Video goes blank for a couple of seconds and then comes back (SuSE 9.3)

Pierre Patino

31 Aug 2005 31 Aug '05

01:36

Greetings I've been experiencing an annoyance since I built this box. Every once in a while, a few times per day, the video goes blank for a couple of seconds and then comes back as if nothing happened. I'm using the nvidia-supplied drivers and the digital video output. Any clues? TIA&Cheers uname -a : Linux lbox 2.6.11.4-21.7-default #2 Tue Jun 21 14:21:54 PDT 2005 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux hwinfo --gfxcard: 27: PCI(AGP) 100.0: 0300 VGA compatible controller (VGA) [Created at pci.273] Unique ID: VCu0.Hj+k_rvGEWB Parent ID: vSkL.CP+qXDDqow8 SysFS ID: /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:01.0/0000:01:00.0 SysFS BusID: 0000:01:00.0 Hardware Class: graphics card Model: "nVidia GeForce FX 5200 (0x0322)" Vendor: pci 0x10de "nVidia Corporation" Device: pci 0x0322 "GeForce FX 5200 (0x0322)" Revision: 0xa1 Driver: "nvidia" Memory Range: 0xf6000000-0xf6ffffff (rw,non-prefetchable) Memory Range: 0xe0000000-0xefffffff (rw,prefetchable) Memory Range: 0xf7800000-0xf781ffff (ro,prefetchable,disabled) IRQ: 193 (2076818 events) I/O Ports: 0x3c0-0x3df (rw) Driver Info #0: XFree86 v4 Server Module: nv Driver Info #1: XFree86 v4 Server Module: nvidia 3D Support: yes Color Depths: 16 Extensions: Options: Config Status: cfg=yes, avail=yes, need=yes, active=unknown Attached to: #11 (PCI bridge) Primary display adapter: #27

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Scott Leighton

31 Aug 31 Aug

02:02

New subject: [suse-amd64] Video goes blank for a couple of seconds and then comes back (SuSE 9.3)

On Tuesday 30 August 2005 6:36 pm, Pierre Patino wrote:

...

Greetings

I've been experiencing an annoyance since I built this box. Every once in a while, a few times per day, the video goes blank for a couple of seconds and then comes back as if nothing happened. I'm using the nvidia-supplied drivers and the digital video output. Any clues? TIA&Cheers

Don't know if this is your problem, but I encountered a similar issue that proved to be a monitor that was going bad. After several weeks of symptoms, it died. Scott -- POPFile, the OpenSource EMail Classifier http://popfile.sourceforge.net/ Linux 2.6.11.4-21.8-default x86_64 SuSE Linux 9.3 (x86-64)

Pierre Patino

02:43

New subject: [suse-amd64] Video goes blank for a couple of seconds and then comes back (SuSE 9.3)

Scott Leighton wrote:

...

On Tuesday 30 August 2005 6:36 pm, Pierre Patino wrote:

...
Greetings

I've been experiencing an annoyance since I built this box. Every once in a while, a few times per day, the video goes blank for a couple of seconds and then comes back as if nothing happened. I'm using the nvidia-supplied drivers and the digital video output. Any clues? TIA&Cheers

Don't know if this is your problem, but I encountered a similar issue that proved to be a monitor that was going bad. After several weeks of symptoms, it died.

Scott

The thought crossed my mind but I tried a different graphics card and the problem never shows up. The other graphics card has another issue though so I cannot use it. The monitor is quite new too.

Ryan Biltz

2 Sep 2 Sep

20:28

New subject: [suse-amd64] Video goes blank for a couple of seconds and then comes back (SuSE 9.3)

What is the best way to automate online updates on suse? We use 9.x version on x86_64 machines. I'm looking for something that will automatically apply critical patches except for ones that have messages, for instance kernel updates. It would be nice if it informed me that a critical update is available to be installed. I've tried to perform autoupdate using the yast you autoupdate feature. I set the time and date I want the system to perform the update as normal. According to the log: /var/lib/YaST2/you/youlog no attempt is made by the system to perform an update at the specified time. I've also heard of fou4s. Does anyone have an opinion about this tool? Thanks. --ryan

Scott Leighton

3 Sep 3 Sep

02:29

New subject: [suse-amd64] Video goes blank for a couple of seconds and then comes back (SuSE 9.3)

On Friday 02 September 2005 1:28 pm, Ryan Biltz wrote:

...

What is the best way to automate online updates on suse? We use 9.x version on x86_64 machines. I'm looking for something that will automatically apply critical patches except for ones that have messages, for instance kernel updates. It would be nice if it informed me that a critical update is available to be installed. I've tried to perform autoupdate using the yast you autoupdate feature. I set the time and date I want the system to perform the update as normal. According to the log: /var/lib/YaST2/you/youlog no attempt is made by the system to perform an update at the specified time.

I've also heard of fou4s. Does anyone have an opinion about this tool? Thanks.

--ryan

You will have a lot better luck getting your question answered if you don't hijack threads. The subject has absolutely nothing to do with your question. Scott -- POPFile, the OpenSource EMail Classifier http://popfile.sourceforge.net/ Linux 2.6.11.4-21.8-default x86_64 SuSE Linux 9.3 (x86-64)

sean-lynch＠sean-lynch.com

31 Aug 31 Aug

12:05

New subject: [suse-amd64] Video goes blank for a couple of seconds and then comes back (SuSE 9.3)

Pierre, If you have an LCD monitor, try lowering the refresh rate. You may have to lower the resolution, or just adjust the screen size within the same resolution. I have a set of LCD monitors that are very sensitive to their refresh rate and show these symptoms. Sean On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 18:36:50 -0700 Pierre Patino wrote:

...

Greetings

I've been experiencing an annoyance since I built this box. Every once in a while, a few times per day, the video goes blank for a couple of seconds and then comes back as if nothing happened. I'm using the nvidia-supplied drivers and the digital video output. Any clues? TIA&Cheers

uname -a : Linux lbox 2.6.11.4-21.7-default #2 Tue Jun 21 14:21:54 PDT 2005 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

hwinfo --gfxcard:

27: PCI(AGP) 100.0: 0300 VGA compatible controller (VGA) [Created at pci.273] Unique ID: VCu0.Hj+k_rvGEWB Parent ID: vSkL.CP+qXDDqow8 SysFS ID: /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:01.0/0000:01:00.0 SysFS BusID: 0000:01:00.0 Hardware Class: graphics card Model: "nVidia GeForce FX 5200 (0x0322)" Vendor: pci 0x10de "nVidia Corporation" Device: pci 0x0322 "GeForce FX 5200 (0x0322)" Revision: 0xa1 Driver: "nvidia" Memory Range: 0xf6000000-0xf6ffffff (rw,non-prefetchable) Memory Range: 0xe0000000-0xefffffff (rw,prefetchable) Memory Range: 0xf7800000-0xf781ffff (ro,prefetchable,disabled) IRQ: 193 (2076818 events) I/O Ports: 0x3c0-0x3df (rw) Driver Info #0: XFree86 v4 Server Module: nv Driver Info #1: XFree86 v4 Server Module: nvidia 3D Support: yes Color Depths: 16 Extensions: Options: Config Status: cfg=yes, avail=yes, need=yes, active=unknown Attached to: #11 (PCI bridge)

Primary display adapter: #27

-- Check the List-Unsubscribe header to unsubscribe For additional commands, email: suse-amd64-help@suse.com

Pierre Patino

1 Sep 1 Sep

19:14

New subject: [suse-amd64] Video goes blank for a couple of seconds and then comes back (SuSE 9.3)

sean-lynch@sean-lynch.com wrote:

...

Pierre,

If you have an LCD monitor, try lowering the refresh rate. You may have to lower the resolution, or just adjust the screen size within the same resolution.

I have a set of LCD monitors that are very sensitive to their refresh rate and show these symptoms.

Sean

On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 18:36:50 -0700 Pierre Patino wrote:

...
Greetings

I've been experiencing an annoyance since I built this box. Every once in a while, a few times per day, the video goes blank for a couple of seconds and then comes back as if nothing happened. I'm using the nvidia-supplied drivers and the digital video output. Any clues? TIA&Cheers

<snip>

Th refresh is at 60Hz and the monitor is running at its native resolution of 1600x1200. Since I'm using the DVI, I have no screen size control. Hmmm... perhaps it is the monitor. Too bad I don't have a spare one to test.

Pierre Patino

23 Sep 23 Sep

17:56

New subject: [suse-amd64] Video goes blank for a couple of seconds and then comes back (SuSE 9.3) <Disappeared, Solved?>

Pierre Patino wrote:

...

sean-lynch@sean-lynch.com wrote:

...
Pierre,

If you have an LCD monitor, try lowering the refresh rate. You may have to lower the resolution, or just adjust the screen size within the same resolution.

I have a set of LCD monitors that are very sensitive to their refresh rate and show these symptoms.

Sean

On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 18:36:50 -0700 Pierre Patino wrote:

...
Greetings

I've been experiencing an annoyance since I built this box. Every once in a while, a few times per day, the video goes blank for a couple of seconds and then comes back as if nothing happened. I'm using the nvidia-supplied drivers and the digital video output. Any clues? TIA&Cheers

<snip>

Th refresh is at 60Hz and the monitor is running at its native resolution of 1600x1200. Since I'm using the DVI, I have no screen size control. Hmmm... perhaps it is the monitor. Too bad I don't have a spare one to test.

Well, I updated to the 2.6.13.1 kernel which also forced me to download the latest nvidia driver. The problem has disappeared thus I can no longer blame the monitor.

sean-lynch＠sean-lynch.com

24 Sep 24 Sep

12:28

New subject: [suse-amd64] Video goes blank for a couple of seconds and then comes back (SuSE 9.3) <Disappeared, Solved?>

I'm glad that the problem is solved. -Sean On Fri, 23 Sep 2005 10:55:35 -0700 Pierre Patino wrote:

...

Pierre Patino wrote:

...
sean-lynch@sean-lynch.com wrote:

...
Pierre,

If you have an LCD monitor, try lowering the refresh rate. You may have to lower the resolution, or just adjust the screen size within the same resolution.

I have a set of LCD monitors that are very sensitive to their refresh rate and show these symptoms.

Sean

On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 18:36:50 -0700 Pierre Patino wrote:

...
Greetings

I've been experiencing an annoyance since I built this box. Every once in a while, a few times per day, the video goes blank for a couple of seconds and then comes back as if nothing happened. I'm using the nvidia-supplied drivers and the digital video output. Any clues? TIA&Cheers

<snip>

Th refresh is at 60Hz and the monitor is running at its native resolution of 1600x1200. Since I'm using the DVI, I have no screen size control. Hmmm... perhaps it is the monitor. Too bad I don't have a spare one to test.

Well, I updated to the 2.6.13.1 kernel which also forced me to download the latest nvidia driver. The problem has disappeared thus I can no longer blame the monitor.

-- Check the List-Unsubscribe header to unsubscribe For additional commands, email: suse-amd64-help@suse.com

Steffen Moser

27 Sep 27 Sep

15:15

New subject: [suse-amd64] Video goes blank for a couple of seconds and then comes back (SuSE 9.3) <Disappeared, Solved?>

* On Fri, Sep 23, 2005 at 10:55 AM (-0700), Pierre Patino wrote:

...

Pierre Patino wrote:

...
sean-lynch@sean-lynch.com wrote:

...
Pierre,

If you have an LCD monitor, try lowering the refresh rate. You may have to lower the resolution, or just adjust the screen size within the same resolution.

I have a set of LCD monitors that are very sensitive to their refresh rate and show these symptoms.

Sean

On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 18:36:50 -0700 Pierre Patino wrote:

...
Greetings

I've been experiencing an annoyance since I built this box. Every once in a while, a few times per day, the video goes blank for a couple of seconds and then comes back as if nothing happened. I'm using the nvidia-supplied drivers and the digital video output. Any clues? TIA&Cheers

<snip>

Th refresh is at 60Hz and the monitor is running at its native resolution of 1600x1200. Since I'm using the DVI, I have no screen size control. Hmmm... perhaps it is the monitor. Too bad I don't have a spare one to test.

Well, I updated to the 2.6.13.1 kernel which also forced me to download the latest nvidia driver. The problem has disappeared thus I can no longer blame the monitor.

I noticed quite a similar problem after installing SuSE Linux 9.3 on a Dual Opteron system (mainboard: Tyan Thunder K8SE 2892G3NR) a few weeks ago: The console screen blanked irregularly after not having pressed any key for about few seconds, the system time ran quite fast (minutes ran almost as fast as seconds), the KDE screen saver appeared just a few seconds after an idle mouse or keyboard). I suppose, the first and the last observation were consequences of the second one. My assumption is that the much too fast system clock was caused by the CPU's and kernel's "powernow" feature that changed the CPU clock rate depending on the system load as it happend especially under heavy load (e.g. during decompressing archived files like RPMs), i.e. when the CPUs were switched from 1 GHz to 2 GHz. Unfortunately, I haven't tested further how the system reacts when setting the CPU clock rate to a fixed value (for example, "maximum performance" or "energy saving"). At that time I didn't know that this can be easily done from user space (or even by a SuSE tool that can be found in the task bar). Both, the SuSE kernel that came with SuSE 9.3 (linux-2.6.11.4-20a) and the one which was available via YOU at that time (linux-2.6.11.4-21.9), have shown the problem. After upgrading to a self-compiled vanilla kernel (linux-2.6.13.2) the problem just disappeared. Of course, the linux-2.6.13.2 is still making use of "powernow", that means: I've compiled this feature into the kernel and the CPUs' frequencies are still actually managed by SuSE's tools depending on load of the system. So perhaps that _might_ have been also the reason for the lanking that you recognized with your screen. Bye, Steffen

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participants (5)

Pierre Patino
Ryan Biltz
Scott Leighton
sean-lynch＠sean-lynch.com
Steffen Moser