On my new laptop (Asus S62E), entering CTL-ALT-F<n> in X to switch to virtual terminal <n> results in a blank (but not totally black) screen. The switch is made -- I can type into the terminal, but can see nothing. Switching back, or to another terminal running an X session, succeeds. This occurs under Debian, either etch with the 2.6.18 kernel and vesa driver, or lenny (testing) with the 2.6.22 kernel and intel or vesa drivers. Under Knoppix there is no such problem. My xorg.conf: # xorg.conf (xorg X Window System server configuration file) # ... Section "Files" EndSection Section "InputDevice" Identifier "Generic Keyboard" Driver "kbd" Option "CoreKeyboard" Option "XkbRules" "xorg" Option "XkbModel" "pc104" Option "XkbLayout" "us" EndSection Section "InputDevice" Identifier "Configured Mouse" Driver "mouse" Option "CorePointer" Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice" Option "Protocol" "ImPS/2" Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true" EndSection Section "InputDevice" Identifier "Synaptics Touchpad" Driver "synaptics" Option "SendCoreEvents" "true" Option "Device" "/dev/psaux" Option "Protocol" "auto-dev" Option "HorizScrollDelta" "0" Option "SHMConfig" "on" Option "RightEdge" "5980" EndSection Section "Device" Identifier "Intel Corporation Mobile GM965/GL960 Integrated Graphics Controller" Driver "intel" BusID "PCI:0:2:0" Option "UseFBDev" "true" EndSection Section "Monitor" Identifier "Generic Monitor" Option "DPMS" HorizSync 30-70 VertRefresh 50-160 EndSection Section "Screen" Identifier "Default Screen" Device "Intel Corporation Mobile GM965/GL960 Integrated Graphics Controller" Monitor "Generic Monitor" DefaultDepth 24 SubSection "Display" Modes "1280x800" "800x600" EndSubSection EndSection Section "ServerLayout" Identifier "Default Layout" Screen "Default Screen" InputDevice "Generic Keyboard" InputDevice "Configured Mouse" InputDevice "Synaptics Touchpad" EndSection I tried setting UseFBDev to false; no change. Suggestions? -- Bill Brelsford k2di7@att.net

Bill Brelsford <k2di7@att.net> wrote: > On my new laptop (Asus S62E), entering CTL-ALT-F<n> in X to switch > to virtual terminal <n> results in a blank (but not totally black) > screen. The switch is made -- I can type into the terminal, but > can see nothing. Switching back, or to another terminal running an > X session, succeeds. I do not completly understand what you mean by "Switching back, ... succeeds". But I have a suggestion on other things you can look into below. > This occurs under Debian, either etch with the 2.6.18 kernel and > > Suggestions? <snip> I cannot comment specifically on Debian, but you may want to check: /etc/X11/xorg.conf -- Verify "DontVTSwitch" is commented out seems to be from your xorg file /etc/inittab -- Check for something similar, in slackware this creates virtual terminals 1 -- 6 c1:1235:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty1 linux c2:1235:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty2 linux c3:1235:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty3 linux c4:1235:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty4 linux c5:1235:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty5 linux c6:12345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty6 linux ^^^^ Run Levels, 4 = when using XDM/KDM/GDM In Slackware, Run level 4 means you are using X/G/KDM, so you only get 1 virtual terminal, for CTL-ALT-F6, otherwise you get 6 console terms. HTH Jack -- To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. -- Theodore Roosevelt

On 2007-12-12, Jack McCue <j_mccue@SPAMisBADcomcast.net> wrote: > > > In Slackware, Run level 4 means you are using X/G/KDM, so > you only get 1 virtual terminal, for CTL-ALT-F6, otherwise > you get 6 console terms. > In Debian, run levels 2-6 are identical by default. Recent versions of Ubuntu don't have an /etc/inittab, they use /etc/event.d/ instead.

Jack McCue <j_mccue@SPAMisBADcomcast.net> wrote: > Bill Brelsford <k2di7@att.net> wrote: >> On my new laptop (Asus S62E), entering CTL-ALT-F<n> in X to switch >> to virtual terminal <n> results in a blank (but not totally black) >> screen. The switch is made -- I can type into the terminal, but >> can see nothing. Switching back, or to another terminal running an >> X session, succeeds. > I do not completly understand what you mean by > "Switching back, ... succeeds". I have six virtual terminals defined in /etc/inittab, so my X session ends up on VT7. By switching back, I mean that after, say, CTL-ALT-F4 I can do CTL-ALT-F7 and my X session re-appears. > But I have a suggestion on other things you can look into below. > >> This occurs under Debian, either etch with the 2.6.18 kernel and >> >> Suggestions? > <snip> > > I cannot comment specifically on Debian, but you may > want to check: > /etc/X11/xorg.conf -- Verify "DontVTSwitch" is commented out > seems to be from your xorg file It's not present. > /etc/inittab -- Check for something similar, in slackware > this creates virtual terminals 1 -- 6 > c1:1235:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty1 linux > c2:1235:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty2 linux > c3:1235:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty3 linux > c4:1235:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty4 linux > c5:1235:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty5 linux > c6:12345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty6 linux As mentioned above, I have six defined. And they work fine -- until I try to switch to them from X. Even then they're there, I just can't see anything when I switch to them. -- Bill Brelsford k2di7@att.net

That's the kind of framebuffer conflict (kernel vs X) I suspected. I just installed the cutting-edge version of Debian (sid/unstable), which includes an updated version of X. The problem no longer occurs, so hopefully it was a bug that has been fixed.. Thanks all for the comments/suggestions. Jurgen Haan <jurgen@fake.dom> wrote: > I've had something similar. > Not that it was black, but rather corrupted. > It seems that in some cases, the kernel framebuffer conflicts with the X > driver. You could try setting the videomode in your grub/lilo to text > and try a reboot. Text only should work, but you'll be unable to use > your boot splash. You can also try alternating framebuffer drivers > and/or X drivers, in order to get a setup that works. > > -R- > > Bill Brelsford wrote: >> On my new laptop (Asus S62E), entering CTL-ALT-F<n> in X to switch >> to virtual terminal <n> results in a blank (but not totally black) >> screen. The switch is made -- I can type into the terminal, but >> can see nothing. Switching back, or to another terminal running an >> X session, succeeds. >> >> This occurs under Debian, either etch with the 2.6.18 kernel and >> vesa driver, or lenny (testing) with the 2.6.22 kernel and intel or >> vesa drivers. Under Knoppix there is no such problem. -- Bill Brelsford k2di7@att.net

Tim Roberts <timr@probo.com> wrote: > j_mccue@SPAMisBADcomcast.net (Jack McCue) wrote: >> >>In Slackware, Run level 4 means you are using X/G/KDM, so <snip> > > Is that correct? I find that a very odd choice on their part. In all of > the Red Hat and Debian based distributions, the use of xdm does not disable > the console VTs. Sorry, I was not too clear/verbose on this part, what you end up with is one Xsession login via g/x/kdm (gdm is gone in later releases). and one text virtual terminal on tty6. > > I'd be ticked off if I could pop over to a text-mode console for a minute. I agree with this also. regards jack -- To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. -- Theodore Roosevelt