Re: No console anymore. How to figure this out.

On 3/16/26 10:30 AM, Michael wrote:
> On Monday, 16 March 2026 14:56:49 Greenwich Mean Time Dale wrote:
>> On 3/16/26 5:16 AM, Michael wrote:
>>> Your console device needs the nvidia-drm.ko module to be able to use
>>> nvidia's own kernel modesetting framebuffer functionality
>>> (modesetting=1).
>>>
>>> What I think is happening:  your EFI framebuffer is providing the
>>> initial console display during boot, then it switches over to
>>> nvidia-
>>> drm.
>>>
>>> I suspect your problem manifests at the handover from kernel to
>>> nvidia's module, or vice-versa, when you try to go back to a
>>> console.  However, I haven't used nvidia for decades now and have
>>> not kept up with their current driver's functionality to know with
>>> any certainty how this is meant to work.
>>>
>>> What does dmesg report at boot and thereafter when you switch to a
>>> console?
>>>
>>> Can you grep your running kernel's for 'DRM', to see if anything
>>> incompatible has been enabled/disabled?
>>>
>>> What does 'lsmod | grep nvidia' come up with?
>>>
>>> Also, 'modinfo nvidia-drm'?
>>>
>>> PS. I assume your have re-emerged your nvidia driver to match the
>>> kernel you are now running.
>> That's my thinking to, the last part.  I didn't think about the first
>> part.  LOL  This is lsmod.  The drm part is loaded as is modeset.
>>
>>
>> root@Gentoo-1 / # lsmod
>> Module                  Size  Used by
>> nvidia_uvm           1814528  2
>> nvidia_drm            118784  40
>> nvidia_modeset       1875968  161 nvidia_drm
>> nvidia              110895104  2122 nvidia_uvm,nvidia_modeset
>> root@Gentoo-1 / #
>>
>>
>>
>> So it appears the modules are loaded but not all are working.  I
>> guess???  Here's the other info.
>>
>>
>>
>> root@Gentoo-1 / # modinfo nvidia-drm
>> filename:       /lib/modules/6.12.31-gentoo/video/nvidia-drm.ko
>> version:        580.142
>> supported:      external
>> license:        MIT
>> srcversion:     7C9FF03229E79984059FE07
>> alias:          pci:v000010DEd*sv*sd*bc06sc80i00*
>> alias:          pci:v000010DEd*sv*sd*bc03sc02i00*
>> alias:          pci:v000010DEd*sv*sd*bc03sc00i00*
>> depends:        nvidia-modeset
>> name:           nvidia_drm
>> retpoline:      Y
>> vermagic:       6.12.31-gentoo SMP preempt mod_unload
>> parm:           modeset:Enable atomic kernel modesetting (1 = enable,
>> 0 = disable (default)) (bool)
>> parm:           fbdev:Create a framebuffer device (1 = enable
>> (default), 0 = disable) (bool)
>> root@Gentoo-1 / #
>>
>>
>>
>> Yes, I did rebuild the nvidia drivers however, I'm still on the same
>> kernel.  Been using the current kernel for ages now.  I think since
>> shortly after I built this rig.  The kernel we were trying to adjust
>> never would finish the make process, compile I guess.
>>
>> Does anything there give a clue?  Could it be the nvidia drivers have
>> a bug, in both versions in the tree?  My card is older but I can't be
>> the only one that uses a card like that.  Of course, some people that
>> use a GUI rarely switch to a console.  So, it could be a bug that no
>> one else has noticed I guess.  Unless you or someone else has some
>> more ideas to check.
> Your modesetting is disabled, nvidia's FB is enabled.  As I suggested
> you can check dmesg for errors as you switch over to tty1.


I checked dmesg a few times but never saw any errors.  I'll check again 
shortly.  See if something new popped up after rebooting and updating 
nvidia drivers.


>
> You haven't yet showed 'grep DRM .config' of your running kernel.


Here you go.


root@Gentoo-1 /usr/src/linux # grep DRM .config
CONFIG_DRM=y
# CONFIG_DRM_DEBUG_MM is not set
CONFIG_DRM_KMS_HELPER=y
# CONFIG_DRM_PANIC is not set
CONFIG_DRM_FBDEV_EMULATION=y
CONFIG_DRM_FBDEV_OVERALLOC=100
# CONFIG_DRM_LOAD_EDID_FIRMWARE is not set
CONFIG_DRM_TTM=y
CONFIG_DRM_TTM_HELPER=y
# CONFIG_DRM_I2C_CH7006 is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_I2C_SIL164 is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_I2C_NXP_TDA998X is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_I2C_NXP_TDA9950 is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_RADEON is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_AMDGPU is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_NOUVEAU is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_I915 is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_XE is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_VGEM is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_VKMS is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_VMWGFX is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_GMA500 is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_UDL is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_AST is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_MGAG200 is not set
CONFIG_DRM_QXL=y
# CONFIG_DRM_VIRTIO_GPU is not set
CONFIG_DRM_PANEL=y
CONFIG_DRM_BRIDGE=y
CONFIG_DRM_PANEL_BRIDGE=y
# CONFIG_DRM_ANALOGIX_ANX78XX is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_ETNAVIV is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_BOCHS is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_CIRRUS_QEMU is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_GM12U320 is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_SIMPLEDRM is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_VBOXVIDEO is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_GUD is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_SSD130X is not set
CONFIG_DRM_PANEL_ORIENTATION_QUIRKS=y
# CONFIG_DRM_ACCEL is not set
root@Gentoo-1 /usr/src/linux #



Ideas?  Any of that help?

Dale

:-)  :-)