PCLinuxOS 2012 (kernel 2.6.38-pclos3) KDE 4.6.5 on Toshiba A305 with Intel GM45 graphics chipset - uses i915 driver (shown as i810 and later)

I thought this might be a freeze b/c this laptop gives me random black screens with working mouse which I cannot reproduce. At first I would Ctrl+Alt+BkSpace to restart X and would have to login again, but began to realize session is still active due to youtube sound continuing , mouse working,,,, just no desktop or icons.

Then I tried to launch new session via Ctrl+Alt F(1-6) and am able to login but not startx as it is already active. I finally stumbled upon Ctrl+Alt+F8 and I have my session back intact with desktop and all applications open as if nothing happened. I do not have to login.

This can happen just BEFORE login screen and/or during GUI sessions. Whether it happens before login or during session, if I Ctrl+Alt+F8 I have either the login or my session back. During sessions, it usually DOES NOT happen during intensive graphics.More often than not just sitting there and then I go to scroll or just touch the touchpad ( which works fine btw).

Now however, have discovered if during a GUI session, I right click on any area of the desktop that WOULD BE CONSIDERED blank desktop, I have my GUI session back. Do not have to Ctrl+Alt+F8. This I can reproduce after every event.

I have created new user, renamed ~.kde4, altered kwinrc, tried with and without desktop effects and several other fixes.

I can link to several dmesg, Xorg.0.log, .xsession-errors,kdm.log if necessary.

This has me stumped.

This is very, very unusual. The graphical desktop is usually on VT 7 - Ctrl + Alt + 7.

If you create a new user does this occur?

I cannot claim to be able to make much sense out of the OP talk, but the X server will be started on the first free TTY - what is handled during system startup (a/getty processes)

So if you have kdm launch a new session while there's sth. on tty7, you'll end up on tty8 - that's normal.

entire screen turning black an getting fixed through a full repaint (assuming the plasma "popup" still causes this, *sigh*) sounds like a framebuffer/damageevent issue - is this somehow triggered with fullscreen windows (like the screensaver!) or resuming form STR?

Am not launching a new session or switching users. Yes I thought GUI is run on TTY7, but GUI session (KDE) is apparently being launched on TTY8 with standard GUI login. No screensaver is in use. Not sure what is meant by the plasma popup issue. Yes this happens with new user. It can also happen JUST BEFORE graphical login.

TTY8 GUI session gets randomly "bumped" into blackscreen with working mouse. I can hear audio. So x session must still be going on. If I then Ctrl+Alt+Fn to TTY1-6 I get console login but cannot startx as it is " already in use". If I TTY7 I get what appears to be a verbose boot screen hung at "starting display manager".

If I CTRl+Alt+F8, I get my GUI desktop back WITHOUT havinf to login. Desktop and all windows opened to where they were BEFORE the event as if nothing happened.

These event almost always happen with little or NO graphics intensive action going on. If I hammer the laptop with Neverball, youtube, OO all open..... No event. But if I just let youtube sit or if I have desktop just idle, I can get bumped off into blackscreen.

These events (whether before login or during GUI session happen every 5 -10 boots and I cannot reproduce.

Now I have discovered that I don't need to Ctrl+Alt+F8. I can just guess where a blank area of the desktop would be IF IT WERE DISPLAYED, and right click and I have my GUI session back. The right click on empty desktop does reliably bring me back to GUI session.

Agreed, there is a windowing / plasma desktop problem. Someone else had similar issue in arch forums --> https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php ... 5#p1000445

This has been going on since last summer. No joy as of yet.

Given this happens before login as well as once logged in, and that KDM uses no advanced graphical capabilities what so ever, I would suspect the i810 driver here.

This is especially likely given that a full repaint fixes it. Unfortunately I am not sure of the steps to try to fix this - your best bet would be to Google for tweaks concerning that generation of Intel graphics.

Not sure what you mean by full repaint.

Yes, because "events" happen before login is curious as most cures for blackscreen isssues involve plasma, kde, kwin config files. However, it is fairly rare and have not had one before login in a while.

The fact that creating new user and renaming .kde4 does not fix this does point to a driver issue.[Just had one in the middle of this sentence]

I have a different laptop [Compaq CQ50] with the same Intel GM45 graphics and same pclos2012 installation that is NOT having any issues. This may or may not mean anything as there may be some hdwr configuration that is slightly different between the two laptops.

Someone else with "scrambled TTY screens" --> http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php? ... 476&page=2

[UPDATE] OK , have not disabled KDE desktop effects for a while but now just tried and should toggle effects with CTRL+Alt+F12 , but I get bumped into what appears to be a TTY (don't know which one) that looks like a dmesg or Xorg.0.log . Ctrl+Alt+F12 DOES NOT toggle back to GUI. Must CTRL+Alt+F8 to get the GUI back. Am wondering if TTY scrambling is happening or if the CTRl+Alt+Fn layout of this laptop is messed up.

Posting log messages will be more helpful. Will do that when time permits.

The dmesg TTY is usually F12.

Trio3b wrote:tried and should toggle effects with CTRL+Alt+F12

The shortcut is "alt+SHIFT+f12" - alt+CTRL+F<x> will always switch between VTs ...

oops sorry right you are.


I seem to recall NOT having this problem with an earlier version of pclos (2010.12). I believe kernel was 2.6.33.7 and X11-server-xorg was at 1.6.5-x.

I was able to install the earlier kernel as it is in the repos, but did not fix issue. I cannot try the earlier X11-server as it has been pulled from repos. Current version is at 1.10.x

Thought the Intel i915 driver is in the kernel. What role could Xorg X11-server upgrade play in this issue?

Thanks

The graphics driver is a combination of both the X server and Kernel.

As of 04-19 I have installed earlier version of pclos 2010.12 and will observe for several days.

Thanks