Cannot start X on Archlinux 3.12.3 and with driver 331.20-2 while SLI and BaseMosaic are enabled

Graphics / Linux Linux
1

I am trying to enable BaseMosaic mode across three monitors without having to lose compositing.

I have two GTS450s connected with the SLI bridge on an MSI 970A-G46 motherboard with 16GB of ram and a Phenom x4 965. IOMMU is enabled on the motherboard, but the problem exists regardless of its setting.

Steps to reproduce (on my system).

  1. mv /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.back
  2. startxfce4
  3. sudo nvidia-settings
  4. X Server Display Configuration
  5. Advanced
  6. Tick “Enable Base Mosaic”
  7. Arrange monitors (three of them side by side. Primary in the middle. Secondary on the same card to the right, Tertiary on the second card to the left of Primary)
  8. Check apply (hit yes when it says it cannot apply everything.
  9. Select Save to X configuration File and save as /etc/X11/xorg.conf
  10. Log out to terminal.
  11. Try to startxfce4, or startx.
  12. Given the message: “NVIDIA(GPU-0): Failed to initialize DMA.”

xorg.conf when given the error message
[url]http://paste.debian.net/70262/[/url]

/var/log/Xorg.0.log when given the error message

[url]http://paste.debian.net/70263/[/url]

nvidia-bug-report.log
Again with the no attachment button?

[This file was removed because it was flagged as potentially malicious] (99.4 KB)
nvidia-bug-report-21-4-2014.log.gz (93.9 KB)

2

Zombielinux, Just want confirm, Is this issue specific to your motherboard? Did you tried same gpus on different system? Also attach nvidia-bug-report.log.gz to this forum page, Link you provided is internally blocked.

3

I don’t know if it is motherboard specific. I do not have another to test with. Nor do I have other ski graphics cards to test with. The GPUs have been known to work on other systems individually and they work in this hardware setup in full SLI under windows 7 x64. I do not think it is a hardware problem.

I will try to attach the nvidia log when I get home.

4

I’m experiencing a similar issue with two monitors, two cards, same kernel, same driver, different motherboard (gigabyte 990fxa), IOMMU controller enabled as well (or linux crashes).

Zombielinux, do you have the same issue with a different driver? Like 319.76 or 304?

5

I tried 304 but had similar results. I’m not sure it was the same message. I’ll give 319.76 a try when I get off work.

6

Zombielinux,

Just checking, but have you read this Dev Post? It sounds like it may be involved in your scenario.

I don’t know how to use the patch he provided, but I’m going to attempt to fall back to an older kernel and see if that fixes some things.

Edit:
Huh, that was posted around… a month ago. Which would hopefully mean the current 331.20 has this patch already?

7

I did see that post. From what I understand, 331.20 has that patch already so its of no use to us.

8

Just to keep an update going. The problem still exists with kernel 3.12.4-1. Same 331.20 driver.

9

I think Mosaic is only supported on Quadro GPUs. Also you are using two different GPUs GTS 450 (GF116) and GTS 450 (GF106)

[ 2187.762] (II) NVIDIA(0): NVIDIA GPU GeForce GTS 450 (GF116) at PCI:1:0:0 (GPU-0)
[ 2187.762] (–) NVIDIA(0): Memory: 1048576 kBytes
[ 2187.762] (–) NVIDIA(0): VideoBIOS: 70.26.26.00.50
[ 2187.762] (II) NVIDIA(0): Detected PCI Express Link width: 16X
[ 2187.762] (II) NVIDIA(0): NVIDIA GPU GeForce GTS 450 (GF106) at PCI:2:0:0 (GPU-1)
[ 2187.762] (–) NVIDIA(0): Memory: 1048576 kBytes
[ 2187.762] (–) NVIDIA(0): VideoBIOS: 70.06.13.00.01
[ 2187.762] (II) NVIDIA(0): Detected PCI Express Link width: 16X
[ 2190.766] (–) NVIDIA(0): Valid display device(s) on GeForce GTS 450 at

10

Are they really that different? As far as I was aware, they are just different board revisions. Besides, SLI works under windows on the same hardware.

SLI Mosaic only works on Quadro GPUs, but BaseMosaic should work with standard cards.

Also on 3.12.5 the issue still remains unresolved.

11

Zombielinux and CTAG, Please attach nvidia bug report to this forum thread so I can download it.

FYI. BaseMosaic works everywhere, but GeForce only supports three displays max. SLI + Mosaic only works on Quadro.

12

Tracking this issue under Bug 1429149 . Please attach nvidia bug report

13

Sandpit. I am attempting to upload the bug report now, but it seems stuck on “Scanning… please wait”

Is there an alternate way of attaching it?

14

Never mind. It looks like it uploaded just fine. I hope the bug report helps. I’ll upload another later with the latest kernel version

15

Just as an update, base mosaic and three monitors still does not work with kernel 3.12.6 and nvidia 331.20 on a fully updated archlinux installation.

16

Is this issue still repro with latest driver version?

17

Just as an update, base mosaic and three monitors still does not work with kernel 3.12.9 and nvidia 334.16 on a fully updated archlinux installation.

Are the devs doing anything about this? It might be quicker to jump to AMD.

18

Did you test with 334.21 driver? Is the it helped?

19

No, Same results

20

I have updated to Nvidia 337.12 and fully updated archlinux with the same results as I have been having since the very beginning. I have attached a new bug report as well.