Debian Bug report logs - #851072
gdm3: barfs if x-x-i-evdev|mouse|synaptics is installed on Linux 4.x kernel host

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Message #5 received at submit@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Martin-Éric Racine <martin-eric.racine@iki.fi>

To: Debian Bug Tracking System <submit@bugs.debian.org>

Subject: gdm3: barfs if x-x-i-evdev|mouse|synaptics is installed on Linux 4.x kernel host

Date: Thu, 12 Jan 2017 00:56:40 +0200

Package: gdm3
Version: 3.22.1-1
Severity: important

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA256

If xserver-xorg-input-[evdev|mouse|synaptics] are installed on an host running current X, GDM3 fails to start. Removing those allows GDM to start again.

- -- System Information:
Debian Release: stretch/sid
  APT prefers testing
  APT policy: (1111, 'testing'), (1011, 'stable')
Architecture: i386 (i586)

Kernel: Linux 3.16.0-4-586
Locale: LANG=fi_FI.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=fi_FI.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash
Init: systemd (via /run/systemd/system)

Versions of packages gdm3 depends on:
ii  accountsservice                       0.6.43-1
ii  adduser                               3.115
ii  dconf-cli                             0.26.0-2
ii  dconf-gsettings-backend               0.26.0-2
ii  debconf [debconf-2.0]                 1.5.59
ii  gir1.2-gdm-1.0                        3.22.1-1
ii  gnome-session [x-session-manager]     3.22.2-1
ii  gnome-session-bin                     3.22.2-1
ii  gnome-settings-daemon                 3.22.1-1
ii  gnome-shell                           3.22.2-1
ii  gnome-terminal [x-terminal-emulator]  3.22.1-1
ii  gsettings-desktop-schemas             3.22.0-1
ii  icewm [x-window-manager]              1.3.8+mod+20161220-1
ii  libaccountsservice0                   0.6.43-1
ii  libaudit1                             1:2.6.7-1
ii  libc6                                 2.24-8
ii  libcanberra-gtk3-0                    0.30-3
ii  libcanberra0                          0.30-3
ii  libgdk-pixbuf2.0-0                    2.36.2-1
ii  libgdm1                               3.22.1-1
ii  libglib2.0-0                          2.50.2-2
ii  libglib2.0-bin                        2.50.2-2
ii  libgtk-3-0                            3.22.5-1
ii  libkeyutils1                          1.5.9-9
ii  libpam-modules                        1.1.8-3.4
ii  libpam-runtime                        1.1.8-3.4
ii  libpam-systemd                        232-8
ii  libpam0g                              1.1.8-3.4
ii  librsvg2-common                       2.40.16-1
ii  libselinux1                           2.6-3
ii  libsystemd0                           232-8
ii  libwrap0                              7.6.q-26
ii  libx11-6                              2:1.6.4-2
ii  libxau6                               1:1.0.8-1
ii  libxdmcp6                             1:1.1.2-1.1
ii  lsb-base                              9.20161125
ii  mutter [x-window-manager]             3.22.2-2
ii  policykit-1                           0.105-17
ii  ucf                                   3.0036
ii  x11-common                            1:7.7+18
ii  x11-xserver-utils                     7.7+7
ii  xterm [x-terminal-emulator]           327-2

Versions of packages gdm3 recommends:
ii  at-spi2-core    2.22.0-5
ii  desktop-base    8.0.2
ii  x11-xkb-utils   7.7+3
ii  xserver-xephyr  2:1.19.0-3
ii  xserver-xorg    1:7.7+18
ii  zenity          3.22.0-1

Versions of packages gdm3 suggests:
ii  gnome-orca            3.22.2-1
ii  libpam-gnome-keyring  3.20.0-3

- -- debconf information:
  gdm3/daemon_name: /usr/sbin/gdm3
* shared/default-x-display-manager: gdm3

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Message #10 received at 851072@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Andreas Henriksson <andreas@fatal.se>

To: Martin-Éric Racine <martin-eric.racine@iki.fi>

Cc: 851072@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Re: gdm3: barfs if x-x-i-evdev|mouse|synaptics is installed on Linux 4.x kernel host

Date: Thu, 12 Jan 2017 12:17:20 +0100

Control: tags -1 + unreproducible moreinfo

Hello Martin-Éric Racine,

On Thu, Jan 12, 2017 at 12:56:40AM +0200, Martin-Éric Racine wrote:
> Package: gdm3
> Version: 3.22.1-1
> Severity: important
> 
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> Hash: SHA256
> 
> If xserver-xorg-input-[evdev|mouse|synaptics] are installed on an host running current X, GDM3 fails to start. Removing those allows GDM to start again.
[...]

Works for me. Please provide more information about what your actual
problem is!

Regards,
Andreas Henriksson

Message #17 received at 851072@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Martin-Éric Racine <martin-eric.racine@iki.fi>

To: Andreas Henriksson <andreas@fatal.se>

Cc: 851072@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Re: gdm3: barfs if x-x-i-evdev|mouse|synaptics is installed on Linux 4.x kernel host

Date: Thu, 12 Jan 2017 13:33:00 +0200

2017-01-12 13:17 GMT+02:00 Andreas Henriksson <andreas@fatal.se>:
> Control: tags -1 + unreproducible moreinfo
>
> Hello Martin-Éric Racine,
>
> On Thu, Jan 12, 2017 at 12:56:40AM +0200, Martin-Éric Racine wrote:
>> Package: gdm3
>> Version: 3.22.1-1
>> Severity: important
>>
>> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
>> Hash: SHA256
>>
>> If xserver-xorg-input-[evdev|mouse|synaptics] are installed on an host running current X, GDM3 fails to start. Removing those allows GDM to start again.
> [...]
>
> Works for me. Please provide more information about what your actual
> problem is!

GDM repeatedly restarts if any of the above packages are installed on
a Linux 4.x host.

If I revert to kernel 3.16, GDM launches as expected, as long as I
disable the Wayland session in the configuration.

This is on a Geode host. On this host, the only possible X video
drivers are fbdev, vesa or geode i.e. all drivers that lack 3D
capability and that require llvmpipe for gnome-session to launch.

Martin-Éric

Message #22 received at 851072@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Andreas Henriksson <andreas@fatal.se>

To: Martin-Éric Racine <martin-eric.racine@iki.fi>

Cc: 851072@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Re: gdm3: barfs if x-x-i-evdev|mouse|synaptics is installed on Linux 4.x kernel host

Date: Thu, 12 Jan 2017 13:43:37 +0100

Hello Martin-Éric Racine,

On Thu, Jan 12, 2017 at 01:33:00PM +0200, Martin-Éric Racine wrote:
> > On Thu, Jan 12, 2017 at 12:56:40AM +0200, Martin-Éric Racine wrote:
[...]
> >> If xserver-xorg-input-[evdev|mouse|synaptics] are installed on an host running current X, GDM3 fails to start. Removing those allows GDM to start again.
[...]

> GDM repeatedly restarts if any of the above packages are installed on
> a Linux 4.x host.

I can for certain tell you it does not as in such case gdm would
repeatedly restart of my computer which is doesn't. Please refrain
from these misleading incorrect statements. This will only
lead to a wild goose chase.

> 
> If I revert to kernel 3.16, GDM launches as expected, as long as I
> disable the Wayland session in the configuration.
> 
> This is on a Geode host. On this host, the only possible X video
> drivers are fbdev, vesa or geode i.e. all drivers that lack 3D
> capability and that require llvmpipe for gnome-session to launch.

I assume this means you lack a KMS capable graphics driver and as
such gdm falls back to running X on your computer instead of
wayland. Can you please check if this is the case and if so
please provide the revelant /var/log/Xorg.0.log ?

Please also provide the gdm crash log.

For the future you'll want to make sure to have a KMS/wayland
capable graphics driver for your system.

Regards,
Andreas Henriksson

Message #27 received at 851072@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Martin-Éric Racine <martin-eric.racine@iki.fi>

To: Andreas Henriksson <andreas@fatal.se>

Cc: 851072@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Re: gdm3: barfs if x-x-i-evdev|mouse|synaptics is installed on Linux 4.x kernel host

Date: Thu, 12 Jan 2017 15:16:11 +0200

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

2017-01-12 14:43 GMT+02:00 Andreas Henriksson <andreas@fatal.se>:
> Hello Martin-Éric Racine,
>
> On Thu, Jan 12, 2017 at 01:33:00PM +0200, Martin-Éric Racine wrote:
>> > On Thu, Jan 12, 2017 at 12:56:40AM +0200, Martin-Éric Racine wrote:
> [...]
>> >> If xserver-xorg-input-[evdev|mouse|synaptics] are installed on an host running current X, GDM3 fails to start. Removing those allows GDM to start again.
> [...]
>
>> GDM repeatedly restarts if any of the above packages are installed on
>> a Linux 4.x host.
>
> I can for certain tell you it does not as in such case gdm would
> repeatedly restart of my computer which is doesn't. Please refrain
> from these misleading incorrect statements. This will only
> lead to a wild goose chase.

You might wanna ponder the usefulness of calling someone a liar for
reporting what they witness as-is.

>> If I revert to kernel 3.16, GDM launches as expected, as long as I
>> disable the Wayland session in the configuration.
>>
>> This is on a Geode host. On this host, the only possible X video
>> drivers are fbdev, vesa or geode i.e. all drivers that lack 3D
>> capability and that require llvmpipe for gnome-session to launch.
>
> I assume this means you lack a KMS capable graphics driver and as
> such gdm falls back to running X on your computer instead of
> wayland. Can you please check if this is the case and if so
> please provide the revelant /var/log/Xorg.0.log ?

I know for fact that this is the case. There is no KMS driver
available for the Geode video hardware. That's why llvmpipe is needed
for anything to be displayed by gnome-session on Geode hardware.

> Please also provide the gdm crash log.

There is no crash. The gdm-greeter child just repeatedly dies and gdm
tries to launch a new one ad infinitum.

> For the future you'll want to make sure to have a KMS/wayland
> capable graphics driver for your system.

See above. There is none available for Geode video hardwar.

Martin-Éric

[Xorg_log_1_SMP_Debian_4.8.15-2_2017-01-04.txt (text/plain, attachment)]

[Xorg_log_1_Debian_3.16.36-1+deb8u2_2016-10-19.txt (text/plain, attachment)]

[var_log_debug_grep_gdm_1_SMP_Debian_4.8.15-2_2017-01-04.txt (text/plain, attachment)]

[var_log_debug_grep_gdm_1_Debian_3.16.36-1+deb8u2_2016-10-19.txt (text/plain, attachment)]

[dmesg_1_SMP_Debian_4.8.15-2_2017-01-04.txt (text/plain, attachment)]

[dmesg_1_Debian_3.16.36-1+deb8u2_2016-10-19.txt (text/plain, attachment)]

Message #32 received at 851072-done@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Jeremy Bícha <jbicha@debian.org>

To: 970212-done@bugs.debian.org, 969106-done@bugs.debian.org, 940614-done@bugs.debian.org, 896817-done@bugs.debian.org, 852607-done@bugs.debian.org, 851072-done@bugs.debian.org, 822529-done@bugs.debian.org, 598377-done@bugs.debian.org, 1027721-done@bugs.debian.org, 1001619-done@bugs.debian.org, 987040-done@bugs.debian.org, 692579-done@bugs.debian.org

Subject: closing old gdm3 bugs

Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2025 18:23:43 -0500

There have been many changes to Debian since this bug was originally
reported. If you are still experiencing this issue with Debian 13 (or
with Debian 12 or Testing or Unstable), please report a new bug.

Thank you,
Jeremy Bícha

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