kernel-packages team mailing list archive

["Timothy R. Chavez" <timothy.chavez@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The bug task for the somerville project has been removed by an automated
script.  This bug has been cloned on that project and is available here:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1305752

** No longer affects: somerville

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/297245

Title:
  [i965] Dell Studio 15 White Screen on X startup

Status in X.org xf86-video-intel:
  Invalid
Status in “linux” package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid
Status in “xorg” package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid
Status in “xserver-xorg-video-intel” package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released
Status in “linux” source package in Hardy:
  Invalid
Status in “xorg” source package in Hardy:
  Invalid
Status in “xserver-xorg-video-intel” source package in Hardy:
  Triaged
Status in “linux” source package in Intrepid:
  Invalid
Status in “xorg” source package in Intrepid:
  Invalid
Status in “xserver-xorg-video-intel” source package in Intrepid:
  Fix Released

Bug description:
  [Problem]
  On X server load, displays white screen with scattered 1 pixel lines when using -intel driver.

  [Impact]
  Affects users owning hardware with certain LVDS displays produced by AUO, such as used in the Dell Studio 15 and Studio 1535; reportedly some Sony systems may be fixed by this as well.  These are currently shipping models from Dell; they had been shipped with Ubuntu pre-installed, making this a particularly severe problem.

  [Development Branch]
  Same patch is deployed to Jaunty in version 2.5.1-1ubuntu9
  This patch is a correction to a long standing bug where the -intel driver generates slightly incorrect modelines.  Most systems tolerate the slight error, but others (like the ones affected by this bug) don't.

  [Patch]
  From upstream - https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=18342
  Identical patch used in Intrepid and Jaunty

  [Test Case]
  Boot LiveCD on hardware with affected LVDS; will result in white screen following usplash.

  [Regression Potential]
  This changes the modeline calculations in general (i.e. it is not a hardware-specific quirk).  Regression could occur under two theoretical circumstances:

  1.  Logic error.  If the patch is mis-coded, it could cause all
  modelines to be miscalculated.  This is not felt to be very likely,
  especially since the patch is very simple.  However if it does happen,
  it will be exceedingly obvious...

  2.  Uncovering secondary bugs.  It is entirely possible (but perhaps
  extraordinarily unlikely) that some hardware has slightly buggy timing
  dependencies the other way round, and are dependent on the buggy
  timing calculations, and could exhibit problems once the issue is
  fixed.  However the risk of this is probably vanishingly small, and if
  it does happen will probably affect only a few systems, and the fix
  ought to be fairly straightforward.

  In both the above cases, ample testing will mitigate the risk levels.

  [lspci]
  00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation Mobile GM965/GL960 Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:2a02] (rev 03) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
  	Subsystem: Dell Unknown device [1028:0254]

  [Original Report]
  I purchased a Dell Studio 15 with Ubuntu pre-installed.
  The graphics adapter is an Intel x3100
  The LCD is 1280x800.
  I suspect that the LCD is not compatible with the current version of the Linux driver.
  Out of the box, the loading screens appear just fine. Once the X server loads, the screen goes mostly white, with some scattered lines, each about 1 pixel wide.
  I then booted to "recovery mode" and selected the option for the system to attempt to fix X on its own. This resulted in a "White Screen of Death" as well. 
  Any attempt to use the Intel driver results in a White Screen of Death.
  Vesa will not recognize a 1280x800 resolution and only gives 800x600 upon initial installation. After installing KDE the screen results in 1024x768 but still will not work in 1280x800, even though those resolutions are listed in the Modelines in xorg.conf.
  Bug is present in Ubuntu 8.04 and 8.10, if not more.
  The worst part is that even the replacement Dell Studio 15 has this same problem. I suspect that Dell is knowingly selling a model of laptop that is supposedly "approved hardware" that they never got to work in the first place.

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