[mythtv-users] widespread reports of (sort of) the same failures

Tue Nov 30 20:54:31 UTC 2004

Dean Vanden Heuvel wrote:

> Please help.  I have not yet discovered the trick for enticing enough 
> folks to read one of the posts such that I might get a helpful 
> response.  I am not indicating that readers are not helpful, but 
> rather that I cannot seem to grab their attention.  In any case, I 
> hope this subject is more *catchy*...
>
> In any case, I am (and reportedly others are) having a continuing 
> problem with "re-entry" into Live TV mode.  In virtually all cases, 
> the first time (post reboot)  I try to watch live TV, all is well.  
> When I exit back to the GUI, and attempt to re-enter live 
> TV...failure.  Most often this is a segfault, but I have had cases 
> where the on-screen video DOES APPEAR, then freezes, never to 
> restart.  Sometimes this happens when I attempt to watch an already 
> recorded program, sometimes not.  But ALWAYS, it happens on a re-entry 
> to one of the video display modes.  NEVER on the first pass.
>
> I have seen other very similar errors reported, and I have previously 
> posted to this effect on both the users and dev mailing lists.  Other 
> similar errors and assorted list postings include include "stuttering 
> video" on the frontend upon re-entry, black screen on re-entry, 
> stuttering audio on re-entry.  This appears to afflict a variety of 
> graphics/system hardware (Pundit, Nvidia,...) and a wide variety of 
> system CPU and bus speeds.
>
> I have personally re-created all of the symptoms using kernels from 
> 2.6.5 thru 2.6.9-r4, ivtv versions from 0.1.100z thru 0.3.1t, using a 
> vaiety of ivtv fw modules, using both Xv and XvMC modes.  Others 
> report using all sorts of things with strikingly similar issues.  The 
> fact that there are various symptoms surrounding this, IMHO, indicates 
> some sort of timing/race, or other multi-task coordination issue, 
> which thus manifests itself slightly differently on each and every 
> distinct combination of HW, SW, settings, and timing.  But, the 
> problem is there and appears quite pervasive.  If you have not yet 
> experienced it, I think it may be just a matter of time until you hit 
> the *wrong* combination.
>
> BTW, the one and only thing I have been able to use to dramatically 
> improve the situation (now failure only 1 in 4 tries) is to use ALSA 
> sound as opposed to OSS.  I was initially encouraged, but the problem 
> persists, albeit reduced.
>
> There is one common thread.  The errors ALWAYS occur on re-entry to a 
> video mode.  Never on the first pass.  Now I ask, "what is different 
> upon re-entry vs. initial entry?".  I would be happy to investigate 
> further, if I knew where to start.  Any ideas on where the differences 
> might lie?
>
> -dvh
> _______________________________________________
> mythtv-users mailing list
> mythtv-users at mythtv.org
> http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users

I'm having the same issue here.

Here is the error message
ivtv-osd: mode is 720x480x32, linelength=2880
Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference<1>Unable to handle 
kernel NULL
pointer dereference at virtual address 00000000
 printing eip:
00000000
*pde = 00000000
Oops: 0000 [#1]
Modules linked in: ivtv_fb(U) msp3400(U) saa7127(U) saa7115(U) tuner(U) 
tveeprom
(U) ivtv(U) i2c_algo_bit videodev i2c_core lirc_dev(U) parport_pc lp 
parport aut
ofs4 sunrpc ipt_REJECT ipt_state ip_conntrack iptable_filter ip_tables 
xfs dm_mo
d md5 ipv6 uhci_hcd ehci_hcd snd_via82xx snd_ac97_codec snd_pcm_oss 
snd_mixer_os
s snd_pcm snd_timer snd_page_alloc gameport snd_mpu401_uart snd_rawmidi 
snd_seq_
device snd soundcore via_rhine mii floppy ext3 jbd
CPU:    0
EIP:    0060:[<00000000>]    Tainted: GF  VLI
EFLAGS: 00010246   (2.6.9-1.681_FC3)
EIP is at 0x0
eax: 21a7d540   ebx: 02361130   ecx: 21a7d220   edx: 05d3aba4
esi: 1b495140   edi: 00000180   ebp: 21a7d540   esp: 05d3ab48
ds: 007b   es: 007b   ss: 0068
Process modprobe (pid: 2907, threadinfo=05d3a000 task=1f510e50)
Stack: 021eac97 00000000 00000000 1b4905d0 00000000 00000001 ffffffff 
00000030
       00000030 00000008 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 05d3ab7c 
00000400
       00000010 00000001 000000ff 021eea7b 021eebbf 1b495140 033f1000 
00000000
Call Trace:
 [<021eac97>] accel_putcs+0x48c/0x4c7
 [<021eea7b>] fb_sysmove_buf_aligned+0x0/0x37
 [<021eebbf>] fb_sysmove_buf_unaligned+0x0/0xac
 [<0215693a>] find_extend_vma+0x12/0x4f
 [<021eb7cb>] fbcon_putcs+0x74/0x7c
 [<0222c397>] vt_console_print+0x24d/0x2a3
 [<0222c14a>] vt_console_print+0x0/0x2a3
 [<021202ed>] __call_console_drivers+0x36/0x40
 [<021209e1>] release_console_sem+0x139/0x20b
 [<021207d4>] vprintk+0x27f/0x2f5
 [<0211937e>] do_page_fault+0x0/0x511
 [<02120552>] printk+0xe/0x11
 [<021196d1>] do_page_fault+0x353/0x511
 [<0211b101>] recalc_task_prio+0x128/0x133
 [<0211b101>] recalc_task_prio+0x128/0x133
 [<021efaea>] fb_set_var+0x89/0x147
 [<0211b15f>] activate_task+0x53/0x5f
 [<0211d27c>] autoremove_wake_function+0xd/0x2d
 [<0211937e>] do_page_fault+0x0/0x511
 [<021eac97>] accel_putcs+0x48c/0x4c7
 [<0224a885>] end_that_request_last+0x6c/0x7e
 [<021eea7b>] fb_sysmove_buf_aligned+0x0/0x37
 [<021eebbf>] fb_sysmove_buf_unaligned+0x0/0xac
 [<021eb7cb>] fbcon_putcs+0x74/0x7c
 [<02228c70>] do_update_region+0x10f/0x154
 [<0222972d>] redraw_screen+0x184/0x1b9
 [<0222cb3b>] take_over_console+0x22d/0x2da
 [<021ea42e>] fbcon_takeover+0x4a/0x74
 [<021ee90d>] fbcon_fb_registered+0x15/0x1a
 [<021ee94a>] fbcon_event_notify+0x38/0x62
 [<0212f76d>] notifier_call_chain+0x17/0x2b
 [<021f0749>] register_framebuffer+0x187/0x193
 [<021f1fe9>] fb_alloc_cmap+0x8d/0xa0
 [<21824353>] init_module+0x353/0x3af [ivtv_fb]
 [<21824000>] init_module+0x0/0x3af [ivtv_fb]
 [<0213be92>] sys_init_module+0x207/0x2ef
Code: <3>Debug: sleeping function called from invalid context at 
include/linux/r
wsem.h:43
in_atomic():0[expected: 0], irqs_disabled():1
 [<0211cbcb>] __might_sleep+0x7d/0x8a
 [<0215e726>] rw_vm+0x20e/0x47a
 [<0215ee70>] get_user_size+0x30/0x57
 [<0210682b>] show_registers+0x109/0x15e
 [<02106a2f>] die+0x14a/0x241
 [<0211937e>] do_page_fault+0x0/0x511
 [<0211937e>] do_page_fault+0x0/0x511
 [<02119733>] do_page_fault+0x3b5/0x511
 [<0224841d>] ll_back_merge_fn+0x109/0x164
 [<02249f27>] __make_request+0x2e2/0x5cc
 [<0224a3a1>] generic_make_request+0x190/0x1a0
 [<0211ba78>] scheduler_tick+0x38f/0x4c0
 [<0211b101>] recalc_task_prio+0x128/0x133
 [<0211937e>] do_page_fault+0x0/0x511
 [<021eac97>] accel_putcs+0x48c/0x4c7
 [<021eea7b>] fb_sysmove_buf_aligned+0x0/0x37
 [<021eebbf>] fb_sysmove_buf_unaligned+0x0/0xac
 [<0215693a>] find_extend_vma+0x12/0x4f
 [<021eb7cb>] fbcon_putcs+0x74/0x7c
 [<0222c397>] vt_console_print+0x24d/0x2a3
 [<0222c14a>] vt_console_print+0x0/0x2a3
 [<021202ed>] __call_console_drivers+0x36/0x40
 [<021209e1>] release_console_sem+0x139/0x20b
 [<021207d4>] vprintk+0x27f/0x2f5
 [<0211937e>] do_page_fault+0x0/0x511
 [<02120552>] printk+0xe/0x11
 [<021196d1>] do_page_fault+0x353/0x511
 [<0211b101>] recalc_task_prio+0x128/0x133
 [<0211b101>] recalc_task_prio+0x128/0x133
 [<021efaea>] fb_set_var+0x89/0x147
 [<0211b15f>] activate_task+0x53/0x5f
 [<0211d27c>] autoremove_wake_function+0xd/0x2d
 [<0211937e>] do_page_fault+0x0/0x511
 [<021eac97>] accel_putcs+0x48c/0x4c7
 [<0224a885>] end_that_request_last+0x6c/0x7e
 [<021eea7b>] fb_sysmove_buf_aligned+0x0/0x37
 [<021eebbf>] fb_sysmove_buf_unaligned+0x0/0xac
 [<021eb7cb>] fbcon_putcs+0x74/0x7c
 [<02228c70>] do_update_region+0x10f/0x154
 [<0222972d>] redraw_screen+0x184/0x1b9
 [<0222cb3b>] take_over_console+0x22d/0x2da
 [<021ea42e>] fbcon_takeover+0x4a/0x74
 [<021ee90d>] fbcon_fb_registered+0x15/0x1a
 [<021ee94a>] fbcon_event_notify+0x38/0x62
 [<0212f76d>] notifier_call_chain+0x17/0x2b
 [<021f0749>] register_framebuffer+0x187/0x193
 [<021f1fe9>] fb_alloc_cmap+0x8d/0xa0
 [<21824353>] init_module+0x353/0x3af [ivtv_fb]
 [<21824000>] init_module+0x0/0x3af [ivtv_fb]
 [<0213be92>] sys_init_module+0x207/0x2ef
 Bad EIP value.

-- 
----
Jim Gifford
maillist at jg555.com