machine crashes when screensaver activates

After you reboot the machine, look for /var/log/Xorg.0.log.old, and post that.

How completely does the machine crash?
Anything on screen - backlight on (Is it a laptop?) Does numlock work?

If you have access to another machine, does your crashed machine repond to ping?
Does it crash every time?
Do you see the screensaver come up at all?

Thats just a few pointers to get started, to see if that leads anywhere.

Peter -- Thanks much. I will answer your questions below. The log
file is pasted at the bottom:

Q: How completely does the machine crash?
Xorg appears to be completely crashed, but I can ping the machine and
also ssh into it.

The backlight is lit, the screen is completely blank, and the
caps-lock key does not work.

The machine does appear to crash every time it is left unattended for
long enough. When I'm using it for extended periods there is no
trouble. This is what made me think it might have something to do
with the screen saver.

I have not been present at the moment it has crashed, only walked in a
while later to hear the fan running and to find the machine warm (from
99% cpu) and unresponsive to keyboard or mouse movement (to stop the
screen saver).

Since I use the "blank screen" screen saver I'm not sure if it
actually comes up or not. I will switch to a different one to test
this aspect further.

Per your suggestion I pinged the machine and found it responsive, so I
ssh'ed in and ran top to find that xorg is utilizing 99.9% CPU.

Below is the contents of /var/log/Xorg.0.log.old:

X Window System Version 1.3.0
Release Date: 19 April 2007
X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0, Release 1.3
Build Operating System: Linux Ubuntu (xorg-server 2:1.3.0.0.dfsg-12ubuntu8)
Current Operating System: Linux mmmurf-laptop 2.6.22-14-generic #1 SMP
Wed Oct 10 06:00:47 GMT 2007 i686
Build Date: 29 September 2007
 Before reporting problems, check http://wiki.x.org
 to make sure that you have the latest version.
Module Loader present
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 Oct 11 12:59:44 2007
(==) Using config file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf"
(==) ServerLayout "Default Layout"
(**) |-->Screen "screen1" (0)
(**) | |-->Monitor "monitor1"
(**) | |-->Device "device1"
(**) |-->Input Device "Generic Keyboard"
(**) |-->Input Device "Configured Mouse"
(**) |-->Input Device "Synaptics Touchpad"
(WW) The directory "/usr/share/fonts/X11/cyrillic" does not exist.
 Entry deleted from font path.
(==) FontPath set to:
 /usr/share/fonts/X11/misc,
 /usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi/:unscaled,
 /usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi/:unscaled,
 /usr/share/fonts/X11/Type1,
 /usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi,
 /usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi,
 /var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType
(==) RgbPath set to "/etc/X11/rgb"
(==) ModulePath set to "/usr/lib/xorg/modules"
(II) Open ACPI successful (/var/run/acpid.socket)
(II) Loader magic: 0x81ea440
(II) Module ABI versions:
 X.Org ANSI C Emulation: 0.3
 X.Org Video Driver: 1.2
 X.Org XInput driver : 0.7
 X.Org Server Extension : 0.3
 X.Org Font Renderer : 0.5
(II) Loader running on linux
(II) LoadModule: "pcidata"
(II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules//libpcidata.so
(II) Module pcidata: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
 compiled for 1.3.0, module version = 1.0.0
 ABI class: X.Org Video Driver, version 1.2
(++) using VT number 7

(II) PCI: PCI scan (all values are in hex)
(II) PCI: 00:00:0: chip 8086,2590 card 1179,0001 rev 03 class 06,00,00 hdr 00
(II) PCI: 00:...

The next step debugging (unless someone can spot this as a known bug) is to get a gdb backtrace from the X server.

(Assuming you want to continue debugging, and have the time to try this).

You'll need to install the debug symbols for it, which you can get via apt-get if you add the following line in /etc/apt/sources.list:
deb http://people.ubuntu.com/~ubuntu-archive/ddebs gutsy main universe

You'll then be able to install some debug packages for the X server:
apt-get install xserver-xorg-core-dbgsym xserver-xorg-video-intel-dbgsym

This will allow us to see what function names are being executed from inside the debugger.

Whilst it is working, ssh in from another machine, then run find the process number of X with:
echo `pidof X`
or just look with ps -axf

run gdb (as root, or via sudo):
sudo gdb

when that loads, type:
attach PID_NUMBER
(replacing PID_NUMBER with the process number we found for X above.)

type "cont"
(enter)

and the X server will resume. Leave it, and let it crash / hang... then (assuming it didn't stop, or abort already), press Ctrl-C on the gdb debugger, and you should get a prompt.

Type "bt"
(enter)

and this should show a function call trace of what the X server is doing.
Please post that here.

NB: any console switches, say back to VT1 etc... will drop you into the gdb console. Typing "cont" (enter) should get you resumed again.

I'm having the same problem.

I tested and detected that this occur only with the Endgame screensaver. I'm having problems with others programs that use 3D too, like Torcs Game.

I notice this error message in the Xorg.0.log:

f000:4a9a: 01 ILLEGAL EXTENDED X86 OPCODE!

Does this definitely occur when the screensaver is set to just blank, or if it's set to random? There are some 3D screensavers and I'm wondering if one of these could be triggering a 3D bug in Intel? If so, then it might be related to 99114. Wagnerluis, your issue is almost certainly related to 99114.

Please try hardy alpha2 which has a newer driver. If possible, go through the screensavers and identify which one breaks.

Bug 160309 sounds similar to this one in that it involves a failure after (apparently) a screensaver kicks on. Perhaps this is a dupe of that bug?

actually upon further time passing since I disabled the screen saver,
I have realized that the problem is still occurring.

On Jan 12, 2008 1:28 PM, Bryce Harrington <email address hidden> wrote:
> Bug 160309 sounds similar to this one in that it involves a failure
> after (apparently) a screensaver kicks on. Perhaps this is a dupe of
> that bug?
>
>
> --
> machine crashes when screensaver activates
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/152050
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>

Have you had a chance to test Hardy as timo suggests?