL BE PARTIALLY OVERWRITTEN by perl-Bootloader
# Configure custom boot parameters for updated kernels in /etc/sysconfig/bootloader

default 0
timeout 8
##YaST - generic_mbr
gfxmenu (hd0,5)/boot/message
##YaST - activate

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title openSUSE 11.3
root (hd0,5)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.34.7-0.5-desktop root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST9500420AS_5VJ8AZ3A-part6 resume=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST9500420AS_5VJ8AZ3A-part5 splash=silent quiet showopts vga=0x317
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.34.7-0.5-desktop

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows 1###
title windows 1
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows 2###
title windows 2
rootnoverify (hd0,1)
chainloader +1

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: floppy###
title Floppy
rootnoverify (fd0)
chainloader +1

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe -- openSUSE 11.3
root (hd0,5)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.34.7-0.5-desktop root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST9500420AS_5VJ8AZ3A-part6 showopts apm=off noresume edd=off powersaved=off nohz=off highres=off processor.max_cstate=1 nomodeset x11failsafe vga=0x317
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.34.7-0.5-desktop

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title Kernel-2.6.34.7-0.5-desktop
root (hd0,5)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.34.7-0.5-desktop root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST9500420AS_5VJ8AZ3A-part6 resume=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST9500420AS_5VJ8AZ3A-part5 splash=silent quiet showopts vga=0x317
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.34.7-0.5-desktop

**caf4926** · 14-Nov-2010, 02:09

Interesting..

Try this. Reboot and at the Grub menu, pause the timer by pressing the down arrow on your keyboard. Now move it back up so it's on the first boot option openSUSE 11.3
try typing this:
nomodest

This example shows you what I mean:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/10573557/YaS...oot%20line.png

except you are not typing 3, but nomodeset
then hit enter