2011 on Toshiba A305 / Intel Mobile 4 graphics (GM45 I believe) using xrender compositing for effects and xorg "intel" driver has been fairly stable for several days now with just one xcrash. Did update which caused synaptics tapping to stop working but Texstar solution #2 fixed that. ( had read some threads about xserver issues while scrolling, hence the update).
Not being one to give up, I reverted back to "i810 and later driver" which is the 2011 default , but modified xorg.conf to reflect 2010.12 xorg.conf which loads many modules besides just the "v4l" of the 2011 install. I do notice with this configuration that Fn screen brightness buttons DO work and don't have to access it from KDE config center.
With this configuration I ran Neverball with all effects (textures, shadows, etc), a youtube video, and desktop effects ( using openGL compositing) with most effects enabled simultaneously with only one crash. I have Xorg.0.log and kdm.log which do reference a warning, a segfault. and "cannot connect to Dbus server" which I can post.
So I re ran XfDrake as per Texstar ( I had done this a while back to no avail) which loads only "v4l" in "Modules" section of xorg.conf and at this point, the only modifications from a clean 2011 install I believe are the ones to [X-*-Core] of kdmrc by adding "TerminateServer=true" as per Xorg kdm configuration recommendations and the last update which affected the touchpad. This configuration DOES NOT allow for Fn screen buttons to work but that is accessible from KDE control center.
Am doing everything possible to crash this x configuration by again running neverball, watching youtube, dragging windows, scrolling, logging into and out between users WITHOUT closing applications, and am going to heap an rsync transfer and an .iso download all simultaneously. Graphics are not as "smooth" as with the old 2010.12 xorg.configuration (glxgears slows to 35FPS and is slightly jerky and so is neverball), but stability is paramount here. We'll see what happens.
There are enough threads (archlinux, gentoo, xorg messageboards, Narly Nachos) implicating Xorg, openGL, Plasma workspace, Intel and KDE / kdm to validate my observations, but I may just have a funky hdwr combination and am still committed to PCLOS as no other distro even comes close.
[UPDATE] Guess it was not meant to be. Ran the GPU hard today. Neverball, youtube, glxgears, desktop effects, rsync transfer, Several openoffice windows open, logging in and out, in and out. Dragging windows scrolling up down sideways. .... Nothing, not a peep... Beautiful. DID this all day! NO HANGS! Shutdown. Yes, it's ready!
Tonight - login to user02, open Dolphin, drag two printer driver .rpms from USB stick to Documents folder and voila!
nbcwmbs (non-blinking cursor working mouse blank screen) had to ctrl+alt+bckspc - logged in and continued session asif nothing had happened.
Here is kdm.log:
Current version of pixman: 0.22.0
Before reporting problems, check http://pclinuxos.com
to make sure that you have the latest version.
Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
(++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
(==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Thu Jul 7 10:58:14 2011
(==) Using config file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf"
(==) Using config directory: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d"
FATAL: Module fbcon not found.
klauncher(22831) kdemain: No DBUS session-bus found. Check if you have started the DBUS server.
kdeinit4: Communication error with launcher. Exiting!
kdmgreet(22825)/kdecore (K*TimeZone*): KSystemTimeZones: ktimezoned initialize() D-Bus call failed: "Not connected to D-Bus server"
(EE) intel(0): Detected a hung GPU, disabling acceleration.
(EE) intel(0): When reporting this, please include i915_error_state from debugfs and the full dmesg.
(EE) intel(0): failed to set cursor: Input/output error
(EE) intel(0): failed to set cursor: Input/output error
[mi] EQ overflowing. The server is probably stuck in an infinite loop.
Backtrace:
0: /etc/X11/X (xorg_backtrace+0x3b) [0x80e6d8b]
1: /etc/X11/X (mieqEnqueue+0x1ab) [0x80e60db]
2: /etc/X11/X (xf86PostMotionEventM+0xbf) [0x80c26ef]
3: /etc/X11/X (xf86PostMotionEvent+0x87) [0x80c28f7]
4: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/input/synaptics_drv.so (0xb6c3c000+0x29cd) [0xb6c3e9cd]
5: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/input/synaptics_drv.so (0xb6c3c000+0x4919) [0xb6c40919]
6: /etc/X11/X (0x8048000+0x67a5f) [0x80afa5f]
7: /etc/X11/X (0x8048000+0x1238c4) [0x816b8c4]
8: (vdso) (__kernel_sigreturn+0x0) [0xffffe400]
9: /usr/lib/libpixman-1.so.0 (0xb75e9000+0x6d402) [0xb7656402]
10: /usr/lib/libpixman-1.so.0 (pixman_image_composite32+0x3d2) [0xb76292e2]
11: /usr/lib/libpixman-1.so.0 (pixman_image_composite+0xa6) [0xb7629586]
12: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/libfb.so (fbComposite+0x1fe) [0xb723246e]
13: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/intel-common/intel_drv.so (0xb725f000+0x318bd) [0xb72908bd]
14: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/intel-common/intel_drv.so (0xb725f000+0x2e036) [0xb728d036]
15: /etc/X11/X (0x8048000+0xdd6c2) [0x81256c2]
16: /etc/X11/X (CompositePicture+0x2d3) [0x811a353]
17: /etc/X11/X (0x8048000+0xd5dd9) [0x811ddd9]
18: /etc/X11/X (0x8048000+0xd2ab3) [0x811aab3]
19: /etc/X11/X (0x8048000+0x27747) [0x806f747]
20: /etc/X11/X (0x8048000+0x1a685) [0x8062685]
21: /lib/i686/libc.so.6 (__libc_start_main+0xe6) [0xb737bca6]
22: /etc/X11/X (0x8048000+0x1a261) [0x8062261]
X.Org X Server 1.10.2
Release Date: 2011-05-28
X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
Build Operating System: Linux_2.6.38.8-pclos1.pae.bfs PCLinuxOS
Current Operating System: Linux toshibasat 2.6.38.8-pclos1.bfs #1 SMP PREEMPT Sat Jun 4 04:13:21 CDT 2011 i686
Kernel command line: BOOT_IMAGE=linux root=UUID=11337625-ce18-4bb3-8cc3-a11af8446eb3 quiet acpi=on resume=UUID=4a0638f7-e4b7-4ab3-83a4-0d5ab14c07fa splash=silent vga=791
Build Date: 16 June 2011 11:39:51AM
[UPDATE]
For what it's worth , am running pclos 2010KDE4.6.3 kernel 2.6.33.7-pclos6 on a Compq CQ50 with same Intel Mobile4 graphics with no issues
[UPDATE2] As of 07/11 Installed 2011 KDE on the above Compaq CQ50 / Intel Mobile 4 graphics with no apparent problems. Will probably use this for the office but hate to abandon the Toshiba as it has very good specs.
[UPDATE3] Reinstalled 2011 fresh onto Toshiba. install went fine. Created new user. Logged in and had xserver crash..
So far on the Toshiba I have had the following and or errors:
random xserver crashes, one or two lockups,
Xorg.0.logs - "server is probably stuck in a loop"
kdm.log - Cannot connect to Dbus "
kde " monitor has been disconnected / changed , woulfd you like to configure" Sometimes as many as 40 windows cascade onto desktop
"fb module not found"
Here's what I've done on toshiba:
installed from 2012.12 and upgraded
installed from 2011 test2 and upgraded
installed from 2011 fresh
remove and reset xorg.conf as per Texstar
renamed .kde and or .kwinrc or created new users
altered /usr/share/config/kdm/kdmrc
tinkered with xorg.conf as per recommendations
updated and used Texstar solution #2 for synaptics
Tried with and without various desktop effects enabled - using both opengl (w and w/o vsync)and xrender
Tried display settings in BIOS to auto or (LCD+CRT)
Shut off screensavers
The problem is that I cannot tie any cause to any effect. The only thing that is certain now is that GPU intensive stuff HAS NOT crashed x. It happens if the desktop is idle with NO activity or with simple scrolling in a browser or file manager. Don't know enough about APIC, ACPI, nolocalacpi.
The two solution that have given longest session without crash:
copy xorg from 2010.12 Live disc onto the 2011 installation
run 2011 without an xorg.conf file
Any ideas appreciated
Thanks