recurring problem, booting to black screen with intel GPU

From: Robert P. J. Day
Date: Sat Dec 25 2010 - 17:43:24 EST



on my ubuntu laptop (gateway NV79), a 2.6.37-rc7+ kernel i just
built now boots to a black screen. no text mode, no virtual consoles,
nothing.

this is probably the best explanation:

http://www.oblurb.com/ubuntu-dell-latitude-e6510-intel-gpu-blank-screen.html

annoyingly, i'm currently running a 2.6.37-rc5+ hand-rolled kernel
that works fine, but this more recent kernel doesn't, and a kernel
*earlier* also doesn't work, so this issue seems to come and go.

here's another extended conversation on the same topic:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/600453

here's the relevant output from lspci:

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Core Processor
Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 12) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
Subsystem: Acer Incorporated [ALI] Device 031c
Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 41
Memory at d0000000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4M]
Memory at c0000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]
I/O ports at 3050 [size=8]
Expansion ROM at <unassigned> [disabled]
Capabilities: <access denied>
Kernel driver in use: i915
Kernel modules: i915

if i use "nomodeset", i can boot to the command line and no further.
i'm open to suggestions.

rday

--

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Robert P. J. Day Waterloo, Ontario, CANADA
http://crashcourse.ca

Twitter: http://twitter.com/rpjday
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