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

Hi Dale,

I updated an old machine and went through this some time ago.

Nvidia's framebuffer is really fubar in newer drivers.

I did discover that it requires a kernel module for framebuffer to work 
that you can't directly set in the kernel.

I had to set the Intel drivers and amdgpu drivers to get this module 
included in the kernel as it can't be directly set. (The name of this 
module escapes me at the moment. I think it was TTM and TTM_HELPER - 
check your .config, if it isn't set then set amdgpu to a module and it 
will be built.)

My .config:

# grep -i DRM .config | grep -v "^#"
CONFIG_DRM=y
CONFIG_DRM_MIPI_DSI=y
CONFIG_DRM_KMS_HELPER=y
CONFIG_DRM_FBDEV_EMULATION=y
CONFIG_DRM_FBDEV_OVERALLOC=300
CONFIG_DRM_DISPLAY_HELPER=y
CONFIG_DRM_DISPLAY_DP_HELPER=y
CONFIG_DRM_DISPLAY_DP_TUNNEL=y
CONFIG_DRM_DISPLAY_HDCP_HELPER=y
CONFIG_DRM_DISPLAY_HDMI_HELPER=y
CONFIG_DRM_TTM=y
CONFIG_DRM_EXEC=m
CONFIG_DRM_BUDDY=y
CONFIG_DRM_TTM_HELPER=m
CONFIG_DRM_SUBALLOC_HELPER=m
CONFIG_DRM_SCHED=m
CONFIG_DRM_AMDGPU=m
CONFIG_DRM_AMD_DC=y
CONFIG_DRM_AMD_DC_FP=y
CONFIG_DRM_I915=y
CONFIG_DRM_I915_FORCE_PROBE=""
CONFIG_DRM_I915_CAPTURE_ERROR=y
CONFIG_DRM_I915_COMPRESS_ERROR=y
CONFIG_DRM_I915_USERPTR=y
CONFIG_DRM_I915_DP_TUNNEL=y
CONFIG_DRM_I915_REQUEST_TIMEOUT=20000
CONFIG_DRM_I915_FENCE_TIMEOUT=10000
CONFIG_DRM_I915_USERFAULT_AUTOSUSPEND=250
CONFIG_DRM_I915_HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL=2500
CONFIG_DRM_I915_PREEMPT_TIMEOUT=640
CONFIG_DRM_I915_PREEMPT_TIMEOUT_COMPUTE=7500
CONFIG_DRM_I915_MAX_REQUEST_BUSYWAIT=8000
CONFIG_DRM_I915_STOP_TIMEOUT=100
CONFIG_DRM_I915_TIMESLICE_DURATION=1
CONFIG_DRM_PANEL=y
CONFIG_DRM_BRIDGE=y
CONFIG_DRM_PANEL_BRIDGE=y
CONFIG_DRM_PANEL_ORIENTATION_QUIRKS=y

CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE=y
CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE_DETECT_PRIMARY=y

CONFIG_FB_EFI=y

Most other distros have these other drivers set in the kernel, so the 
module that nvidia needs is present.

For whatever reason, you can't directly select those two modules.

-Dan

On 3/21/26 3:17 PM, Dale wrote:
> On 3/19/26 9:49 AM, J.O. Aho wrote:
>> On 14/03/2026 20.55, Dale wrote:
>>
>> Hi Dale
>>
>>> I did my updates earlier.  Usually I logout, go to boot runlevel and 
>>> restart services if needed and then go back to default runlevel and 
>>> login.  I noticed a couple weeks ago that I no longer get a console 
>>> when I do a CTRL ALT F1.  My monitors turn off saying no signal.  At 
>>> first, I did the sysrq thing.  Then it occurred to me that I should 
>>> try CTRL ALT F7 and see if the GUI is still running.  It is.  So, at 
>>> least I can log back in.
>>
>> I had this issue too, after a lot or reading and testing I added the 
>> following kernel options:
>>        video=efifb:on nvidia_drm.modeset=1 nvidia-drm.fbdev=1 ibt=off
>>
>> This gave me back the console when switching with VT.
>>
>> nVidia made some changes to the driver, which given this issue to 
>> quite many people who uses the console.
>>
> 
> 
> I added this to my kernel options.  I'll reboot as soon as I get a 
> chance.  Right now, I'm trying to get a garden ready to plant.  I've cut 
> some trees that were shading my plants to much and trying to get them 
> out of the way, without getting the tractor stuck.  I had to use the 
> bucket to walk the tractor out already.  No idea why it is wet when they 
> claim we in a moderate drought.  Maybe they need to stick the sensor in 
> my wet garden and reset.  ROFL
> 
> I hope this works.  I think we running out of other ideas.  o_O
> 
> Thanks.  Will reply when I get rebooted.
> 
> Dale
> 
> :-)  :-)
>