Mint 17 + mdm + user switch + nvidia = Black Screen
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Mint 17 + mdm + user switch + nvidia = Black Screen
I recently did a fresh installed of Mint 17, KDE on an HP Pavilion a6700y http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/docu ... c=en&lc=en
Using an NVIDIA GeForce 600 series card. (GeForce GT 640)
I initially just accepted the out-of-the-box defaults to see how things work out.
I initially used no proprietary drivers.
I have 4 users on this installation.
The first thing that I found was that using user switch, with mdm consistently resulted in a black screen, with no apparent way to recover (alt+f7, f8... helped sometimes).
So then after reading the release notes, I installed the 304 NVIDIA driver. Not much difference.
I then replaced mdm with kdm and things seemed much more stable, but occasionally the users are left with a blank screen and mouse cursor when they switch.
I tried installing the latest kernel, but that just created a kernel panic.
Thank goodness I could use the intel onboard video to uninstall that kernel.
It also gave me a chance to notice the black screen with the intel video driver.
So what happened between Mint 14 KDE and Mint 17 KDE? 14 was rock solid. I realize that say, NVIDIA, Ubuntu/Debian pieces, and KDE are out of Mint's control, but I'm just trying to figure out
which pieces I need to concentrate on to increase stability (ie, stop blank screens and kernel panics).
I have a somewhat stable PC now. We'll see if subsequent updates help stabilize it.
Thanks.
-Hinto
Using an NVIDIA GeForce 600 series card. (GeForce GT 640)
I initially just accepted the out-of-the-box defaults to see how things work out.
I initially used no proprietary drivers.
I have 4 users on this installation.
The first thing that I found was that using user switch, with mdm consistently resulted in a black screen, with no apparent way to recover (alt+f7, f8... helped sometimes).
So then after reading the release notes, I installed the 304 NVIDIA driver. Not much difference.
I then replaced mdm with kdm and things seemed much more stable, but occasionally the users are left with a blank screen and mouse cursor when they switch.
I tried installing the latest kernel, but that just created a kernel panic.
Thank goodness I could use the intel onboard video to uninstall that kernel.
It also gave me a chance to notice the black screen with the intel video driver.
So what happened between Mint 14 KDE and Mint 17 KDE? 14 was rock solid. I realize that say, NVIDIA, Ubuntu/Debian pieces, and KDE are out of Mint's control, but I'm just trying to figure out
which pieces I need to concentrate on to increase stability (ie, stop blank screens and kernel panics).
I have a somewhat stable PC now. We'll see if subsequent updates help stabilize it.
Thanks.
-Hinto
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
Re: Mint 17 + mdm + user switch + nvidia = Black Screen
See if http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=168108 helps.
I had to modify my GRUB file by uncommenting out two things. The above forum helped me, though I needed to use a different command to open the Grub. I used:
gksu gedit /etc/default/grub
Remove the comment (#) from two lines then save it:
GRUB_TERMINAL=console
Grub_GFXMODE=640x480
Run the update:
sudo update-grub
Then my control alt f1 worked -- takes me to tty1 prompt. control alt f8 now takes me back.
But the above forum had additional steps -- I didn't need the additional steps. And the above forum used a different command to get the grub edited (sudo pluma..) but that command didn't work for me (again I used the gksu gedit command).
I'm a total novice. So perhaps this won't help. Good luck.
I had to modify my GRUB file by uncommenting out two things. The above forum helped me, though I needed to use a different command to open the Grub. I used:
gksu gedit /etc/default/grub
Remove the comment (#) from two lines then save it:
GRUB_TERMINAL=console
Grub_GFXMODE=640x480
Run the update:
sudo update-grub
Then my control alt f1 worked -- takes me to tty1 prompt. control alt f8 now takes me back.
But the above forum had additional steps -- I didn't need the additional steps. And the above forum used a different command to get the grub edited (sudo pluma..) but that command didn't work for me (again I used the gksu gedit command).
I'm a total novice. So perhaps this won't help. Good luck.
Re: Mint 17 + mdm + user switch + nvidia = Black Screen
Thanks.
I'll give it a try.
-Hinto
I'll give it a try.
-Hinto
Re: Mint 17 + mdm + user switch + nvidia = Black Screen
Unfortunately user switching is broken in mdm (Mint 16 and 17), which makes a multi-user (shared) desktop system with Mint completely unusable:The first thing that I found was that using user switch, with mdm consistently resulted in a black screen, with no apparent way to recover
https://github.com/linuxmint/mdm/issues/90
Update:
As a workaround to this problem, lightdm may be used as an mdm replacement.
Note: mdm needs to be removed for user switching to work, otherwise you just get a message that "MDM (MDM Display Manager) is not running".
Code: Select all
apt-get install lightdm lightdm-gtk-greeter
apt-get purge mdm
Re: Mint 17 + mdm + user switch + nvidia = Black Screen
Not to sway the conversation away from the OP's user-switching mdm woes, but I've also noticed that coming out of a "SLEEP" (suspend to RAM) that occasionally I get just a desktop and movable mouse cursor, but no clicks or CTRL+ALT+F1 works. My conky script and the system clock are not updating, so it looks frozen, but yet the mouse moves freely.
The reason I bring this up here is, could it also be an mdm problem, coming out of SLEEP? I will install lightdm and purge mdm and see.
The reason I bring this up here is, could it also be an mdm problem, coming out of SLEEP? I will install lightdm and purge mdm and see.
Main Comp: i7-4770K @ 3.5GHz + nVidia 760GTX + 16GB RAM + SSD + HDD²
Linux Mint 17.2 - KDE 4.14.2 - kernel 3.16.0-38-generic
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Linux Mint 17.2 - KDE 4.14.2 - kernel 3.16.0-38-generic
Join me and become a Linux Mint Community Sponsor and share some love! (for as little as USD$20 a month)
Re: Mint 17 + mdm + user switch + nvidia = Black Screen
I *think* it's also coupled with kde's "switch users" being broken.
I've seen various posts with various distros on the we.
-Hinto
I've seen various posts with various distros on the we.
-Hinto
Re: Mint 17 + mdm + user switch + nvidia = Black Screen
I have the exact same problem:
-Mint Qiana Cinnamon "V2" 64bit.
-Asus GTX750-Ti
-Change User lead to a black screen (and if I wait until about 1 minutes it come back to my session with an error message "Impossible to start a new display").
-Cannot use mint properly in a familly (multi-user) configuration.
-Mint Qiana Cinnamon "V2" 64bit.
-Asus GTX750-Ti
-Change User lead to a black screen (and if I wait until about 1 minutes it come back to my session with an error message "Impossible to start a new display").
-Cannot use mint properly in a familly (multi-user) configuration.
Re: Mint 17 + mdm + user switch + nvidia = Black Screen
Still not solved. Not just KDE, same problem with Cinnamon and MATE (same mdm ?).
Last edited by hellwoodfire on Sat Mar 14, 2015 4:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Mint 17 + mdm + user switch + nvidia = Black Screen
Does this bug appear only with some nvidia models (I have the problem with a GTX 750 Ti) ?
Is there any nvidia cards that does not have this problem ?
Is there any nvidia cards that does not have this problem ?
Re: Mint 17 + mdm + user switch + nvidia = Black Screen
i've had a gtx 760 in my linux box, and have been suffering through a myriad of freezeups and unpleasantries, holding out for that day when that little version description prophecy "improved compatibility / better support with nvidia cards / drivers" came true.
after I had 17.2 freeze up, I gave up. just this past weekend I threw the 760 into the one windows box I have left (running 10 nicely, btw), rendering the "Intel HD Graphics 2000" half of that i3 processor moot, and dropped $95 on a r7 250. That seems to be getting along quite nicely with 17.2 kde.
after I had 17.2 freeze up, I gave up. just this past weekend I threw the 760 into the one windows box I have left (running 10 nicely, btw), rendering the "Intel HD Graphics 2000" half of that i3 processor moot, and dropped $95 on a r7 250. That seems to be getting along quite nicely with 17.2 kde.
Re: Mint 17 + mdm + user switch + nvidia = Black Screen
I have nvidia GTX460 and the problem started at most 6 months ago. When I switch user and enter password I get forwarded to black screen with underscore blinking. I could use GDM, but then switch user button does not work from the mint (start) menu. I could send some logs if anyone is interested
Is this correct place to report? There are other issues too like when screensaver goes on, it asks for password for passwordless user and I cant log in - wrong password message, etc...
Is this correct place to report? There are other issues too like when screensaver goes on, it asks for password for passwordless user and I cant log in - wrong password message, etc...
Re: Mint 17 + mdm + user switch + nvidia = Black Screen
in my [limited] experience, i've had the exact same thing happen. To prevent it, I assign a password to all accounts but then add the users to the nopasswd group. Search the forums for managing the nopasswd group for your particular version & DE (17.2 KDE has made this extremely easy, but previous versions required a few steps).reppa wrote:...when screensaver goes on, it asks for password for passwordless user and I cant log in - wrong password message, etc...
you can try and de-select the checkbox under the screensaver (power management) to "require password on resume" but in my experience this can be flaky and doesn't always work. note, too, this is a user-specific setting. just because you change it as an admin won't change it for all users.
Re: Mint 17 + mdm + user switch + nvidia = Black Screen
Problem was solved for me when I added "nomodeset" in my grub configuration.
(I am currently on Mint 17.3 Cinnamon with kernel version 4.2.0-19, so I'm not sure if it's only the "nomodeset" that fixed the problem or also the combination of my system version. I mean: because I also upgraded the kernel to 4.2.0-19... and I had the problem before upgrading to 17.3 and before upgrading the kernel.
But for sure when I remove the "nomodeset" setting in grub, the problem reappear again.
(I am currently on Mint 17.3 Cinnamon with kernel version 4.2.0-19, so I'm not sure if it's only the "nomodeset" that fixed the problem or also the combination of my system version. I mean: because I also upgraded the kernel to 4.2.0-19... and I had the problem before upgrading to 17.3 and before upgrading the kernel.
But for sure when I remove the "nomodeset" setting in grub, the problem reappear again.