severe display problems after installation of leap 15.1.

rupeshforu3 · October 10, 2018, 7:54pm

Hi I am Rupesh from India and I have PC which was brought around 2012 and I am trying to install Linux on it but failed.

Upto now I have installed Linux and especially open suse a number of times on the same pc. upto open suse leap 42.1 everything worked fine and after that I am getting a number of errors related to display.

At present I am able to see messages such as no ums support etc.,.

Previously working with open suse was a nice experience but now frustrating because the display resolution is below 600*480.

upto now I have installed open suse 15 four times each and every time using a different way such as booting into MBR mode and selecting no kms option etc., but no use.

During the installation of previous version I have selected no kms option and atleast something was better but now I have tried a lot but no use.

Please try to suggest how to make the system work properly.

rupeshforu3 · October 10, 2018, 8:05pm

In previous versions by installing amd catalyst package ie., fglrx everything worked fine but now there is no chance of installing it.

nrickert · October 10, 2018, 8:07pm

Try adding “nomodeset” to the kernel command line, while booting the installer.

I provided details on doing this HERE

rupeshforu3 · October 11, 2018, 3:44pm

As you have specified i have entered nomodeset during the installation but not selected no kms option.

Even now I am able to see errors such as no ums support for radeon etc.,.

In the kernel parameters of bootloader I am able to see the word nomodeset.

At present the display resolution is still 600*480.

I am ready to provide the diagnostics if you demand which may help to track what’s going wrong.

For your reference I am providing the model number of my mother board so you can see the exact hardware components which I have.
Mother board manufacturer : gigabyte
Model number: GA-78LMT-S2PT

knurpht · October 11, 2018, 5:12pm

Hi Rupesh,

Are you sure the 15.1 from the title is correct¸ i.e. that is the version you’re trying to install? If so, please note that developement of 15.1 is in an early phase, i.e. not even alpha. You should use 15.0 …

nrickert · October 11, 2018, 5:14pm

My experience with “nomodeset” is that I get 1024x768 graphics. But that probably depends on the hardware.

You might need to look around for optional drivers for your graphics card. I’m not the graphics expert, so best wait for someone more knowledgeable to comment.

rupeshforu3 · October 11, 2018, 5:38pm

During the installation of previous version of open suse I have selected no kms option and after that everything worked fine then i have disabled no nomodset in bootloader and even worked fine.

I think that there is an open source driver for radeon graphics and so can any one of you specify link to download it.

Is there any relationship between kms and no mode set.

knurpht · October 11, 2018, 5:41pm

Please read and reply to my post.
Second: the open source driver is in the kernel. No need to download anything.
Third: KMS = Kernel Mode Setting, nomodeset turns that off.

rupeshforu3 · October 11, 2018, 7:27pm

Sorry I have not seen this post and the version I have installed is 15.0 not 15.1.

Today i installed open suse 15.0 by giving the command nomodeset but not selected no kms option and so can I think something wrong is going on.

May I know why Linux community is creating software which is difficult to understand and install. If the same thing happens a common man cannot use it properly because they do not have knowledge on drm, kms etc.,.

Not to say in windows driver’s are available which automatically configures and make the system to work in an easy way.

From the past few years I have expected the same from Linux but at present I think it is not possible.

deano_ferrari · October 11, 2018, 9:20pm

Share your graphics hardware details…

/usr/sbin/hwinfo --gfxcard

or

/sbin/lspci -vnn|grep -i vga

If using nodmodeset is the only way to get a basic graphical working environment, then do that to get this information.

rupeshforu3 · October 12, 2018, 2:48am

I am providing the output of the commands specified by you below


linux-y30w:~ # /usr/sbin/hwinfo --gfxcard
17: PCI 105.0: 0300 VGA compatible controller (VGA)             
  [Created at pci.378]
  Unique ID: ul7N.HeGI+LrhBU4
  Parent ID: vSkL.2yY_xudKZ6E
  SysFS ID: /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:01.0/0000:01:05.0
  SysFS BusID: 0000:01:05.0
  Hardware Class: graphics card
  Model: "ATI RS780L [Radeon 3000]"
  Vendor: pci 0x1002 "ATI Technologies Inc"
  Device: pci 0x9616 "RS780L [Radeon 3000]"
  SubVendor: pci 0x1458 "Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd"
  SubDevice: pci 0xd000 
  Memory Range: 0xd0000000-0xdfffffff (ro,non-prefetchable)
  I/O Ports: 0xee00-0xeeff (rw)
  Memory Range: 0xfdff0000-0xfdffffff (rw,non-prefetchable)
  Memory Range: 0xfde00000-0xfdefffff (rw,non-prefetchable)
  Memory Range: 0x000c0000-0x000dffff (rw,non-prefetchable,disabled)
  IRQ: 10 (no events)
  I/O Ports: 0x3c0-0x3df (rw)
  Module Alias: "pci:v00001002d00009616sv00001458sd0000D000bc03sc00i00"
  Driver Info #0:
    Driver Status: radeon is not active
    Driver Activation Cmd: "modprobe radeon"
  Config Status: cfg=no, avail=yes, need=no, active=unknown
  Attached to: #26 (PCI bridge)

Primary display adapter: #17
linux-y30w:~ # 

linux-y30w:~ # /sbin/lspci -vvn | grep -i vga
	Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
	Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
	BridgeCtl: Parity- SERR- NoISA- VGA+ MAbort- >Reset- FastB2B-
	Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx+
	BridgeCtl: Parity- SERR- NoISA- VGA- MAbort- >Reset- FastB2B-
	Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
	Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
	Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
	Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV+ VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
	Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
	Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
	Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV+ VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
	Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster- SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx+
	Control: I/O+ Mem- BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
	Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
	Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle+ MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
	Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop+ ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
	BridgeCtl: Parity- SERR- NoISA- VGA- MAbort- >Reset- FastB2B-
	Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
	Control: I/O- Mem- BusMaster- SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
	Control: I/O- Mem- BusMaster- SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
	Control: I/O- Mem- BusMaster- SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
	Control: I/O- Mem- BusMaster- SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
	Control: I/O- Mem- BusMaster- SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
	Control: I/O- Mem- BusMaster- SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
01:05.0 0300: 1002:9616 (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
	Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
pcilib: sysfs_read_vpd: read failed: Input/output error
	Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
	Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping+ SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
linux-y30w:~ #

malcolmlewis · October 12, 2018, 2:52am

Hi
Don’t use nomodeset so it can use the default radeon driver for the card.

deano_ferrari · October 12, 2018, 3:06am

rupeshforu3:

I am providing the output of the commands specified by you below
  Model: "ATI RS780L [Radeon 3000]"
  Vendor: pci 0x1002 "ATI Technologies Inc"
  Device: pci 0x9616 "RS780L [Radeon 3000]"

Ok, thanks for the supplying the hardware details. When you attempt to boot without the ‘nomodeset’ parameter, does the X-server start successfully? Do you get a login screen? What goes wrong?

deano_ferrari · October 12, 2018, 3:43am

Another thing you can do is examine the Xorg log from a previous boot. If the boot without ‘nomodeset’ does not result in a working graphical desktop, then reboot with the ‘nomodeset’ option and post the /var/log/Xorg.1.log details.

cat /var/log/Xorg.1.log

It’s easiest if you upload the complete log to https://susepaste.org/ or https://pastebin.com/ and just post the link to it here.

rupeshforu3 · October 12, 2018, 6:18am

First let me know how to boot the system without no mode set and see whether my system is working properly.

mrmazda · October 12, 2018, 7:52am

RS780L gfx was launched in 2009, so there’s no reason it shouldn’t be supported by xorg’s integrated (modesetting) driver or the optional driver provided by the x86-video-ati package, as long as the kernel cmdline does not include the nomodeset parameter (which is designed primarily for troubleshooting).

deano_ferrari · October 12, 2018, 9:50am

Please tread this guide regarding how to edit the grub boot parameters…
https://doc.opensuse.org/documentation/leap/reference/html/book.opensuse.reference/cha.grub2.html#sec.grub2.yast2.config

The kernel parameters tab…
https://doc.opensuse.org/documentation/leap/reference/html/book.opensuse.reference/cha.grub2.html#sec.grub2.yast2.config.advanced.kernel_parameters

Remove the ‘nomodeset’ parameter, then click ‘OK’ when done and reboot.

deano_ferrari · October 12, 2018, 9:52am

BTW, I had thought you’d deliberately added this parameter to get a basic working desktop. Now I’m coming to understand that you hadn’t, and that you did not know that it should be removed in order to load the radeon driver.

rupeshforu3 · October 12, 2018, 11:43am

Thanks for your suggestions.

Upon deleting the word nomodeset in the kernel parameters of boot loader section in yast display resolution is good.

Is there any need to install driver for amd gpu.

deano_ferrari · October 12, 2018, 12:21pm

Good result.

Is there any need to install driver for amd gpu.

No, all that’s required is already there.