Portrait display goes black after updating Debian Testing

[qgil]

Hi, I am running Debian Testing with two monitors in portrait mode. I never had a problem with this configuration.

This week, I received a desktop notification telling me that there were updates available that required a reboot. I proceeded, and after the reboot and after introducing my password to enter my session, I got both monitors with black displays, apparently unresponsive.

Ctrl-Alt Fn5 would at least give me a command line (in landscape mode). With this I ran update & upgrade, but packages were all fine.

After trying different things, I created a new user, and then rebooted. With the new user I can log in and I get a GNOME desktop alright (in landscape mode). If I select a display and rotate it, that display will go black.

I have searched for this problem, but the keywords won't help to get results related to this specific problem. Any ideas?

[dcihon]

First, do you have inxi installed.
If not install it.
Then run inxi -Fxx so we can see what hardware you have.

[qgil]

Thank you for your quick response. Here you have:

Code: Select all

~$ inxi -Fxx
System:
  Host: minitux Kernel: 4.16.0-2-amd64 x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc
  v: 7.3.0 Desktop: Gnome 3.28.2 dm: gdm3
  Distro: Debian GNU/Linux buster/sid
Machine:
  Type: Desktop Mobo: Intel model: NUC5i7RYB v: H73774-102
  serial: <root required> UEFI [Legacy]: Intel
  v: RYBDWi35.86A.0350.2015.0812.1722 date: 08/12/2015
CPU:
  Topology: Dual Core model: Intel Core i7-5557U bits: 64 type: MT MCP
  arch: Broadwell rev: 4 L2 cache: 4096 KiB
  flags: lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 24741
  Speed: 798 MHz min/max: 500/3400 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 800 2: 798
  3: 799 4: 798
Graphics:
  Card-1: Intel Iris Graphics 6100 driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0
  chip ID: 8086:162b
  Display: wayland server: X.Org 1.19.6 driver: i915 compositor: gnome-shell
  resolution: 1920x1200~60Hz, 1920x1080~60Hz
  OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Iris 6100 (Broadwell GT3)
  v: 4.5 Mesa 18.1.2 compat-v: 3.0 direct render: Yes
Audio:
  Card-1: Intel Broadwell-U Audio driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel
  bus ID: 00:03.0 chip ID: 8086:160c
  Card-2: Intel Wildcat Point-LP High Definition Audio driver: snd_hda_intel
  v: kernel bus ID: 00:1b.0 chip ID: 8086:9ca0
  Card-3: Creative type: USB driver: uvcvideo,snd-usb-audio bus ID: 2:3
  chip ID: 041e:4097
  Sound Server: ALSA v: k4.16.0-2-amd64
Network:
  Card-1: Intel Ethernet Connection I218-V driver: e1000e v: 3.2.6-k
  port: 3080 bus ID: 00:19.0 chip ID: 8086:15a3
  IF: enp0s25 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: b8:ae:ed:e9:f8:2b
  Card-2: Intel Wireless 7265 driver: iwlwifi v: kernel bus ID: 02:00.0
  chip ID: 8086:095a
  IF: wlp2s0 state: up mac: 00:21:5c:e6:38:63
Drives:
  HDD Total Size: 232.89 GiB used: 85.39 GiB (36.7%)
  ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Samsung model: SSD 850 EVO M.2 250GB
  size: 232.89 GiB speed: 6.0 Gb/s serial: S33CNX0H534608W
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 27.37 GiB used: 9.67 GiB (35.3%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/dm-0
  ID-2: /boot size: 235.3 MiB used: 107.2 MiB (45.6%) fs: ext2
  dev: /dev/sda1
  ID-3: /home size: 184.86 GiB used: 75.62 GiB (40.9%) fs: ext4
  dev: /dev/dm-2
  ID-4: swap-1 size: 15.89 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/dm-1
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 47.0 C mobo: 29.8 C
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A
Info:
  Processes: 231 Uptime: N/A Memory: 15.56 GiB used: 1.09 GiB (7.0%)
  Init: systemd v: 238 runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 7.3.0 alt: 7 Shell: bash
  v: 4.4.23 running in: gnome-terminal inxi: 3.0.13

[dcihon]

It looks like it might have something to do with this:

Code: Select all

Debian 10 "Buster" Switches GNOME Session To Wayland By Default

I don't use GNOME or Wayland so I hope someone else has some insight.
I would say do some more searching on the web.

[qgil]

Thank you, your hint was useful.

I haven't been able to find anything useful (to me) about GNOME, Wayland and portrait screen, but I found an interim (or not) solution, quite simple:

Clicking the cog icon in the login screen, four options are offered:

* System X11 Default
* GNOME
* GNOME Classic
* GNOME on Xorg

The only option that leads to the blck portrait screen is "GNOME" (I assume with Wayland). The other three work.

Now, which one to choose? Is there a reason to choose one over the other apart from UI taste? Classic does look classic. Meh. After a few clicks, I don't see any difference between X11 and Xorg. I haven't been following the X* / Wayland discussions for a long time...