How can software get that broken
So I update my main workstation running Linux to the latest, greatest X.org release. To my surprise the already not so fast xf86-video-nv driver stopped working entirely. I get no video signal either on the laptop’s internal LVDS panel, nor the external, DVI port. As quick, even slower, fallback at least xf86-video-vesa still worked. Just on the internal display, of course. At least something. However, my biggest surprise was still ahead: The keyboard layout kept constantly changing! Between English(US) and German(DE) !!!! How am I supposed to type, work, that way, heh? Even entering my login password became a challenge only cut’n paste could solve, …
How the heck can software regress that majorly. Ok, well. Random hacking might explain it. Too many cooks spoil the broth. But really. ‘nough is ‘nough. The X.org machinery worked better 10 years ago in the days of XFree86 on my then 120MHz Intel Pentium, 233MHz IDT Winchip 2(a or so). Certainly some S3 Virge3D, later Matrox graphic cards.
Update: Good old modeline stuff segfaulting, yuck:
Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault.
(gdb) bt
#0 0×0000000000000000 in ?? ()
#1 0×0000000000487813 in xf86CrtcSetModeTransform (crtc=0×7f3f80, mode=0×7f4068, rotation=1,
transform=0×3, x=0, y=0) at xf86Crtc.c:358
#2 0×0000000000487b65 in xf86SetDesiredModes (scrn=0×7f1de0) at xf86Crtc.c:2608
#3 0×00002b700de77b12 in AcquireDisplay (pScrn=0×7f1de0) at g80_driver.c:467
#4 0×00002b700de77eb3 in G80ScreenInit (scrnIndex=, pScreen=0×7f6f10,
argc=, argv= ) at g80_driver.c:894
#5 0×000000000044df45 in AddScreen (pfnInit=0×2b700de77b80, argc=1,
argv=0×7fff7bce36e8) at dispatch.c:4062
#6 0×0000000000478519 in InitOutput (pScreenInfo=0×7d3300, argc=1, argv=0×7fff7bce36e8)
at xf86Init.c:1043
#7 0×00000000004224e5 in main (argc=1, argv=0×7fff7bce36e8, envp=0×7fff7bce36f8) at main.c:204
Update 2: Not soo much good-old-modeline as guessed at first - more so newly added gamma fluff, …
X.org bug - so basically the whole X server setup is crashing in many combinations and cards since last November??? What a fun.
