Wont boot after kernel update 2.6.31-19

I suspect that the problem is with the xwindows system because I can choose recovery mode from the grub menu and get to the linux/unix command line prompt. If I type "startx" at the command line prompt the screen is cleared and the system then freezes.

I have looked at the file /var/log/Xorg.0.log.

This is the logging at the start of this log file:

===============================================
X.Org X Server 1.6.4
Release Date: 2009-9-27
X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
Build Operating System: Linux 2.6.24-23-server x86_64 Ubuntu
Current Operating System: Linux tardis 2.6.31-19-generic #56-Ubuntu SMP Thu Jan 28 02:39:34 UTC 2010 x86_64
Kernel command line: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-19-generic root=UUID=a0866519-a9a8-4f81-8f33-a2cb91a48388 ro single
Build Date: 14 November 2009 05:48:57PM
xorg-server 2:1.6.4-2ubuntu4.1 (buildd@)
 Before reporting problems, check http://wiki.x.org
 to make sure that you have the latest version.
Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
 (++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
 (WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
(==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Tue Feb 9 17:38:21 2010

====================================================

These are the errors/warnings at the end of the file:

====================================================

(EE) [drm] drmOpen failed.
(EE) fglrx(0): DRIScreenInit failed!
(WW) fglrx(0): ***********************************************
(WW) fglrx(0): * DRI initialization failed! *
(WW) fglrx(0): * (maybe driver kernel module missing or bad) *
(WW) fglrx(0): * 2D acceleraton available (MMIO) *
(WW) fglrx(0): * no 3D acceleration available *
(WW) fglrx(0): ********************************************* *
(II) fglrx(0): FBADPhys: 0xf00000000 FBMappedSize: 0x0fd00000

=====================================================

So the problem seems to be with DRI (whatever that is)

What graphic card do you have?

Or - wait - did you try to install your card drivers from a package provided by the card vendor?
Like ATI Catalyst or NVidia drivers?

Sorry for the unuseful request: ignore the card request, you have an ATI, as X is trying to load fglrx. I had not noticed, sorry.
Can you post the output of "ls -lR /lib/modules/`uname -r`/kernel/drivers/video" and "lsmod"?

The video card is a Saphire HD 5750 GDR5 1G 128Bit GDDR5 (Details copied from retailers invoice). I chose this card because I wanted to run dual monitors. I downloaded drivers from a web site and installed. I cannot remember which web site but it may have been the ATI site.

To run your commands I had to copy them down using pencil and paper and boot the faulty system using recovery mode to get to a unix prompt. I redirected the output of each command to a file

Here is the output:
====================================
arcfb.ko
arkfb.ko
aty
backlight
broadsheetfb.ko
carminefb.ko
cirrusfb.ko
console
cyber2000fb.ko
display
fb_ddc.ko
fb_sys_fops.ko
geode
hecubafb.ko
hgafb.ko
kyro
macmodes.ko
matrox
mb862xx
metronomefb.ko
n411.ko
neofb.ko
nvidia
output.ko
pm2fb.ko
pm3fb.ko
riva
s1d13xxxfb.ko
s3fb.ko
savage
sis
sm501fb.ko
sstfb.ko
svgalib.ko
syscopyarea.ko
sysfillrect.ko
sysimgblt.ko
tdfxfb.ko
tmiofb.ko
tridentfb.ko
uvesafb.ko
vermilion
vesafb.ko
vga16fb.ko
vgastate.ko
via
vt8623fb.ko
xen-fbfront.ko
====================================
Module Size Used by
nfs 315184 0
lockd 78068 1 nfs
nfs_acl 3552 1 nfs
auth_rpcgss 47808 1 nfs
sunrpc 225896 4 nfs,lockd,nfs_acl,auth_rpcgss
nfnetlink_queue 10596 1
nfnetlink 5808 2 nfnetlink_queue
binfmt_misc 10220 1
xt_iprange 2720 0
xt_mark 2464 6
xt_NFQUEUE 3232 3
ipt_MASQUERADE 2944 3
iptable_nat 6656 1
bridge 56384 0
stp 3012 1 bridge
kvm_intel 51528 0
kvm 190648 1 kvm_intel
snd_hda_codec_atihdmi 4320 1
snd_hda_codec_realtek 277860 1
it87 26712 0
hwmon_vid 3968 1 it87
ipt_REJECT 3584 7
ipt_LOG 6404 0
xt_limit 3236 0
xt_tcpudp 3616 16
xt_state 2432 6
ipt_addrtype 2912 0
ip6table_filter 3968 1
ip6_tables 22608 1 ip6table_filter
snd_seq_dummy 3460 0
nf_nat_irc 2688 0
snd_seq_oss 33440 0
nf_conntrack_irc 6552 1 nf_nat_irc
snd_seq_midi 8192 0
snd_rawmidi 27360 1 snd_seq_midi
snd_seq_midi_event 8448 2 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi
nf_nat_ftp 3584 0
snd_seq 60608 6 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_midi_event
nf_nat 22164 4 ipt_MASQUERADE,iptable_nat,nf_nat_irc,nf_nat_ftp
snd_hda_intel 31880 0
nf_conntrack_ipv4 16376 9 iptable_nat,nf_nat
nf_defrag_ipv4 2400 1 nf_conntrack_ipv4
snd_hda_codec 87584 3 snd_hda_codec_atihdmi,snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_hda_intel
snd_hwdep 9352 1 snd_hda_codec
snd_pcm_oss 44704 0
nf_conntrack_ftp 9016 1 nf_nat_ftp
snd_seq_device 8308 5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq
snd_mixer_oss 18976 1 snd_pcm_oss
nf_conntrack 80832 9 ipt_MASQUERADE,iptable_nat,xt_state,nf_nat_irc,nf_conntrack_irc,nf_nat_ftp,nf_nat,nf_conntrack_ipv4,nf_conntrack_ftp
ppdev 8232 0
snd_pcm 93160 3 snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_pcm_oss
snd_timer 26992 2 snd_seq,snd_pcm
iptable_filter 3872 1
parport_pc 37352 1
ip_tables 21200 2 iptable_nat,iptable_filter
x_tables 25832 13 xt_iprange,xt_mark,xt_NFQUEUE,ipt_MASQUERADE,iptable_nat,ipt_REJECT,ipt_LOG,xt_limit,xt_tcpudp,xt_state,ipt_addrtype,ip6_tables,ip_tables
snd 77096 12 snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_seq_oss,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_hwdep,snd_pcm_oss,snd_seq_device,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_timer
soundcore 9088 1 snd
snd_page_alloc 10928 2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm
lp 11908 0
parport 40528 3 ppdev,parport_pc,lp
usbhid 43968 0
floppy 65192 0
r8169 38884 0
mii 6368 1 r8169
====================================

Is there any keyboard combination which I can us to escape from xwindows and get to the UNIX/LINUX prompt?

> DRI (whatever that is)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_Rendering_Infrastructure

> keyboard combination
CTRL+ALT+F1 (session)
CTRL+ALT+F2 bis F6 (free tty)
CTRL+ALT+F7 (GUI)

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1352249

This is all new to me. I am assuming from the wikipedia article that there is some problem loading the closed source kernal modules supplied by ATI which implement the Direct Rendering Infrastructure.

I still do not know how to solve the problem. For example is the solution to edit configuration files which will allow default drivers to be used?

You can either use (install) proprietary or free driver.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Video

Just to clarify the suggested steps to boot using the open source "radeon" drivers (instead of the proprietary ATI drivers) will be:

Run the ATI uninstaller
-----------------------------
cd /usr/share/ati/
sh ./fglrx-uninstall.sh
cd ~
rm -rf /etc/ati/
apt-get remove -purge xorg-driver-fglrx fglrx-amdcccle

Restore xorg.conf file to default
----------------------------------------
dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

(The above instructions copied from section "How to recover a non-booting system due to driver malfunction" on web page https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Video)

The problem with your system is the same, I think, a friend of mine had.
The problem is that you are missing your kernel headers and/or the programs
your card driver needs to build the module for your video card.
To check, I have to ask you to attach your compilation log, but I can't
remember how is named, as I don't have an ATI card; there's a faster way,
though:
1) open a terminal (
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UsingTheTerminal#Starting%20a%20Terminal)
2) execute: sudo apt-get install build-essential linux-headers-generic
3) download from ati.com your card drivers (Component category: Graphics,
Operating System: Linux x86_64 [NOT Linux x86], Product line: Radeon,
Product model: ATI Radeon HD 5700 Series) and save them to a location you
can remember (let's say your home folder, named /home/yourusername)
4) Back into the terminal, execute cd /home/yourusername (or the path you
saved the file to)
5) execute sudo sh ./ati-driver-installer-10-1-x86.x86_64.run
and follow the installer.

When it's finished, reboot your system.
It should work then.
If it doesn't work, open a terminal and execute
sudo aticonfig --initial
and reboot again.
Let me know if it works :)

On Tue, Feb 9, 2010 at 23:13, Bryan Smith <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Question #100395 on yelp in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/yelp/+question/100395
>
> Status: Answered => Open
>
> Bryan Smith is still having a problem:
> Just to clarify the suggested steps to boot using the open source
> "radeon" drivers (instead of the proprietary ATI drivers) will be:
>
> Run the ATI uninstaller
> -----------------------------
> cd /usr/share/ati/
> sh ./fglrx-uninstall.sh
> cd ~
> rm -rf /etc/ati/
> apt-get remove -purge xorg-driver-fglrx fglrx-amdcccle
>
> Restore xorg.conf file to default
> ----------------------------------------
> dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg
>
> (The above instructions copied from section "How to recover a non-
> booting system due to driver malfunction" on web page
> https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Video)
>
> --
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

Claudio,

Thank you for your response. I have been looking instructions on the following web page: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BinaryDriverHowto/ATI. Instructions here say to create deb files from the downloaded run file (step 11) and the use dpkg to install these files (Step 14). Do you know why the instructions from the Ubuntu community site are more complex? (I have pasted the instructions below)

You will note that step 15 says to use Synaptic Package Manager to Fix broken packages. Is there a command line equivalent because xwindows is broken?

=======================================================

11. In the Terminal, to create the deb files, type:

sudo sh ./ati-driver-installer-9-12-x86.x86_64.run --buildpkg Ubuntu/karmic

If it is required a package manager window will open and install some dependencies and after a while create the following 6 deb packages in the desktop:

a. fglrx-amdcccle - Catalyst Control Center for the ATI graphics accelerators

b. fglrx-kernel-source - Kernel module source for the ATI graphics accelerators

c. fglrx-modaliases - Identifiers supported by the ATI graphics driver

d. libamdxvba1 - AMD Unified Video Decoder library

e. xorg-driver-fglrx - Video driver for the ATI graphics accelerators

f. xorg-driver-fglrx-dev - Video driver for the ATI graphics accelerators (devel files)

12. If you wish you can read fglrx-installer_8.681-0ubuntu1_amd64.changes to know the changes that have been effected through ATI Catalyst 9.12 and related information.

13. If you are using a 32 bit installation of Ubuntu 9.10 then you will see these 6 deb files with i386 in place of amd64. In other words the deb files that correspond to your architecture are automatically created.

14. To install the created deb files, type in the Terminal:

sudo dpkg -i *

15. In case any of the packages are broken then open **Synaptic Package Manager** and click on **Fix Broken Packages** from the **Edit** option of the main tab. In case you are new to Ubuntu, broken here means that some dependent packages are not yet installed. Once you sort out the issue as indicated above through the Synaptic Package Manager, the problem of broken packages should be resolved.

The fix command should be sudo aptitude -f, but I don't remember how to use
it.
Try following my instructions, the instructions on Ubuntu Community are
general-purpose, we may say, but they won't work if you cannot compile the
kernel driver; you can see this in the Troubleshooting section, when it says

> Make sure that the restricted-modules package installed correspond to the
> kernel your are running and that you can load the fglrx driver, whether by
> issuing the command "sudo modprobe fglrx" or by verifying that the module
> appears in the list of loaded modules, by issuing the command "lsmod";
>
because your kernel module is not built.
In order to build it you need build-essential (a metapackage which installs
the necessary package for building) and linux-headers-generic (which is a
metapackage that installs kernel headers - hooks needed for building modules
- for every kernel you install).

On Wed, Feb 10, 2010 at 10:09, Bryan Smith <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Question #100395 on yelp in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/yelp/+question/100395
>
> Status: Answered => Open
>
> Bryan Smith is still having a problem:
> Claudio,
>
> Thank you for your response. I have been looking instructions on the
> following web page:
> https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BinaryDriverHowto/ATI. Instructions
> here say to create deb files from the downloaded run file (step 11) and
> the use dpkg to install these files (Step 14). Do you know why the
> instructions from the Ubuntu community site are more complex? (I have
> pasted the instructions below)
>
> You will note that step 15 says to use Synaptic Package Manager to Fix
> broken packages. Is there a command line equivalent because xwindows is
> broken?
>
> =======================================================
>
> 11. In the Terminal, to create the deb files, type:
>
> sudo sh ./ati-driver-installer-9-12-x86.x86_64.run --buildpkg
> Ubuntu/karmic
>
> If it is required a package manager window will open and install some
> dependencies and after a while create the following 6 deb packages in
> the desktop:
>
> a. fglrx-amdcccle - Catalyst Control Center for the ATI graphics
> accelerators
>
> b. fglrx-kernel-source - Kernel module source for the ATI graphics
> accelerators
>
> c. fglrx-modaliases - Identifiers supported by the ATI graphics driver
>
> d. libamdxvba1 - AMD Unified Video Decoder library
>
> e. xorg-driver-fglrx - Video driver for the ATI graphics accelerators
>
> f. xorg-driver-fglrx-dev - Video driver for the ATI graphics
> accelerators (devel files)
>
> 12. If you wish you can read fglrx-
> installer_8.681-0ubuntu1_amd64.changes to know the changes that have
> been effected through ATI Catalyst 9.12 and related information.
>
> 13. If you are using a 32 bit installation of Ubuntu 9.10 then you will
> see these 6 deb files with i386 in place of amd64. In other words the
> deb files that correspond to your architecture are automatically
> created.
>
> 14. To install the created deb files, type in the Terminal:
>
> sudo dpkg -i *
>
> 15. In case any of the packages are broken then open **Synaptic Package
> Manager** and click on **Fix Broken Packages** from the **Edit** option
> of the main tab. In case you are new to Ubuntu, broken here means that
> some dependent packages are not yet installed. Once you sort out the
> issue as indicated above through the Synaptic Package Manager, the
> problem of broken packages should be resolved.
>
> --
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

Claudio,

At least the system is now booting. However I got the following message during the boot up:

Ubuntu is running in low graphics mode.

Your screen, graphics card, and input device settings could not be detected correctly. You will need to configure these yourself.

When the system booted i went to system/administration/hardware devices and chose to activate the FGLRX driver. It down loaded the driver (presumably the driver from the Ubuntu repository).

I rebooted. This time a got an new error which displayed error lines from x.org.0.log. The errors are:

-----------------------------
(EE) Unable to initialize PCS database
(EE) Missing PCS defaults file /etc/ati/amdpcsdb.default
(EE) No devices detected.

Fatal server error:
no screens found

-----------------------------

The fglrx module is now being loaded:

bryan@tardis:~$ lsmod | grep fglrx
fglrx 2234552 0

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/karmic/+source/fglrx-installer/+bug/440233

I renamed the directory /etc/ati to /etc/ati-orig. I downloaded the ati2.tar file attached to defect 440233, untared this archive and used the contents to create a replacement /etc/ati directory.

Here are the contents of the original and replacement directory.

bryan@tardis:/etc$ ls -l /etc/ati-orig/
total 144
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 16505 2010-02-10 22:12 amdpcsdb
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 22724 2010-02-10 21:57 amdpcsdb.default.dpkg-bak
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 18674 2010-02-10 21:57 atiogl.xml.dpkg-bak
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 2769 2010-02-10 21:57 authatieventsd.sh.dpkg-bak
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 21800 2010-02-10 21:57 control.dpkg-bak
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1445 2010-02-10 21:57 inst_path_default
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1403 2009-12-06 14:58 inst_path_default.backup-0
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 209 2010-02-10 21:57 inst_path_override
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 210 2009-12-06 14:58 inst_path_override.backup-0
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 12902 2010-02-10 21:57 logo_mask.xbm.example
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 12887 2010-02-10 21:57 logo.xbm.example
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 220 2010-02-10 21:57 signature.dpkg-bak
bryan@tardis:/etc$ ls -l /etc/ati
total 140
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 22765 2010-02-11 18:49 amdpcsdb
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 22846 2010-02-11 18:44 amdpcsdb.default
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 17867 2010-02-11 18:44 atiogl.xml
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 2769 2010-02-11 18:44 authatieventsd.sh
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 21480 2010-02-11 18:44 control
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1403 2010-02-11 18:44 inst_path_default
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 210 2010-02-11 18:44 inst_path_override
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 12902 2010-02-11 18:44 logo_mask.xbm.example
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 12887 2010-02-11 18:44 logo.xbm.example
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 226 2010-02-11 18:44 signature

I am assuming that the process of reinstalling the drivers renamed the existing files to create a replacement, however no replacement was created. This info may assist those investigating defect 440233.

After rebooting everything is now behaving correctly.

I would like to thank Sam and Claudio for their assistance.