Another post about non-working graphics driver - Nvidia 8600M GT

[aaronouthier]

Hello,

I've tried with both Nouveau drivers and Nvidia proprietary. Neither seems to be able to give me a working X11 desktop. Live doesn't work, and neither does a full install.

Let me know if I need to attach any other logs of any config files. Note that my entire "lspci -vv" output is 32k, and too big to attach. My "lsusb -vv" is likewise 64k. The following is with a fresh install of 2019.3, before updates. I will update and post new logs.

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lspci excerpt:

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation G84M [GeForce 8600M GT] (rev a1) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller]) Subsystem: Apple Inc. G84M [GeForce 8600M GT]
Physical Slot: 1
Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster- SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 0
Region 0: Memory at d2000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16M]
Region 1: Memory at c0000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]
Region 3: Memory at d0000000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=32M]
Region 5: I/O ports at 5000 [disabled] [size=128]
Expansion ROM at d3000000 [disabled] [size=128K]
Capabilities: [60] Power Management version 2
Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1- D2- AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0-,D1-,D2-,D3hot-,D3cold-)
Status: D0 NoSoftRst- PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-
Capabilities: [68] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
Address: 0000000000000000 Data: 0000
Capabilities: [78] Express (v1) Endpoint, MSI 00
DevCap: MaxPayload 128 bytes, PhantFunc 0, Latency L0s <512ns, L1 <4us
ExtTag+ AttnBtn- AttnInd- PwrInd- RBE+ FLReset- SlotPowerLimit 75.000W
DevCtl: CorrErr- NonFatalErr- FatalErr- UnsupReq-
RlxdOrd+ ExtTag+ PhantFunc- AuxPwr- NoSnoop+
MaxPayload 128 bytes, MaxReadReq 512 bytes
DevSta: CorrErr- NonFatalErr- FatalErr- UnsupReq- AuxPwr- TransPend-
LnkCap: Port #0, Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x16, ASPM L0s L1, Exit Latency L0s <512ns, L1 <4us
ClockPM- Surprise- LLActRep- BwNot- ASPMOptComp-
LnkCtl: ASPM L0s L1 Enabled; RCB 128 bytes Disabled- CommClk+
ExtSynch- ClockPM- AutWidDis- BWInt- AutBWInt-
LnkSta: Speed 2.5GT/s (ok), Width x16 (ok)
TrErr- Train- SlotClk+ DLActive- BWMgmt- ABWMgmt-
Capabilities: [100 v1] Virtual Channel
Caps: LPEVC=0 RefClk=100ns PATEntryBits=1
Arb: Fixed- WRR32- WRR64- WRR128-
Ctrl: ArbSelect=Fixed
Status: InProgress-
VC0: Caps: PATOffset=00 MaxTimeSlots=1 RejSnoopTrans-
Arb: Fixed- WRR32- WRR64- WRR128- TWRR128- WRR256-
Ctrl: Enable+ ID=0 ArbSelect=Fixed TC/VC=01
Status: NegoPending- InProgress-
Capabilities: [128 v1] Power Budgeting <?>
Capabilities: [600 v1] Vendor Specific Information: ID=0001 Rev=1 Len=024 <?>
Kernel modules: nvidia

[Mister_X]

look up about adding nouveau.modeset or nomodeset when booting.

[aaronouthier]

Thank you, Mister_X. I had tried nouveau.modeset=1 and =0, but neither one gives me a working desktop. I hadn't heard of nomodeset parameter, but I tried it recently, both alone, and with each of the nouveau.modeset parameters in turn. No dice. I do indeed know where to add those commands. For whatever reason, if I understand the logs correctly, it seems to initialize the graphics chip correctly, but can't find a resolution that works with my screen.

I think I am going to see about getting a Late 2008 model MacBook Pro 15". That is the last model that has the ExpressCard34 slot, that I require to add my USB 3.0 ports for the Alpha USB 3 card that I bought with the 8812au chipset. I can switch out my HDD and WiFi adapter (My current unit has a 750 GB SATA drive - I upgraded it, and an Atheros WiFi card).

[aaronouthier]

3693
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3695

Ok, I got two old MacBooks from a friend. They were both similar to mine, but in better condition.

I upgraded the newer of the two to 4 GB RAM. Still unable to get Xorg to come up.

lshw snippet:


description: Computer product: MacBookPro4,1 (System SKU#)
vendor: Apple Inc.
version: 1.0
serial: W883306UYJZ
width: 64 bits
capabilities: smbios-2.4 dmi-2.4 smp vsyscall32
configuration: boot=normal family=MacBook Pro sku=System SKU# uuid=26A96EAC-CD73-7A49-8B7C-2DA8F466D971
*-core
description: Motherboard
product: Mac-F42C89C8
vendor: Apple Inc.
physical id: 0
version: PVT
serial: 1
slot: Part Component
*-cpu:0
description: CPU
product: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU T8300 @ 2.40GHz
vendor: Intel Corp.
physical id: 0
bus info: cpu@0
version: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU T8300 @ 2.40GHz
slot: U2E1
size: 1575MHz
capacity: 2400MHz
width: 64 bits
clock: 200MHz
capabilities: fpu fpu_exception wp vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ht tm pbe syscall nx x86-64 constant_tsc arch_perfmon pebs bts rep_good nopl cpuid aperfmperf pni dtes64 monitor ds_cpl vmx est tm2 ssse3 cx16 xtpr pdcm sse4_1 lahf_lm pti tpr_shadow vnmi flexpriority dtherm cpufreq
*-cache
description: L1 cache
physical id: 2
slot: Unknown
size: 32KiB
capacity: 32KiB
capabilities: asynchronous internal write-back data
configuration: level=1
*-cache:0
description: L1 cache
physical id: 1
slot: Unknown
size: 32KiB
capacity: 32KiB
capabilities: asynchronous internal write-back instruction
configuration: level=1
*-cpu:1
description: CPU
vendor: Intel(R) Corporation
physical id: 3
bus info: cpu@1
version: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU T8300 @ 2.40GHz
slot: U2E1
size: 1380MHz
capacity: 2400MHz
clock: 200MHz
capabilities: cpufreq
*-cache
description: L1 cache
physical id: 5
slot: Unknown
size: 32KiB
capacity: 32KiB
capabilities: asynchronous internal write-back data
configuration: level=1
*-cache:1
description: L1 cache
physical id: 4
slot: Unknown
size: 32KiB
capacity: 32KiB
capabilities: asynchronous internal write-back instruction
configuration: level=1
*-memory
description: System Memory
physical id: 6
slot: System board or motherboard
size: 4GiB
*-bank:0
description: SODIMM DDR2 Synchronous 533 MHz (1.9 ns)
product: 16HTF25664HY-53EE1
vendor: Micron Technology
physical id: 0
serial: 0xDD4331B1
slot: DIMM0
size: 2GiB
width: 64 bits
clock: 533MHz (1.9ns)
*-bank:1
description: SODIMM DDR2 Synchronous 533 MHz (1.9 ns)
product: 16HTF25664HY-53EE1
vendor: Micron Technology
physical id: 1
serial: 0xDD4331B1
slot: DIMM1
size: 2GiB
width: 64 bits
clock: 533MHz (1.9ns)
*-firmware
description: BIOS
vendor: Apple Inc.
physical id: e
version: MBP41.88Z.00C1.B03.0802271651
date: 02/27/08
size: 1MiB
capacity: 2MiB
capabilities: pci upgrade shadowing cdboot bootselect acpi ieee1394boot smartbattery netboot
*-pci
description: Host bridge
product: Mobile PM965/GM965/GL960 Memory Controller Hub
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 100
bus info: pci@0000:00:00.0
version: 03
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
*-pci:0
description: PCI bridge
product: Mobile PM965/GM965/GL960 PCI Express Root Port
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 1
bus info: pci@0000:00:01.0
version: 03
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pci pm msi pciexpress normal_decode bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=pcieport
resources: irq:24 ioport:7000(size=4096) memory:d0000000-d30fffff ioport:c0000000(size=268435456)
*-display
description: VGA compatible controller
product: G84M [GeForce 8600M GT]
vendor: NVIDIA Corporation
physical id: 0
bus info: pci@0000:01:00.0
version: a1
width: 64 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm msi pciexpress vga_controller bus_master cap_list rom
configuration: driver=nvidia latency=0
resources: irq:16 memory:d2000000-d2ffffff memory:c0000000-cfffffff memory:d0000000-d1ffffff ioport:7000(size=128) memory:d3000000-d301ffff

[aaronouthier]

Anyone have an idea what else I can try to get Xorg going?
I have tried using both nouveau.modeset=0 and nomodeset kernel parameters, but to no avail.
On a positive note: I did notice that when using the nouveau driver, lshw showed the card as "unclaimed", whereas with the Nvidia legacy driver, it did not. lshw excerpt above is with Nvidia driver, FWIW.

Kali is installed directly to a clean HDD now. I am not dual-booting with macOS or anything like that.

[aaronouthier]

Got it working!!!

Apparently when installing with the GPT/EFI bootloader, there are issues on that model of Mac when booting Linux. The key to unraveling the mystery was in dmesg, which said something about an error copying the vbios to RAM. When I install in MBR/BIOS mode, it works great!!

It took me about a week of sleuthing, but patience, persistence, and perseverance pays!

I didn't even realize I could boot that old MAChine in BIOS Mode without dual-booting. Now, I just need to get a battery or two that work. I wonder how much has changed with Kismet in the last 15 years or so? The last time I went wardriving, the only WiFi protocol was B, however G was just about to be released. Now, there is A, B, G, N150, N300, N600, AC1200.

Last time, there was WEP and WPA, now there is WPA, WPA2, and WPA3 has apparently been released.