Brandon Turner
2009-Dec-15 16:40 UTC
[Xen-users] Nvidia drivers in Dom0 results in blank screen
Hello all, This is my first post to the list. I am fairly new to Xen. Recently I decided to try and get Xen running on my desktop to try out some new Linux distributions and play around with the Xen HVM stuff. I am trying to get the Nvidia binary drivers working on my Ubuntu Dom0. I have seen several pointers on the internet, and in this list''s archives, describing some success in getting the Nvidia drivers to work properly. Currently, when booting Dom0 the nvidia driver is loaded (no EE messages appear in xorg.0.log) but my screen is blank. Actually my screen is in power-save mode. I am unable to switch to the text console via Ctl+Alt+F1. Killing the X server does not bring my screen back. I can still log in via SSH, but the only way to get the screen out of power-save is to reboot the box. If I use the nv driver, I am able to use X and switch consoles. If I boot the exact same kernel without Xen, I am able to use the Nvidia drivers and switch consoles with no problems. I am currently running: xen-3.4.2 Ubuntu 9.10 (with Grub2) x86_64 A custom built 2.6.31.6 kernel Latest Nvidia drivers (I have tried 190.42 and 195.22 beta) GeForce 8600 GTS graphics card I used the kernel sources at git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/jeremy/xen.git to build my kernel and installed xen from source using make install-xen, make install-tools, make install-stubdom. I installed the Nvidia drivers using: IGNORE_XEN_PRESENCE=y CC="gcc -DNV_VMAP_4_PRESENT -DNV_SIGNAL_STRUCT_RLIM" ./NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-###.##-pkg2.run Does anyone have any suggestions I might try? I have compared the Xorg logs between booting the kernel without Xen and booting the kernel with Xen and they look almost the same (dates changed, but everything else identical). I am not passing a vga parameter to the kernel. I can''t understand why once X is started with the Nvidia drivers I lose my monitors, even if I kill X or try to switch to a text console. Thanks in advance for any help! Brandon _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
Andrew Lyon
2009-Dec-15 18:58 UTC
Re: [Xen-users] Nvidia drivers in Dom0 results in blank screen
On Tue, Dec 15, 2009 at 4:40 PM, Brandon Turner <bturner@bltweb.net> wrote:> Hello all, > > This is my first post to the list. I am fairly new to Xen. Recently I > decided to try and get Xen running on my desktop to try out some new > Linux distributions and play around with the Xen HVM stuff. I am trying > to get the Nvidia binary drivers working on my Ubuntu Dom0. I have seen > several pointers on the internet, and in this list''s archives, > describing some success in getting the Nvidia drivers to work properly. > > Currently, when booting Dom0 the nvidia driver is loaded (no EE messages > appear in xorg.0.log) but my screen is blank. Actually my screen is in > power-save mode. I am unable to switch to the text console via > Ctl+Alt+F1. Killing the X server does not bring my screen back. I can > still log in via SSH, but the only way to get the screen out of > power-save is to reboot the box. If I use the nv driver, I am able to > use X and switch consoles. If I boot the exact same kernel without Xen, > I am able to use the Nvidia drivers and switch consoles with no problems. > > I am currently running: > xen-3.4.2 > Ubuntu 9.10 (with Grub2) x86_64 > A custom built 2.6.31.6 kernel > Latest Nvidia drivers (I have tried 190.42 and 195.22 beta) > GeForce 8600 GTS graphics card > > I used the kernel sources at > git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/jeremy/xen.git to build my > kernel and installed xen from source using make install-xen, make > install-tools, make install-stubdom. > > I installed the Nvidia drivers using: > IGNORE_XEN_PRESENCE=y CC="gcc -DNV_VMAP_4_PRESENT > -DNV_SIGNAL_STRUCT_RLIM" ./NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-###.##-pkg2.run > > > Does anyone have any suggestions I might try? I have compared the Xorg > logs between booting the kernel without Xen and booting the kernel with > Xen and they look almost the same (dates changed, but everything else > identical). I am not passing a vga parameter to the kernel. I can''t > understand why once X is started with the Nvidia drivers I lose my > monitors, even if I kill X or try to switch to a text console. > > Thanks in advance for any help! > Brandon > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Xen-users mailing list > Xen-users@lists.xensource.com > http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users >Nvidia binary drivers do not work with pv_ops dom0 kernel, it is possible to get them working with a "classic" dom0 kernel (i.e forward ported 2.6.18 patches) but it requires some kludges and only works on certain kernel versions. Andy _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
Brandon Turner
2009-Dec-15 21:24 UTC
Re: [Xen-users] Nvidia drivers in Dom0 results in blank screen
On 12/15/2009 12:58 PM, Andrew Lyon wrote:> On Tue, Dec 15, 2009 at 4:40 PM, Brandon Turner <bturner@bltweb.net> wrote: > >> I am trying >> to get the Nvidia binary drivers working on my Ubuntu Dom0. >> >> I used the kernel sources at >> git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/jeremy/xen.git to build my >> kernel > Nvidia binary drivers do not work with pv_ops dom0 kernel, it is > possible to get them working with a "classic" dom0 kernel (i.e forward > ported 2.6.18 patches) but it requires some kludges and only works on > certain kernel versions. > > Andy >Thank you. I''m not sure how I missed this. It was even discussed on this list back in July: http://lists.xensource.com/archives/html/xen-users/2009-07/msg00333.html I read on the Xen Wiki (http://wiki.xensource.com/xenwiki/XenDom0Kernels) that future Xen versions (3.5/4.0) will default to the pv_ops dom0 kernel. As most of the Nvidia drivers are distributed in binary format, does this mean that Nvidia would have to modify their driver code (aka specifically support Xen pv_ops dom0) for this to work with future Xen versions? In this case it probably wouldn''t be wise for me to go down the binary drivers path and should either try something else or settle on nv. Does anyone know how long the "old-style" dom0 kernel will be supported? Will Xen 3.5/4.0 support both, with pv-ops as the default, or is the idea to eventually drop the old-style kernel. As a noob to Xen, what is the significance of kernel version 2.6.18? Did something in the kernel change that doesn''t allow for an older style dom0 kernels, or is it just more effort then its worth to branch the newer releases (especially with all the pv_ops success). Brandon _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
Pasi Kärkkäinen
2009-Dec-16 07:16 UTC
Re: [Xen-users] Nvidia drivers in Dom0 results in blank screen
On Tue, Dec 15, 2009 at 03:24:30PM -0600, Brandon Turner wrote:> > On 12/15/2009 12:58 PM, Andrew Lyon wrote: > > On Tue, Dec 15, 2009 at 4:40 PM, Brandon Turner <bturner@bltweb.net> wrote: > > > >> I am trying > >> to get the Nvidia binary drivers working on my Ubuntu Dom0. > >> > >> I used the kernel sources at > >> git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/jeremy/xen.git to build my > >> kernel > > Nvidia binary drivers do not work with pv_ops dom0 kernel, it is > > possible to get them working with a "classic" dom0 kernel (i.e forward > > ported 2.6.18 patches) but it requires some kludges and only works on > > certain kernel versions. > > > > Andy > > > > Thank you. I''m not sure how I missed this. It was even discussed on > this list back in July: > http://lists.xensource.com/archives/html/xen-users/2009-07/msg00333.html > > I read on the Xen Wiki > (http://wiki.xensource.com/xenwiki/XenDom0Kernels) that future Xen > versions (3.5/4.0) will default to the pv_ops dom0 kernel. As most of > the Nvidia drivers are distributed in binary format, does this mean that > Nvidia would have to modify their driver code (aka specifically support > Xen pv_ops dom0) for this to work with future Xen versions? In this > case it probably wouldn''t be wise for me to go down the binary drivers > path and should either try something else or settle on nv. > > Does anyone know how long the "old-style" dom0 kernel will be > supported? Will Xen 3.5/4.0 support both, with pv-ops as the default, > or is the idea to eventually drop the old-style kernel. As a noob to > Xen, what is the significance of kernel version 2.6.18? Did something > in the kernel change that doesn''t allow for an older style dom0 kernels, > or is it just more effort then its worth to branch the newer releases > (especially with all the pv_ops success). >Xen 4.0 will have the pv_ops dom0 as the default kernel, but 2.6.18-xen will be supported aswell, afaik. 2.6.18-xen has been the default for so long because that''s what Citrix uses in their commercial Citrix XenServer products. Another reason is the fact that the 2.6.18-xen patches had to be rewritten to be acceptable into upstream Linux.. and that has taken long, first the general pv_ops framework had to be written, then the domU support for pv_ops, and now finally dom0 support. -- Pasi _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
Michael D Labriola
2009-Dec-17 12:24 UTC
Re: [Xen-users] Nvidia drivers in Dom0 results in blank screen
xen-users-bounces@lists.xensource.com wrote on 12/16/2009 02:16:27 AM:> On Tue, Dec 15, 2009 at 03:24:30PM -0600, Brandon Turner wrote: > > > > On 12/15/2009 12:58 PM, Andrew Lyon wrote: > > > On Tue, Dec 15, 2009 at 4:40 PM, Brandon Turner <bturner@bltweb. > net> wrote: > > > > > >> I am trying > > >> to get the Nvidia binary drivers working on my Ubuntu Dom0. > > >> > > >> I used the kernel sources at > > >> git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/jeremy/xen.git tobuild my> > >> kernel > > > Nvidia binary drivers do not work with pv_ops dom0 kernel, it is > > > possible to get them working with a "classic" dom0 kernel (i.eforward> > > ported 2.6.18 patches) but it requires some kludges and only workson> > > certain kernel versions. > > >Oh, bugger. I hadn''t gotten to testing this yet... :-(> > > Andy > > > > > > > Thank you. I''m not sure how I missed this. It was even discussed on > > this list back in July: > >http://lists.xensource.com/archives/html/xen-users/2009-07/msg00333.html> > > > I read on the Xen Wiki > > (http://wiki.xensource.com/xenwiki/XenDom0Kernels) that future Xen > > versions (3.5/4.0) will default to the pv_ops dom0 kernel. As most of > > the Nvidia drivers are distributed in binary format, does this meanthat> > Nvidia would have to modify their driver code (aka specificallysupport> > Xen pv_ops dom0) for this to work with future Xen versions? In this > > case it probably wouldn''t be wise for me to go down the binary drivers > > path and should either try something else or settle on nv. > > > > Does anyone know how long the "old-style" dom0 kernel will be > > supported? Will Xen 3.5/4.0 support both, with pv-ops as the default, > > or is the idea to eventually drop the old-style kernel. As a noob to > > Xen, what is the significance of kernel version 2.6.18? Did something > > in the kernel change that doesn''t allow for an older style dom0kernels,> > or is it just more effort then its worth to branch the newer releases > > (especially with all the pv_ops success). > > > > Xen 4.0 will have the pv_ops dom0 as the default kernel, but 2.6.18-xen > will be supported aswell, afaik. > > 2.6.18-xen has been the default for so long because that''s what Citrix > uses in their commercial Citrix XenServer products. > > Another reason is the fact that the 2.6.18-xen patches had to be > rewritten to be acceptable into upstream Linux.. and that has taken > long, first the general pv_ops framework had to be written, then the > domU support for pv_ops, and now finally dom0 support. >Anyone have any idea when/if the NVIDIA drivers will work with a pv_ops dom0? What if I manage to get VGA passthrough to a domU? Will the NVIDIA drivers work there? How about alternatives video cards... The only feature of the NVIDIA driver that we really required was enabling a second monitor, which didn''t work with the opensource ''nv'' driver. Would an ATI card fare better here? -Mike _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
Andrew Lyon
2009-Dec-17 12:36 UTC
Re: [Xen-users] Nvidia drivers in Dom0 results in blank screen
2009/12/17 Michael D Labriola <mlabriol@gdeb.com>:> xen-users-bounces@lists.xensource.com wrote on 12/16/2009 02:16:27 AM: > >> On Tue, Dec 15, 2009 at 03:24:30PM -0600, Brandon Turner wrote: >> > >> > On 12/15/2009 12:58 PM, Andrew Lyon wrote: >> > > On Tue, Dec 15, 2009 at 4:40 PM, Brandon Turner <bturner@bltweb. >> net> wrote: >> > > >> > >> I am trying >> > >> to get the Nvidia binary drivers working on my Ubuntu Dom0. >> > >> >> > >> I used the kernel sources at >> > >> git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/jeremy/xen.git to > build my >> > >> kernel >> > > Nvidia binary drivers do not work with pv_ops dom0 kernel, it is >> > > possible to get them working with a "classic" dom0 kernel (i.e > forward >> > > ported 2.6.18 patches) but it requires some kludges and only works > on >> > > certain kernel versions. >> > > > > Oh, bugger. I hadn''t gotten to testing this yet... :-( > >> > > Andy >> > > >> > >> > Thank you. I''m not sure how I missed this. It was even discussed on >> > this list back in July: >> > > http://lists.xensource.com/archives/html/xen-users/2009-07/msg00333.html >> > >> > I read on the Xen Wiki >> > (http://wiki.xensource.com/xenwiki/XenDom0Kernels) that future Xen >> > versions (3.5/4.0) will default to the pv_ops dom0 kernel. As most of >> > the Nvidia drivers are distributed in binary format, does this mean > that >> > Nvidia would have to modify their driver code (aka specifically > support >> > Xen pv_ops dom0) for this to work with future Xen versions? In this >> > case it probably wouldn''t be wise for me to go down the binary drivers >> > path and should either try something else or settle on nv. >> > >> > Does anyone know how long the "old-style" dom0 kernel will be >> > supported? Will Xen 3.5/4.0 support both, with pv-ops as the default, >> > or is the idea to eventually drop the old-style kernel. As a noob to >> > Xen, what is the significance of kernel version 2.6.18? Did something >> > in the kernel change that doesn''t allow for an older style dom0 > kernels, >> > or is it just more effort then its worth to branch the newer releases >> > (especially with all the pv_ops success). >> > >> >> Xen 4.0 will have the pv_ops dom0 as the default kernel, but 2.6.18-xen >> will be supported aswell, afaik. >> >> 2.6.18-xen has been the default for so long because that''s what Citrix >> uses in their commercial Citrix XenServer products. >> >> Another reason is the fact that the 2.6.18-xen patches had to be >> rewritten to be acceptable into upstream Linux.. and that has taken >> long, first the general pv_ops framework had to be written, then the >> domU support for pv_ops, and now finally dom0 support. >> > > Anyone have any idea when/if the NVIDIA drivers will work with a pv_ops > dom0? >The code to make the nvidia binary drivers work with classic xen patched kernels was contributed as a patch by somebody outside of nvidia, they merged the code but I don''t think they actively support it, so it is unlikely that they will support pv_ops when running on xen.> What if I manage to get VGA passthrough to a domU? Will the NVIDIA > drivers work there? >They should work.> How about alternatives video cards... The only feature of the NVIDIA > driver that we really required was enabling a second monitor, which didn''t > work with the opensource ''nv'' driver. Would an ATI card fare better here? >I''ve recently stopped using nvidia cards on my xen systems because I needed to be able to debug problems without having a tainted kernel, I am now using radeon hd2400 and x1950 cards, the x1950''s have excellent 3d/2d support in the open source driver and can be found on ebay very cheaply.> -Mike > > > _______________________________________________ > Xen-users mailing list > Xen-users@lists.xensource.com > http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users >_______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
Brandon Turner
2009-Dec-17 15:24 UTC
Re: [Xen-users] Nvidia drivers in Dom0 results in blank screen
On 12/17/2009 06:36 AM, Andrew Lyon wrote:> > I''ve recently stopped using nvidia cards on my xen systems because I > needed to be able to debug problems without having a tainted kernel, I > am now using radeon hd2400 and x1950 cards, the x1950''s have excellent > 3d/2d support in the open source driver and can be found on ebay very > cheaply. >Using the repurposed openSUSE 2.6.31 patches, I was able to build a xenified kernel that works with Ubuntu 9.10 and the nvidia-drivers - so I now have 3d acceleration under Xen! However I still cannot switch to a console. Switching to a console (Ctrl+Alt+F1) blanks the screen. I can switch back to X via Ctrl+Alt+F7 with no problems. If I need to restart gdm or X for some reason, I have to restart the computer as restarting X blanks the screen as well and it won''t come back until a reboot. Do you experience anything similar with the ATI drivers? Are you using the open source driver for both of your ATI cards? Brandon _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users