black screen with kubuntu 8.04 x86_64 and fglrx 8.5

[hehe2]

[ Finally ] ...

I had the 3.3Gb limit issue ...

Either I enabled the memory remap feature in the bios but got a X crash at start-up, or disabled it and was limitated to 3.3Gb ...

That was using a x86_64 arch distro (Slamd64)

I finally went back to a 32 bit arch (Slackware 10.2), same problem ... Then, I tried an option I never used to in the kernel : 64Gb memory support. Tried with 4Gb before but the problem was still there.

Now, with this 64Gb support, it's enabling 64Bit memory managment even if I'm using a 32bit arch (it's called PAE) and THAT'S IT ! I got the full range of my 4Gb available !!

But I'm still stucked to the 8.4 drivers and a 2.6.24.7 kernel cause of the "black border" I get using the 8.5 ones ...

Thus, I got loads of graphical bugs (mostly texture ones) using cedega 6 playing world of warcraft, but at least, that's working !

And the game is even funnier when you never know which color the warlock pet will be (sometimes it's green fluo, red or yellow, sometimes my character's mount is like the Zul'Gurub tiger ...)

Anyway, time will make things better, I guess ...

[kingtaurus]

I'm puzzled that PAE (which allows for 4 or more gigabytes (GB) of physical memory to be used in 32-bit systems) should require 64 GB memory support in the kernel and is not by default enabled in all the 32 bit systems (according to the ubuntu documentation the 32 bit kernel the supply is compiled with 4GB-PAE memory support and the server version (32 bit) kernel is compiled with 64GB support).

Further, PAE is not used at all in 64 bit versions of linux.

I had the 3.3Gb limit issue ...

Either I enabled the memory remap feature in the bios but got a X crash at start-up, or disabled it and was limitated to 3.3Gb ...

That was using a x86_64 arch distro (Slamd64)

I finally went back to a 32 bit arch (Slackware 10.2), same problem ... Then, I tried an option I never used to in the kernel : 64Gb memory support. Tried with 4Gb before but the problem was still there.

Now, with this 64Gb support, it's enabling 64Bit memory managment even if I'm using a 32bit arch (it's called PAE) and THAT'S IT ! I got the full range of my 4Gb available !!

But I'm still stucked to the 8.4 drivers and a 2.6.24.7 kernel cause of the "black border" I get using the 8.5 ones ...

Thus, I got loads of graphical bugs (mostly texture ones) using cedega 6 playing world of warcraft, but at least, that's working !

And the game is even funnier when you never know which color the warlock pet will be (sometimes it's green fluo, red or yellow, sometimes my character's mount is like the Zul'Gurub tiger ...)

Anyway, time will make things better, I guess ...

[hehe2]

[ Well ] So am I !

Well, I was doubtful when I finally decided to try "just to see" the 64Gb PAE option ... I thought using only the 4Gb one would be enough.

In fact, it's mandatory to use the 4Gb one as soon as you got more than 1Gb of RAM, but it's visibly not enough when you reach the 4Gb limit ...

I was so amazed to see that worked !

Anyway, that's strange, but eh, that's working, which sounds pretty good since even if I'm stucked with 8.4 drivers (8.5 black borders) I'm nevertheless able to use my whole 4Gigs ... which is nicer even if I'll probably never reach that memory usage ^^;;

[oblivious_maximus]

thanks for the info on when the hack of limiting the memory the kernel can use actually works kingtaurus, now I know why I saw no change - Asus removed that option (and permanently enabled it) from my BIOS because they decided that everybody with an M3A absolutely must have it enabled and couldn't possibly want to disable it.

Apart from the desktop and server kernels, there should also be a -bigmem kernel (maybe in Ubuntu that's the server kernel? I would expect to see both because the server kernel likely uses a lower timer frequency and has no(less) preemption options enabled) which has the 64GB memory support. On Debian anyway you can just download this bigmem kernel if you don't want to compile your own.

Damn you ASUS!!! So much for going with what you know to have worked really well over the years. Time to shop for a gigabyte or something I guess... Well, once I finish paying for the grand disappointment that is my current newish system that is.

[kingtaurus]

The only concern I have, is that with the 64 bit kernel this issue still happens. I really don't want to re-install and use the 32 bit kernel (especially since I would prefer to use the 64 bit kernel).

thanks for the info on when the hack of limiting the memory the kernel can use actually works kingtaurus, now I know why I saw no change - Asus removed that option (and permanently enabled it) from my BIOS because they decided that everybody with an M3A absolutely must have it enabled and couldn't possibly want to disable it.

Apart from the desktop and server kernels, there should also be a -bigmem kernel (maybe in Ubuntu that's the server kernel? I would expect to see both because the server kernel likely uses a lower timer frequency and has no(less) preemption options enabled) which has the 64GB memory support. On Debian anyway you can just download this bigmem kernel if you don't want to compile your own.

Damn you ASUS!!! So much for going with what you know to have worked really well over the years. Time to shop for a gigabyte or something I guess... Well, once I finish paying for the grand disappointment that is my current newish system that is.

[oblivious_maximus]

Now, with this 64Gb support, it's enabling 64Bit memory managment even if I'm using a 32bit arch (it's called PAE) and THAT'S IT ! I got the full range of my 4Gb available !!

Is that with memory remap enabled in the BIOS also?

[kingtaurus]

With memory remapping enabled in the BIOS the 64 bit kernel will not work.

Is that with memory remap enabled in the BIOS also?

[hehe2]

[ Yes ] Mum !

Is that with memory remap enabled in the BIOS also?

Exactly, memory remap enabled in the bios and 64Gb support in the kernel (32 bit arch).

I never achieved to get the 4Gb usable and the ati drivers working with the 64bit arch at the same time ... either I had to use "simple vga" (even if I may have tried open source ati 2D drivers) with 4Gb available and 64bit kernel, or 3.3Gb closed ati drivers on 64 bit arch.

Summary : 32 bit 2.24.7 kernel with 64Gb PAE enabled, bios memory remap enabled ==> 4Gb usable and ati 8.4 working (8.5 leads me to black borders)


I'll try to disable the memory remap in the bios with my running kernel to see if that affects the amount of ram actually usable. (just cause I'm curious and that's quickly done =)

[oblivious_maximus]

Thanks for the replies

I'll try to disable the memory remap in the bios with my running kernel to see if that affects the amount of ram actually usable. (just cause I'm curious and that's quickly done =)

That's what I'm really curious about. If I have a 64bit memory controler (on my 64bit X2 4400+) and a 64bit OS (or a 32bit OS w/ a PAE/bigmem kernel), shouldn't I still be able to see all 4GB with the remapping disabled? If I can get fglrx to not lockup by disabling it I'd probably be willing to deal with 700MB or so of missing RAM, or to just go back to to the amd64 arch..

[movieman]

That's what I'm really curious about. If I have a 64bit memory controler (on my 64bit X2 4400+) and a 64bit OS (or a 32bit OS w/ a PAE/bigmem kernel), shouldn't I still be able to see all 4GB with the remapping disabled?

If the extra memory isn't remapped, it will be hidden by the PCI memory mapping.

That said, I guess the OS could do remapping itself, but by the time it boots that may be too late.