[regression] Trusty kernel doesn't recognize GeForce 8600m GT nor with nouveau or nvidia drivers

FYI I can experience the same issue also with mainline kernels:
 - linux-image-3.13.0-031300-generic
 - linux-image-3.13.10-031310-generic

This change was made by a bot.

Same happens using the mainline kernel
 - linux-image-3.14.0-031400-generic

So, it seems something that got broken in between 3.11 and 3.15...

Would it be possible for you to test the latest upstream kernel? Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Please test the latest v3.15 kernel[0].

If this bug is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tag 'kernel-fixed-upstream'.

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the tag: 'kernel-bug-exists-upstream'.

If you are unable to test the mainline kernel, for example it will not boot, please add the tag: 'kernel-unable-to-test-upstream'.
Once testing of the upstream kernel is complete, please mark this bug as "Confirmed".

Thanks in advance.

[0] http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.15-rc2-trusty/

Yes, as said linux-headers-3.15.0-031500rc2-generic_3.15.0-031500rc2.201404201435 or daily works.

Also, i've been running trusty in a very similar laptop to the one I used for this report (same CPU/Chipset) but using a slightly different video card, instead: G86M [GeForce 8600M GS].

And that works.

I've noticed they have a different bios version, though:
 - Not working: v1.3804
 - Working: v1.3804

So, I've upgrade this laptop bios to version v1.3818, and magically things work now.

Then, while I think we're still somewhat regressing in handling that old-configured-hw, Acer 5920G users should know that they need to upgrade their bios to have trusty properly running.

Err, not working bios revision was v1.3708

For me ubuntu is not usable right now.

Using nouveau driver I get this :

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux-lts-quantal/+bug/1097178 which freezes the system 10 times a day.

And using nvidia proprietary driver installed via Additional Drivers (tried 331 and 331 update) I'm getting this one, which freezes the system a few seconds after x starts.

So either I have to try different kernels or install cutting edge nvidia drivers manually...

I tried 3.15.0-031500rc2_3.15.0-031500rc2.201404201435 and this issue is gone, but there are these errors that freeze X :

May 2 11:04:23 lisak nvidia-persistenced: Started (2206)
May 2 11:05:21 lisak kernel: [ 71.350777] apt-check[2392]: segfault at 17bf6 ip 0000000000017bf6 sp 00007fff02f32fe8 error 14 in python3.4[400000+354000]
May 2 11:05:21 lisak kernel: [ 71.492139] apport[2393]: segfault at 17bf6 ip 0000000000017bf6 sp 00007fffea07f428 error 14 in python3.4[400000+354000]
May 2 11:05:21 lisak kernel: [ 71.492162] Process 2393(apport) has RLIMIT_CORE set to 1
May 2 11:05:21 lisak kernel: [ 71.492164] Aborting core
May 2 11:05:23 lisak kernel: [ 73.351741] apport-checkrep[2396]: segfault at 17bf6 ip 0000000000017bf6 sp 00007fff28a26378 error 14 in python3.4[400000+354000]
May 2 11:05:23 lisak kernel: [ 73.493450] apport[2397]: segfault at 17bf6 ip 0000000000017bf6 sp 00007fffc1208e38 error 14 in python3.4[400000+354000]
May 2 11:05:23 lisak kernel: [ 73.493473] Process 2397(apport) has RLIMIT_CORE set to 1
May 2 11:05:23 lisak kernel: [ 73.493475] Aborting core
May 2 11:05:23 lisak kernel: [ 73.623298] apport-checkrep[2398]: segfault at 17bf6 ip 0000000000017bf6 sp 00007fffb3c755c8 error 14 in python3.4[400000+354000]
May 2 11:05:24 lisak kernel: [ 73.764436] apport[2399]: segfault at 17bf6 ip 0000000000017bf6 sp 00007fff1a649818 error 14 in python3.4[400000+354000]
May 2 11:05:24 lisak kernel: [ 73.764459] Process 2399(apport) has RLIMIT_CORE set to 1
May 2 11:05:24 lisak kernel: [ 73.764461] Aborting core

That might relate to issue https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apport/+bug/1299390

I also have a 5920g with Nvidia 8600m GT. My video card has not been working since kernel 2.6.32, I had to use the pci=bios directive in grub (see bug 661248). Even so it seldomly hangs at boot time.

@Marco Trevisan : how did you manage to update the bios? The bios installer on the ACER website works only in Windows.

@Gianluca:

You can grab the latest bios version from http://is.gd/XqTq1B, but unfortunately I did this in one of my friend's PC, and he still had a Win partition, then I used that not to spend too time to figure out another solution.

Although this laptop has a WinPhlash bios, then I think you can also use safely a FreeDOS disk (or usb dongle) with the phlash16.exe utility and the bios file (the ZD13813.wph, probalby renamed as BIOS.wph).

Looking around I've seen that there are multiple ways to obtain the phlash16.exe utility, check this one mentioned on the Ubuntu wiki:
 - https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DellBIOS#Obtaining_and_using_an_image_from_the_WinPhlash_utility

@Marco

Thanks to your suggestions I was able to update the bios to version 1.3813. However, without the pci=bios option I still have an unstable system.

I encountered similar issues on a geForce FX 5200 (at least with regard to the 'llvmpipe' fallback behavior.) However, according to Nvidia that 8600M GPU should be using the 340 series driver and Ubuntu should not offer to install 304 or 331 on the OP's platform (unless I misread something here.) Is it possible that he installed the wrong driver manually instead of accepting what Ubuntu offers through Software & Updates "Additional Drivers" ?

http://www.nvidia.com/object/IO_32667.html
_____

The default behavior is to install Nouveau (though it may silently fail), but 'Software & Updates' did offer the correct Nvidia proprietary driver for my 5200, and it does initialize as shown here:

[ 23.731531] nvidia: module license 'NVIDIA' taints kernel.
[ 23.731548] Disabling lock debugging due to kernel taint
[ 23.983464] ACPI: PCI Interrupt Link [APCJ] enabled at IRQ 21
[ 24.018659] nvidia: module verification failed: signature and/or required key missing - tainting kernel
[ 24.449665] ACPI: PCI Interrupt Link [APCE] enabled at IRQ 16
[ 24.449706] vgaarb: device changed decodes: PCI:0000:02:00.0,olddecodes=io+mem,decodes=none:owns=none
[ 24.483764] NVRM: loading NVIDIA UNIX x86 Kernel Module 173.14.39

https://devtalk.nvidia.com/default/topic/655258/unix-graphics-announcements-and-news/linux-solaris-and-freebsd-driver-173-14-39-legacy-for-geforce-fx-series-/
_____

But now there is another problem: I get a kernel panic with spontaneous reboot when the Unity desktop begins to load. I suspect others may be encountering the same issue with other proprietary legacy Nvidia drivers. In this case, you cannot revert the driver directly from the GRUB recovery menu: you would have to uninstall Nvidia's driver from terminal or install LXDE from terminal if you want to regain access to a GUI desktop environment. This would really aggravate the ordinary user because there is no obvious way to extract logs from the affected machine and request help in the forums. Furthermore, it appears that a crash report on this issue would not be sent automatically if you are running Unity, so the developers are probably not receiving any feedback from most of the users affected by this bug. You may encounter these display faults on any geForce, Quadro or Tesla GPU using a proprietary legacy Nvidia driver, including the frozen 173.14.39, 71.86, 96.43, 304.xx (supported through 2017) and 340.xx (supported through 2019), for example:
_____

96.43.23: file date 2012-09-04; incompatible with X.Org included in Slackware 14.1. Usable with Slackware 14.0, but needs patching for kernel compatibility. 96.43 is needed by cards in the GeForce2 MX to GeForce4 range.

71.86.15: Incompatible with recent X.Org. The file date of 2011-07-20 is misleading: apparently Nvidia maintained kernel compatibility for quite some time after they let the X server ABI breakage go to hell. I had to go all the way back to Slackware 12.2 (2008-12) before the driver would work, which means that the last compatible X server version is either 1.4 or 1.5. The last kernel for which the 71.86.15 module will build and load without patching is 3.2.x (a longterm branch), and then only w...

also have this issue with Acer Aspire V5-572G which has GeForce GT 750M, nvidia module loads ok with 3.16 kernel, does not load with 3.15 or lower.

also want to note that everything works with clean install, something broke while upgrading from previous version.

I also want to add that I have now seen this issue in LXDE. It only happened a couple of times--once while I was on YouTube and once while I was using the Ubuntu Software Center. But LXDE is still the only desktop that I can successfully launch and use when Nvidia's driver is enabled.

Running 3.13.0-40-generic triggering this as well:

kernel: [ 11.095358] nvidia: module license 'NVIDIA' taints kernel.
kernel: [ 11.095361] Disabling lock debugging due to kernel taint
kernel: [ 11.100122] nvidia: module verification failed: signature and/or required key missing - tainting kernel

Has this been fixed in 15.10?

Also 3.16.0-60-generic triggers that in dmesg:

[ 8.106834] nvidia: module license 'NVIDIA' taints kernel.
[ 8.106843] Disabling lock debugging due to kernel taint
[ 8.115743] nvidia: module verification failed: signature and/or required key missing - tainting kernel

Note that I am using Ubuntu 14.04.4, with nvidia 352.79.

@Alberto: the "tainting kernel" message is expected.