Why there is an VCE init error of my graphics cards?

[huangjj27]

dual AMD radeon graphics cards on my lenovo y485p.

output for lspci |grep VGA

    00:01.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Richland [Radeon HD 8650G]
    01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Mars XTX [Radeon HD 8790M] (rev ff)

output for dmesg |egrep -i 'vce|error'

[    1.412259] [drm] Found VCE firmware/feedback version 50.0.1 / 17!
[    1.670035] [drm] VCE initialized successfully.
[    2.652423] [drm] Found VCE firmware/feedback version 50.0.1 / 17!
[    3.093736] radeon 0000:01:00.0: VCE init error (-110).
[    4.131438] [drm:radeon_acpi_init [radeon]] *ERROR* Cannot find a backlight controller
[   11.329357] EXT4-fs (sda13): re-mounted. Opts: errors=remount-ro
[   24.288192] radeon 0000:01:00.0: VCE init error (-110).
[   34.677059] radeon 0000:01:00.0: VCE init error (-110).

output for uname -a

Linux huangjj27-Ubuntu-mate-usb 4.6.2-040602-generic #201606100516 SMP Fri Jun 10 09:18:34 UTC 2016 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

I find the message in each booting. so I wondering why I can’t get both of my graphics card work?

[wolfman]

Hi @huangjj27,

did you try and install any AMD drivers?, please see this link first and stick with the on-board drivers for now until such times as AMD drivers become available:

AMD/ATI owners read this before upgrading to 16.04

EDIT: POSSIBLE SOLUTION FOR SOME WHO HAVE A CARD ON THE LIST HERE: http://support.amd.com/en-us/kb-articles/Pages/AMD-Radeon-GPU-PRO-Linux-Beta-Driver–Release-Notes.aspx Take a look here if you have an AMD/ATI graphics card/chip if you intend to upgrade to Ubuntu 16.04: IF YOU ARE LUCKY YOU WILL FIND YOUR AMD CARD ON THE FOLLOWING LIST BUT PLEASE BE CAREFUL AND DON’T CHANCE YOUR ARM!: https://support.amd.com/en-us/download/linux

Have you run a full system update?:

Ubuntu Mate Update Guide

These are my own setting preferences, use at your own risk!. AN IMPORTANT NOTE FOR LINUX BEGINNERS. WHEN YOU ARE IN RECOVERY MODE, THE KEYBOARD DEFAULTS TO US ENGLISH, IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER LANGUAGE KEYBOARD OTHER THAN US ENGLISH, WHEN YOU TYPE "Y" (FOR "YES"), IT MIGHT SHOW UP AS A DIFFERENT LETTER, ON MY KEYBOARD I MUST PRESS THE "Z" KEY WHICH EQUATES TO "Y" AS I HAVE A GERMAN KEYBOARD, JUST PRESS "BACKSPACE" AND HIT A DIFFERENT KEY UNTIL YOU SEE THE "Y" SHOW UP!. Click on "Subscribe…

As your kernel is from June, how do you have a higher kernel than me when I just did the most recent updates?.

Linux fred2 4.4.0-31-generic #50-Ubuntu SMP Wed Jul 13 00:07:12 UTC 2016 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

[stevecook172001]

Speaking of AMD, I was appalled when I heard there would be no proprietary driver for 16.04. However, I have been pleasantly surprised by notable improvements in the open source one since then such that opengl now seems to work with it. Or, at least I think it does (I am no expert on this). All of my Steam games work and all of the desktop compositing seems to work no problem.

[Dave_Barnes]

That VCE error appears to be a kernel bug
https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=107381
affecting the Mars XTX / Oland GPUs.

If there are no other display problems then I would ignore the message for the time being.

[Dave_Barnes]

He is building his own kernel from source

Hope there are some patches forthcoming for him to try.

[huangjj27]

I installed the newer kernel with the idea that it could help to solve the problem, but it turns out useless.
as for the AMD drivers, I havn’t known that until I finished my ubuntu-mate’s installation

[huangjj27]

congratulations. But I have no idea whether I’m using the open source drivers

[huangjj27]

and for updates, I usually use the command sudo apt update & sudo apt upgrade, which I think it’s the same things you are talking about.

[huangjj27]

I’ sorry to imform you that no obvious bug-fixing. At least the bug of wifi displayment still exists

[wolfman]

Hi,

I would use the following command if I were you which will also force any dependency problems:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade -f

[stevecook172001]

The way to find out if you are using the propriety driver or open source one is the following:

Go the main menu and open System/Preferences/Hardware/Additional Drivers

If you are using a propriety GPU driver it would be listed there. It used to be the case that if you were using the open source driver, it would also be listed here. However, since 16.04, the open one is not listed. However, if neither the open source GPU driver nor a proprietary GPU driver is listed (indeed, a proprietary one can't be listed because there is not one currently available), we can safely assume it is the open source one being used.

Or, form a terminal, type the following:

lspci -k

In my case, it pushed out, amongst other things, the following:

VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Bonaire [Radeon R7 200 Series]
    Subsystem: Micro-Star International Co., Ltd. [MSI] Bonaire [Radeon R7 200 Series]
    Kernel driver in use: radeon
    Kernel modules: radeon

I am assuming "Kernel Driver" refers to the open source driver.

[huangjj27]

@stevecook172001

However, if neither the open source GPU driver nor a proprietary GPU driver is listed (indeed, a proprietary one can't be listed because there is not one currently available), we can safely assume it is the open source one being used.

I'm sorry that I can't see you picture (possibliy that I'm behind GFW in China),but I found the possition you're talking about.

so what the unknown devices is ? CPU or my GPUs?

[huangjj27]

@stevecook172001

lspci -k

I run the command lspci -k |grep adeon and get these

00:01.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Richland [Radeon HD 8650G]
	Subsystem: Lenovo Richland [Radeon HD 8650G]
	Kernel driver in use: radeon
	Kernel modules: radeon
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Mars XTX [Radeon HD 8790M] (rev ff)
	Kernel driver in use: radeon
	Kernel modules: radeon

My Integrated graphics works well but the discrete one. why?
It shouldn't be both works or neither of them works?

[stevecook172001]

This suggest you have the open source Radeon GPU drivers in place for both of your GPUs. But I cannot tell which is the one actually in use.

[huangjj27]

@huangjj27

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Mars XTX [Radeon HD 8790M] (rev ff)
Kernel driver in use: radeon
Kernel modules: radeon

rev ff means that the hardware is off. It's my discrete card, and I want it work QwQ
but I still can't find a solution

[wolfman]

Hi @huangjj27,

have you run a full system update since installing?:

Ubuntu Mate Update Guide

These are my own setting preferences, use at your own risk!. AN IMPORTANT NOTE FOR LINUX BEGINNERS. WHEN YOU ARE IN RECOVERY MODE, THE KEYBOARD DEFAULTS TO US ENGLISH, IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER LANGUAGE KEYBOARD OTHER THAN US ENGLISH, WHEN YOU TYPE "Y" (FOR "YES"), IT MIGHT SHOW UP AS A DIFFERENT LETTER, ON MY KEYBOARD I MUST PRESS THE "Z" KEY WHICH EQUATES TO "Y" AS I HAVE A GERMAN KEYBOARD, JUST PRESS "BACKSPACE" AND HIT A DIFFERENT KEY UNTIL YOU SEE THE "Y" SHOW UP!. Click on "Subscribe…

[huangjj27]

maybe not… I will get a trial, or I’ll reinstall it = =

[stevecook172001]

It’s a guess, but I am wondering if, for whatever reason, Ubuntu is choosing, when faced with these two drivers, to default to the one you do not want. That being that case, is there any way to remove or disable the driver of the GPU you do not want to use and, in doing so, force Ubuntu to use the other one?

[stevecook172001]

I have found this on the main Ubuntu forums. It may be of some help in terms of your problem. It makes mention of blacklisting certain hardware. In this case, your integrated GPU.

https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2231859

[huangjj27]

I am wondering what if both GPU off after I blacklist my integrated GPU... it maybe that my computer will show no screen and I regrad it so risky and no to try....

when faced with these two drivers, to default to the one you do not want

what I want is to make both of them work as in window... but fortunately, this problem makes little influence on my work, and I not so emergent to fix it.