Can't get HDMI Out on Debian image (modetest either)

I’m running the latest Debian image (69), and have already updated uboot/firmware. I get no output over HDMI at all (it doesn’t even flash my display or anything).

Modetest output:

user@starfive:~$ sudo modetest -M starfive -c
sudo: unable to resolve host starfive: Name or service not known
Connectors:
id	encoder	status		name		size (mm)	modes	encoders
116	115	connected	HDMI-A-1       	510x290		3	115
  modes:
	index name refresh (Hz) hdisp hss hse htot vdisp vss vse vtot
  #0 1920x1080 60.00 1920 2008 2052 2200 1080 1084 1089 1125 148500 flags: phsync, pvsync; type: preferred, driver
  #1 1280x720 60.00 1280 1390 1430 1650 720 725 730 750 74250 flags: phsync, pvsync; type: driver
  #2 640x480 59.94 640 656 752 800 480 490 492 525 25175 flags: nhsync, nvsync; type: driver
  props:
	1 EDID:
		flags: immutable blob
		blobs:

		value:
			00ffffffffffff0022f0643001010101
			0918010380331d782edd45a3554fa027
			125054a1080081c081809500a9c0b300
			d1c001010101023a801871382d40582c
			4500fd1e1100001e000000fd00324c18
			5e14000a202020202020000000fc0048
			5020453233310a2020202020000000ff
			00334351343039315959430a202000d2
	2 DPMS:
		flags: enum
		enums: On=0 Standby=1 Suspend=2 Off=3
		value: 0
	5 link-status:
		flags: enum
		enums: Good=0 Bad=1
		value: 0
	6 non-desktop:
		flags: immutable range
		values: 0 1
		value: 0
	4 TILE:
		flags: immutable blob
		blobs:

		value:

And trying a test pattern looks like it should do something but nothing happens on my display (I have triple-checked it is set to the right input, and also used the same HDMI cable with a Raspberry Pi 4 and Orange Pi 5 to verify they are able to get a signal):

user@starfive:~$ sudo systemctl stop lightdm
user@starfive:~$ sudo modetest -M starfive -s 116:1920x1080-60Hz
sudo: unable to resolve host starfive: Name or service not known
setting mode 1920x1080-60.00Hz on connectors 116, crtc 31

Here’s also all the dmesg output related to HDMI:

user@starfive:~$ dmesg | grep hdmi
[    0.229902] platform 29590000.hdmi: Fixing up cyclic dependency with 29400000.dc8200
[    2.414672] axp15060-regulator 5-0036: Register hdmi_1p8 done! vol range:1800 ~ 1800 mV
[    2.425022] axp15060-regulator 5-0036: Register hdmi_0p9 done! vol range:900 ~ 900 mV
[    4.426211] innohdmi-starfive 29590000.hdmi: inno hdmi bind begin
[    4.475948] innohdmi-starfive 29590000.hdmi: [drm:inno_hdmi_bind] registered Inno HDMI I2C bus driver success
[    4.500518] innohdmi-starfive 29590000.hdmi: HDMI&AUDIO register done.
[    4.516601] innohdmi-starfive 29590000.hdmi: inno hdmi bind end
[    4.531166] starfive soc:display-subsystem: bound 29590000.hdmi (ops 0xffffffff80e768a8)
[   15.933983] innohdmi-starfive 29590000.hdmi: inno_hdmi_phy_clk_set_rate rate 148500000 tmdsclk 148500000
[   16.043493] innohdmi-starfive 29590000.hdmi: inno_hdmi_phy_clk_set_rate hdmi->pre_cfg->pixclock = 148500000
[   16.053247] innohdmi-starfive 29590000.hdmi: inno_hdmi_phy_clk_set_rate hdmi->pre_cfg->tmdsclock = 148500000
[   16.063082] innohdmi-starfive 29590000.hdmi: inno_hdmi_phy_clk_set_rate hdmi->pre_cfg->prediv = 1
[   16.071967] innohdmi-starfive 29590000.hdmi: inno_hdmi_phy_clk_set_rate hdmi->pre_cfg->fbdiv = 99
[   16.080847] innohdmi-starfive 29590000.hdmi: inno_hdmi_phy_clk_set_rate hdmi->pre_cfg->tmds_div_a = 1
[   16.090077] innohdmi-starfive 29590000.hdmi: inno_hdmi_phy_clk_set_rate hdmi->pre_cfg->tmds_div_b = 1
[   16.099306] innohdmi-starfive 29590000.hdmi: inno_hdmi_phy_clk_set_rate hdmi->pre_cfg->tmds_div_c = 1
[   16.108533] innohdmi-starfive 29590000.hdmi: inno_hdmi_phy_clk_set_rate hdmi->pre_cfg->pclk_div_a = 1
[   16.117760] innohdmi-starfive 29590000.hdmi: inno_hdmi_phy_clk_set_rate hdmi->pre_cfg->pclk_div_b = 2
[   16.126987] innohdmi-starfive 29590000.hdmi: inno_hdmi_phy_clk_set_rate hdmi->pre_cfg->pclk_div_c = 2
[   16.136226] innohdmi-starfive 29590000.hdmi: inno_hdmi_phy_clk_set_rate hdmi->pre_cfg->pclk_div_d = 2
[   16.145439] innohdmi-starfive 29590000.hdmi: inno_hdmi_phy_clk_set_rate hdmi->pre_cfg->vco_div_5_en = 0
[   16.154848] innohdmi-starfive 29590000.hdmi: inno_hdmi_phy_clk_set_rate hdmi->pre_cfg->fracdiv = 0
[   16.163825] innohdmi-starfive 29590000.hdmi: *******************************************************
[   16.172965] innohdmi-starfive 29590000.hdmi: inno_hdmi_phy_clk_set_rate hdmi->post_cfg->tmdsclock = 148500000
[   16.182889] innohdmi-starfive 29590000.hdmi: inno_hdmi_phy_clk_set_rate hdmi->post_cfg->prediv = 1
[   16.191863] innohdmi-starfive 29590000.hdmi: inno_hdmi_phy_clk_set_rate hdmi->post_cfg->fbdiv = 20
[   16.200838] innohdmi-starfive 29590000.hdmi: inno_hdmi_phy_clk_set_rate hdmi->post_cfg->postdiv = 1
[   16.209899] innohdmi-starfive 29590000.hdmi: inno_hdmi_phy_clk_set_rate hdmi->post_cfg->post_div_en = 3
[   16.219309] innohdmi-starfive 29590000.hdmi: inno_hdmi_phy_clk_set_rate hdmi->post_cfg->version = 3

Mr. Geerling,

Try using an older hdmi 1080p only monitor. I’ve gotten success on two older hdmi only monitors.

Your output mentioned another small error:

sudo: unable to resolve host starfive: Name or service not known

Your sbc still has a hostname set to starfive. Please change that with hostnamectl:

hostnamectl set-hostname geerling-image-69-vf2

Then place geerling-image-69-vf2 in your /etc/hosts:

127.0.1.1 geerling-image-69-vf2.localdomain geerling-image-69-vf2
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I have learned something again. Since I replaced the home NetWare server with S.u.S.E. Linux in 1996, I have set the hostnames via DHCP/named and have never had any problems. Of course, new systems initially have a wrong name in the prompt and I have to change /etc/hostname, but both Visionfive 2 gave me an error message for the first time because of this.

mike@ddc:~$ sudo joe /etc/dhcp/dhcpd.conf

host    vfive2-8 {
  hardware ethernet 6C:CF:39:00:21:E5;
# hardware ethernet 6C:CF:39:00:21:E5; eth0 - 1000 mbit
# hardware ethernet 6C:CF:39:00:21:E6; eth1 - 100 mbit
  fixed-address 192.168.178.143;
  option host-name "vfive2-8";
}

host    vfive2-4 {
  hardware ethernet 6C:CF:39:00:2E:D7;
# hardware ethernet 6C:CF:39:00:2E:D7; eth0 - 1000 mbit
# hardware ethernet 6C:CF:39:00:2E:D8; eth1 - 1000 mbit
  fixed-address 192.168.178.144;
  option host-name "vfive2-4";
}
  
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I’ll try with a couple other monitors (the one I’m testing is a pretty old HP, but I’m using HDMI to DVI for it).

I also should note that following the How to use external gpu on VisionFive v2 - #24 by geerlingguy thread, I’m actually able to get output through the same monitor from an AMD Radeon graphics card—though I can’t get a display manager to run (something with the PVR driver I guess, conflicting with radeon).

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FYI I had to try a few different HDMI cables until I found one that worked. For some reason it didn’t like some that worked fine on other devices. I didn’t investigate why - cable length maybe

No matter what I couldn’t get it working with my HP monitor, but I can get output through to an Atomos Ninja V. A bit annoying since that screen is so tiny :smiley:

I’ll test out other monitors in due time.

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