Release notes for 12.10 - some known problems with video drivers

[Yorvyk]

On 16/10/12 22:50, Aere Greenway wrote:
> On Tue, 2012-10-16 at 22:09 +0100, Yorvyk wrote:
>> On 16/10/12 20:25, Aere Greenway wrote:
>>> On Tue, 2012-10-16 at 11:42 +0100, Yorvyk wrote:
>>>> Some of the legacy video drivers are currently non-functional
>>>> and aren't likely to be resolved any time soon. If at all.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Trident Cyberblade - xserver-xorg-video-trident
>>>>
>>>> This driver has a whole array of problems.
>>>> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/+bugs?field.searchtext=trident&search=Search+Bug+Reports&field.scope=all&field.scope.target=
>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>> As the VESA driver doesn't work with this chip set the only
>> solution is
>>>> to remain with 12.04.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Intel i810 - xserver-xorg-video-intel
>>>>
>>>> This driver currently segfaults on this chipset.
>>>> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xserver-xorg-video-intel/+bug/1060492
>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>> SiS M650/650 - xserver-xorg-video-sis
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> This driver currently loops around the login screen for the
>>>> M650 or produces a blank screen 650.
>>>> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xserver-xorg-video-sis/+bug/1034812
>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>> Workarounds
>>>>
>>>> Before upgrade from 12.04 blacklist or delete the video driver
>>>> and use Xorg.conf or RandR to set the correct resolution etc.
>>>> if necessary.
>>>>
>>>> A new install can only be accomplished from the alternate ISO.
>>>> On reboot go to Recovery Mode and delete/blacklist video
>>>> driver.  On reboot create suitable xorg.conf or use RandR to
>>>> get correct resolution if necessary.
>>>>
>>>> There may be problems with other legacy video chips for which
>>>> the blacklist/delete workaround may well work.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Yorvyk:
>>>
>>> In looking more carefully at your e-mail, I noticed a
>>> work-around, which is good.
>>>
>> As I say the workaround does work but, depending on the monitor,
>> can result in an unsuitable screen resolution.  So you'll have to
>> brush up on your xorg.conf or RandR settings :/
>>
>>
>>> I have a few more questions though.
>>>
>>> In the "Intel i810 - xserver-xorg-video-intel" case, is that only
>>> for the i810 chipset, or is it for Intell graphics in general?
>>> If only the i810 chipset has the problem, my primary machine
>>> should be okay, because it uses the i865 chipset.
>>>
>> I've tried an i865 and the results have been rather erratic.  I'm
>> not convinced about the PSU in that machine though, so I'm
>> reluctant to say what the results are. I've only seen the problem
>> on i810 and not seen any reports for other chip sets so I don't
>> know.  It may work on some i810 based boards as this chip set was
>> always a bit problematic with different manufactures wiring it up
>> in different ways.
>>
>>
>>> Perhaps the quickest way to determine this, is download the
>>> daily-build CD image, and try it out.  I assume if it has the
>>> problem on my machine, the live-CD will not run successfully
>>> with the intel graphics on my machine.
>>>
>> All my tests have shown the problem is reproducible with the
>> live-CD and that the alternate ISO will install but on reboot will
>> fail with the segfault problem. So you'll have to reboot to
>> recovery mode.  See my post 'Recovery Mode Failure' to see the
>> workaround for that problem. Looks like anybody with video
>> problems is going to have fun with this upgrade and is going to
>> have to put in a bit of work to get things working.
>>
>>
>>
>>
> Yorvyk:
>
> Thank you very much for the additional information.
>
> Your initial e-mail on this problem had me worried, but it spurred
> me to action (to do some testing of 12.10).
>
> I downloaded the current Lubuntu 12.10 build, and tried it in all 7
> machines in my test-bed.  My test-bed includes a 450-megahertz
> HP-Vectra, and a Compac P933 (933 megahertz).
>
> It worked on all of them - including my primary machine (which
> depends on the Intel graphics) that I was worried about.
>
> Two of the machines depend on the xserver-xorg-video-intel package,
> and both of them worked with no problems.  These two machines use
> the following chipsets:
>
> Dell™ Dimension™ 1100, chipset= Intel 865 GV
>
> Dell™ Dimension™ 8200, chipset= Intel 850 or 850E
>
Good.  That bodes well for my i865 machine when I get rounf to replacing
the PSU.

> The two other Dell machines use a Nvidia card for graphics, so I
> don't know if their internal Intel graphics would have had a
> problem.
>
These are more mordern machines and Intel has been doing quite a lot of
work on these particular chip-sets recently.  I believe there may even
be a decent method of switching between the two soon.


> Anyway, I /do/ appreciate that you alerted me to a big potential
> problem, and relieved that it turned out not to be a problem.
>
> The other machines tried were an Acer Aspire laptop, a Dell Optiplex
> 260, a Dell Optiplex 240, an HP Vectra 450 mHz, a Compaq P933.
>
> The live CD worked on all of them.  I am very much relieved!
>
> The only problem I encountered was that when I tried to run the
> system profiler/benchmark tool, it presented 3 successive empty
> dialog boxes, which I had to dismiss, not knowing what they were
> attempting to alert me about.  This happened on all of the machines.
>
This is a known problem Lp bug #1029212