QA:Testcase Anaconda User Interface Basic Video Driver

Associated release criterion
This test case is associated with the Basic_Release_Criteria#expected-image-boot-behavior release criterion. If you are doing release validation testing, a failure of this test case may be a breach of that release criterion. If so, please file a bug and nominate it as blocking the appropriate milestone, using the blocker bug nomination page.

Associated release criterion
This test case is associated with the Fedora_41_Final_Release_Criteria#basic-graphics-mode release criterion. If you are doing release validation testing, a failure of this test case may be a breach of that release criterion. If so, please file a bug and nominate it as blocking the appropriate milestone, using the blocker bug nomination page.

Description

This is to verify that Fedora can be installed in a basic graphics mode, using highly compatible video driver.

Bare metal only
This test case has to be tried on a bare metal system only. We need to ensure that users can boot even with not well supported graphics cards. Graphics is usually not a problem in virtual machines and therefore VM testing is not beneficial here. Please use bare metal system.

Setup

1. Prepare a live image to be tested, or an installer image allowing to install the graphical desktop of choice.

How to test

1. At the initial boot screen, check that there is a menu item for booting into a basic graphics mode (usually under the Troubleshooting menu).
2. Boot into the basic graphics mode.
3. After booting into the desktop/installer, open a terminal application.
   • In a netinst-style (non-Live) installer environment, use Ctrl+Alt+F2 to switch to a virtual terminal.
4. Run the following command to verify that the system has been started with a nomodeset kernel boot argument:

   $ grep nomodeset /proc/cmdline
    BOOT_IMAGE=/images/pxeboot/vmlinuz root=live:CDLABEL=Fedora-WS-Live-38-20230326-n-1 rd.live.image nomodeset quiet rhgb

   If this doesn't print anything, it means it wasn't configured properly, please report a bug.
   Note: Other keywords might differ on your system from the example above. We're only concerned about the presence of the specified argument here.

5. If you booted the image in a BIOS mode (not UEFI), additionally verify that the system has been started with a vga=791 kernel boot argument:

   $ grep vga=791 /proc/cmdline
   BOOT_IMAGE=/images/pxeboot/vmlinuz root=live:CDLABEL=Fedora-WS-Live-38-20230326-n-1 rd.live.image nomodeset vga=791 quiet rhgb

   If this doesn't print anything, it means it wasn't configured properly, please report a bug.

6. Run the following command to display properties of your graphics card and see if there's any Driver: line present:

   $ lspci -kvmm | sed -n '/VGA/,/^$/p'
   Class:	VGA compatible controller
   Vendor:	Intel Corporation
   Device:	CometLake-H GT2 [UHD Graphics]
   SVendor:	Lenovo
   SDevice:	Device 22c2
   Rev:	05
   Module:	i915

   If there's no Driver: line, everything is correct, you're almost certainly running under a fallback graphics driver like simpledrm or vesa. If there's a Driver: line, for example:

   Driver: i915

   then you're running with a native hardware driver (in this case, i915; other most common drivers include amdgpu and nouveau). In this case, the fallback graphics were not started properly, please report a bug.

7. Run the following command and see which drivers were initialized during boot:

   $ journalctl -k | grep -F '[drm] Initialized'
   jun 10 09:48:08 hydra kernel: [drm] Initialized simpledrm 1.0.0 20200625 for simple-framebuffer.0 on minor 0

   If you only see Initialized simpledrm or no line at all, you should be running on a fallback graphics driver correctly. If you see the initialization of a native hardware driver as well, for example:

   jun 10 09:48:08 hydra kernel: [drm] Initialized simpledrm 1.0.0 20200625 for simple-framebuffer.0 on minor 0
   jun 10 09:48:09 hydra kernel: [drm] Initialized i915 1.6.0 20201103 for 0000:00:02.0 on minor 1

   (in this case i915; or amdgpu, nouveau, etc), then please report a bug.

8. Run the installer.
   • In a netinst-style (non-Live) installer environment, press Alt+Right arrow repeatedly until you find the graphical session again.
9. Proceed with installation.
10. Boot the newly installed system.
11. Repeat steps 4 to 7 to verify that your installed system isn't using a native hardware driver.

Expected Results

1. Both the installer environment and the installed desktop must use a fallback graphics driver instead of a native hardware driver.