Broken nouveau KMS

[Christopher Thielen]

Hi fedora-users,

I think I broke my Fedora 20 Nouveau KMS when I tried out the nVidia driver.

My grub boot menu has three kernel entries and only the oldest of the 
three boots with the graphical loader and has X using the Nouveau 
driver. The two newer ones boot with the text-based progress bar and 
wind up with X loading the VESA driver.

I cannot figure out how to fix the newer kernel entries in grub to 
repair my Nouveau graphical boot.

Here's my /boot/grub2/grub.cfg, the entry "Fedora, with Linux 
3.12.8-300.fc20.x86_64" boots graphically while the two above it do not.

I very much appreciate any help in the matter!

#
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
#
# It is automatically generated by grub2-mkconfig using templates
# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
#

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
if [ -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then
   load_env
fi
if [ "${next_entry}" ] ; then
    set default="${next_entry}"
    set next_entry=
    save_env next_entry
    set boot_once=true
else
    set default="${saved_entry}"
fi

if [ x"${feature_menuentry_id}" = xy ]; then
   menuentry_id_option="--id"
else
   menuentry_id_option=""
fi

export menuentry_id_option

if [ "${prev_saved_entry}" ]; then
   set saved_entry="${prev_saved_entry}"
   save_env saved_entry
   set prev_saved_entry=
   save_env prev_saved_entry
   set boot_once=true
fi

function savedefault {
   if [ -z "${boot_once}" ]; then
     saved_entry="${chosen}"
     save_env saved_entry
   fi
}

function load_video {
   if [ x$feature_all_video_module = xy ]; then
     insmod all_video
   else
     insmod efi_gop
     insmod efi_uga
     insmod ieee1275_fb
     insmod vbe
     insmod vga
     insmod video_bochs
     insmod video_cirrus
   fi
}

terminal_output console
set timeout=5
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry 'Fedora (3.12.10-300.fc20.x86_64) 20 (Heisenbug)' --class 
fedora --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 
'gnulinux-3.12.8-300.fc20.x86_64-advanced-453822dd-727b-403e-95b1-5aa5f14c064c' 
{
    set gfxpayload=text
    insmod gzio
    insmod part_msdos
    insmod ext2
    set root='hd0,msdos1'
    if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
      search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,msdos1 
--hint-efi=hd0,msdos1 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos1 --hint='hd0,msdos1' 
  40405dbf-9856-4658-b8ae-8f517c2b7604
    else
      search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 
40405dbf-9856-4658-b8ae-8f517c2b7604
    fi
    linux	/vmlinuz-3.12.10-300.fc20.x86_64 
root=/dev/mapper/fedora_mercury-root ro vconsole.font=latarcyrheb-sun16 
rd.lvm.lv=fedora_mercury/swap rd.lvm.lv=fedora_mercury/root  rhgb quiet 
LANG=en_US.UTF-8
    initrd /initramfs-3.12.10-300.fc20.x86_64.img
}
menuentry 'Fedora (3.12.9-301.fc20.x86_64) 20 (Heisenbug)' --class 
fedora --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 
'gnulinux-3.12.8-300.fc20.x86_64-advanced-453822dd-727b-403e-95b1-5aa5f14c064c' 
{
    set gfxpayload=text
    insmod gzio
    insmod part_msdos
    insmod ext2
    set root='hd0,msdos1'
    if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
      search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,msdos1 
--hint-efi=hd0,msdos1 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos1 --hint='hd0,msdos1' 
  40405dbf-9856-4658-b8ae-8f517c2b7604
    else
      search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 
40405dbf-9856-4658-b8ae-8f517c2b7604
    fi
    linux	/vmlinuz-3.12.9-301.fc20.x86_64 
root=/dev/mapper/fedora_mercury-root ro vconsole.font=latarcyrheb-sun16 
rd.lvm.lv=fedora_mercury/swap rd.lvm.lv=fedora_mercury/root  rhgb quiet 
LANG=en_US.UTF-8
    initrd /initramfs-3.12.9-301.fc20.x86_64.img
}
menuentry 'Fedora, with Linux 3.12.8-300.fc20.x86_64' --class fedora 
--class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 
'gnulinux-3.12.8-300.fc20.x86_64-advanced-453822dd-727b-403e-95b1-5aa5f14c064c' 
{
    set gfxpayload=text
    insmod gzio
    insmod part_msdos
    insmod ext2
    set root='hd0,msdos1'
    if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
      search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,msdos1 
--hint-efi=hd0,msdos1 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos1 --hint='hd0,msdos1' 
  40405dbf-9856-4658-b8ae-8f517c2b7604
    else
      search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 
40405dbf-9856-4658-b8ae-8f517c2b7604
    fi
    linux	/vmlinuz-3.12.8-300.fc20.x86_64 
root=/dev/mapper/fedora_mercury-root ro vconsole.font=latarcyrheb-sun16 
rd.lvm.lv=fedora_mercury/swap rd.lvm.lv=fedora_mercury/root  rhgb quiet
    initrd	/initramfs-3.12.8-300.fc20.x86_64.img
}
menuentry 'Fedora, with Linux 0-rescue-aa0c7619c3ab4bf5b1db46dbf873e748' 
--class fedora --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os 
$menuentry_id_option 
'gnulinux-0-rescue-aa0c7619c3ab4bf5b1db46dbf873e748-advanced-453822dd-727b-403e-95b1-5aa5f14c064c' 
{
    set gfxpayload=text
    insmod gzio
    insmod part_msdos
    insmod ext2
    set root='hd0,msdos1'
    if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
      search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,msdos1 
--hint-efi=hd0,msdos1 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos1 --hint='hd0,msdos1' 
  40405dbf-9856-4658-b8ae-8f517c2b7604
    else
      search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 
40405dbf-9856-4658-b8ae-8f517c2b7604
    fi
    linux	/vmlinuz-0-rescue-aa0c7619c3ab4bf5b1db46dbf873e748 
root=/dev/mapper/fedora_mercury-root ro vconsole.font=latarcyrheb-sun16 
rd.lvm.lv=fedora_mercury/swap rd.lvm.lv=fedora_mercury/root  rhgb quiet
    initrd	/initramfs-0-rescue-aa0c7619c3ab4bf5b1db46dbf873e748.img
}

### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###

### END /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_ppc_terminfo ###
### END /etc/grub.d/20_ppc_terminfo ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries.  Simply 
type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment.  Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.
### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###
if [ -f  ${config_directory}/custom.cfg ]; then
   source ${config_directory}/custom.cfg
elif [ -z "${config_directory}" -a -f  $prefix/custom.cfg ]; then
   source $prefix/custom.cfg;
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###

[Ed Greshko]

On 02/14/14 11:50, Christopher Thielen wrote:
> I think I broke my Fedora 20 Nouveau KMS when I tried out the nVidia driver.
>
> My grub boot menu has three kernel entries and only the oldest of the three boots with the graphical loader and has X using the Nouveau driver. The two newer ones boot with the text-based progress bar and wind up with X loading the VESA driver.
>
> I cannot figure out how to fix the newer kernel entries in grub to repair my Nouveau graphical boot.
>
> Here's my /boot/grub2/grub.cfg, the entry "Fedora, with Linux 3.12.8-300.fc20.x86_64" boots graphically while the two above it do not.
>
> I very much appreciate any help in the matter!

You don't say what you did to try out the nVidia driver.

But, since you can boot to an older kernel and get nouveau the path of least resistance may be to boot to that older kernel, erase the newer non-working kernels, and then updating again to the latest kernel.

[Ahmad Samir]

On 14 February 2014 05:50, Christopher Thielen wrote:
> Hi fedora-users,
>
> I think I broke my Fedora 20 Nouveau KMS when I tried out the nVidia
> driver.

How did you install the nvidia driver?

FWIW, I don't see anything in the kernel command line in your grub.cfg that
would disable KMS for the two new kernels.

Is your system using UEFI to boot? (if it is, then the relevant file is
/boot/efi/EFI/fedora/grub.cfg).

[....]

[Christopher Thielen]

I tried Ed Greshko's suggestion of removing the bad kernels and 
reinstalling but I still end up without Nouveau support in the newly 
installed kernel.

I believe it's not a UEFI boot, it's a Dell Latitude D630.

I did notice when I boot the old, working kernel, I see nouveau in the 
output of 'lsmod' but I do not see it in the output of lsmod when I boot 
the newer kernel.

Any idea what that could be about?

On 02/13/2014 11:24 PM, Ahmad Samir wrote:
> On 14 February 2014 05:50, Christopher Thielen <[e-mail]
> > wrote:
> Hi fedora-users,
>
> I think I broke my Fedora 20 Nouveau KMS when I tried out the nVidia
> driver.
>
>
> How did you install the nvidia driver?
>
> FWIW, I don't see anything in the kernel command line in your grub.cfg
> that would disable KMS for the two new kernels.
>
> Is your system using UEFI to boot? (if it is, then the relevant file is
> /boot/efi/EFI/fedora/grub.cfg).
>
> [....]
>
> --
> Ahmad Samir

[Ed Greshko]

On 02/15/14 10:16, Christopher Thielen wrote:
> I tried Ed Greshko's suggestion of removing the bad kernels and reinstalling but I still end up without Nouveau support in the newly installed kernel.
>
> I believe it's not a UEFI boot, it's a Dell Latitude D630.
>
> I did notice when I boot the old, working kernel, I see nouveau in the output of 'lsmod' but I do not see it in the output of lsmod when I boot the newer kernel.
>
> Any idea what that could be about?

I believe you said you installed the nVidia driver at some point.  But, you didn't mention the procedure as to how you did that.

One question, do you have a /usr/lib/modprobe.d/blacklist-nouveau.conf file or any *conf file in that directory that contains "blacklist nouveau"

[Christopher Thielen]

I believe I followed the instructions at 
http://www.if-not-true-then-false.com/2011/fedora-16-nvidia-drivers-install-... 
which are admittedly out of date.

I _did_ have a /usr/lib/modprobe.d/blacklist-nouveau.conf, thanks for 
suggesting that. I deleted it and rebooted: the updated kernel then 
seems to have modprobe'd nouveau about 1/3 of the way through the 
text-based progress bar and X.org did then use the Nouveau driver, use 
the correct resolution, etc.

The text-based progress bar still bugged me though so I tried removing 
the latest kernel again and re-installing it. That did it.

Everything works fine now. Not sure why I'd need to remove the newer 
kernel again but it's all working.

Thanks Ed and Ahmad!

- Christopher Thielen

On 02/14/2014 06:29 PM, Ed Greshko wrote:
> On 02/15/14 10:16, Christopher Thielen wrote:
> > I tried Ed Greshko's suggestion of removing the bad kernels and reinstalling but I still end up without Nouveau support in the newly installed kernel.
> >
> > I believe it's not a UEFI boot, it's a Dell Latitude D630.
> >
> > I did notice when I boot the old, working kernel, I see nouveau in the output of 'lsmod' but I do not see it in the output of lsmod when I boot the newer kernel.
> >
> > Any idea what that could be about?
>
> I believe you said you installed the nVidia driver at some point.  But, you didn't mention the procedure as to how you did that.
>
> One question, do you have a /usr/lib/modprobe.d/blacklist-nouveau.conf file or any *conf file in that directory that contains "blacklist nouveau"

[Ed Greshko]

On 02/16/14 06:06, Christopher Thielen wrote:
> I believe I followed the instructions at http://www.if-not-true-then-false.com/2011/fedora-16-nvidia-drivers-install-... which are admittedly out of date.
>
> I _did_ have a /usr/lib/modprobe.d/blacklist-nouveau.conf, thanks for suggesting that. I deleted it and rebooted: the updated kernel then seems to have modprobe'd nouveau about 1/3 of the way through the text-based progress bar and X.org did then use the Nouveau driver, use the correct resolution, etc.
>
> The text-based progress bar still bugged me though so I tried removing the latest kernel again and re-installing it. That did it.
>
> Everything works fine now. Not sure why I'd need to remove the newer kernel again but it's all working.

The reason removing and re-installing the new kernel got it working is that during that process "dracut" is run to generate a new initramfs which would still have the blacklist.  You could have manually run "dracut" and fixed it that way as well.

Happy to hear all is well.