I have a virtual machine with a GPU passed through via PCI for transcoding. No displays are connected to this GPU. I at one point had everything working and was able to access the desktop via the vmware remote console.
After updating from Debian 10 to Debian 11, I lost the ability to access the desktop via the remote console. I can still access the system via SSH, or by pressing Alt-F1 at the blinking cursor to get a login prompt.
I have attempted to get my display output back with several different xorg.conf configs, the latest of which is:
Section "Device"
Identifier "Screen0"
Driver "vmware"
BusID "PCI:0@0:15:0"
Option "PrimaryGPU" "yes"
EndSection
Section "ServerFlags"
Option "AutoAddGPU" "false"
EndSection
But no matter what I try, I get (EE) failed to create screen resources(EE) on boot.
Full Xorg logs:
[ 23.757]
X.Org X Server 1.20.11
X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
[ 23.757] Build Operating System: linux Debian
[ 23.757] Current Operating System: Linux plex-vm 5.10.0-35-amd64 #1 SMP Debian 5.10.237-1 (2025-05-19) x86_64
[ 23.757] Kernel command line: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-5.10.0-35-amd64 root=UUID=6ff18011-9893-403e-8e00-61a5daf5eac3 ro quiet
[ 23.757] Build Date: 25 June 2025 07:40:33AM
[ 23.757] xorg-server 2:1.20.11-1+deb11u16 (https://www.debian.org/support)
[ 23.757] Current version of pixman: 0.40.0
[ 23.757] Before reporting problems, check http://wiki.x.org
to make sure that you have the latest version.
[ 23.757] Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
(++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
[ 23.757] (==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Tue Aug 19 23:05:56 2025
[ 23.757] (==) Using config file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf"
[ 23.757] (==) Using system config directory "/usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d"
[ 23.757] (==) No Layout section. Using the first Screen section.
[ 23.757] (==) No screen section available. Using defaults.
[ 23.757] (**) |-->Screen "Default Screen Section" (0)
[ 23.757] (**) | |-->Monitor "<default monitor>"
[ 23.758] (==) No device specified for screen "Default Screen Section".
Using the first device section listed.
[ 23.758] (**) | |-->Device "Screen0"
[ 23.758] (==) No monitor specified for screen "Default Screen Section".
Using a default monitor configuration.
[ 23.758] (**) Option "AutoAddGPU" "false"
[ 23.758] (==) Automatically adding devices
[ 23.758] (==) Automatically enabling devices
[ 23.758] (**) Not automatically adding GPU devices
[ 23.758] (==) Max clients allowed: 256, resource mask: 0x1fffff
[ 23.758] (WW) The directory "/usr/share/fonts/X11/cyrillic" does not exist.
[ 23.758] Entry deleted from font path.
[ 23.758] (==) FontPath set to:
/usr/share/fonts/X11/misc,
/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi/:unscaled,
/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi/:unscaled,
/usr/share/fonts/X11/Type1,
/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi,
/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi,
built-ins
[ 23.758] (==) ModulePath set to "/usr/lib/xorg/modules"
[ 23.758] (II) The server relies on udev to provide the list of input devices.
If no devices become available, reconfigure udev or disable AutoAddDevices.
[ 23.758] (II) Loader magic: 0x556d642b0e40
[ 23.758] (II) Module ABI versions:
[ 23.758] X.Org ANSI C Emulation: 0.4
[ 23.758] X.Org Video Driver: 24.1
[ 23.758] X.Org XInput driver : 24.1
[ 23.758] X.Org Server Extension : 10.0
[ 23.759] (++) using VT number 7
[ 23.759] (II) systemd-logind: logind integration requires -keeptty and -keeptty was not provided, disabling logind integration
[ 23.761] (II) xfree86: Adding drm device (/dev/dri/card0)
[ 23.761] (II) xfree86: Adding drm device (/dev/dri/card1)
[ 23.779] (--) PCI:*(0@0:15:0) 15ad:0405:15ad:0405 rev 0, Mem @ 0xe8000000/134217728, 0xf9000000/8388608, I/O @ 0x00002040/16, BIOS @ 0x????????/131072
[ 23.779] (--) PCI: (3@0:0:0) 10de:1cb1:10de:11bc rev 161, Mem @ 0xfb000000/16777216, 0xc0000000/268435456, 0xd0000000/33554432, I/O @ 0x00004000/128
[ 23.779] (--) PCI: (4@0:0:0) 14f1:8880:0070:6b18 rev 4, Mem @ 0xfc400000/2097152
[ 23.779] (--) PCI: (27@0:0:0) 14f1:8880:0070:6a18 rev 4, Mem @ 0xfc200000/2097152
[ 23.779] (II) LoadModule: "glx"
[ 23.779] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/libglx.so
[ 23.780] (II) Module glx: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[ 23.780] compiled for 1.20.11, module version = 1.0.0
[ 23.780] ABI class: X.Org Server Extension, version 10.0
[ 23.780] (II) LoadModule: "vmware"
[ 23.781] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/vmware_drv.so
[ 23.805] (II) Module vmware: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[ 23.805] compiled for 1.20.8, module version = 13.3.0
[ 23.805] Module class: X.Org Video Driver
[ 23.805] ABI class: X.Org Video Driver, version 24.1
[ 23.805] (II) vmware: driver for VMware SVGA: vmware0405, vmware0710
[ 23.805] (II) vmware(0): Creating default Display subsection in Screen section
"Default Screen Section" for depth/fbbpp 24/32
[ 23.805] (--) vmware(0): DRM driver version is 2.18.0
[ 23.805] (==) vmware(0): Depth 24, (--) framebuffer bpp 32
[ 23.805] (==) vmware(0): RGB weight 888
[ 23.805] (==) vmware(0): Default visual is TrueColor
[ 23.805] (--) vmware(0): Min width 1, Max Width 8192.
[ 23.805] (--) vmware(0): Min height 1, Max Height 8192.
[ 23.805] (II) vmware(0): Output Virtual1 has no monitor section
[ 23.805] (II) vmware(0): Output Virtual2 has no monitor section
[ 23.805] (II) vmware(0): Output Virtual3 has no monitor section
[ 23.805] (II) vmware(0): Output Virtual4 has no monitor section
[ 23.805] (II) vmware(0): Output Virtual5 has no monitor section
[ 23.805] (II) vmware(0): Output Virtual6 has no monitor section
[ 23.806] (II) vmware(0): Output Virtual7 has no monitor section
[ 23.806] (II) vmware(0): Output Virtual8 has no monitor section
[ 23.806] (II) vmware(0): Printing probed modes for output Virtual1
[ 23.806] (II) vmware(0): Modeline "1024x768"x60.0 64.66 1024 1074 1124 1174 768 818 868 918 -hsync +vsync (55.1 kHz eP)
[ 23.806] (II) vmware(0): Modeline "1360x768"x60.0 85.50 1360 1424 1536 1792 768 771 777 795 +hsync +vsync (47.7 kHz e)
[ 23.806] (II) vmware(0): Modeline "1280x800"x59.8 83.50 1280 1352 1480 1680 800 803 809 831 +hsync -vsync (49.7 kHz e)
[ 23.806] (II) vmware(0): Modeline "1152x864"x75.0 108.00 1152 1216 1344 1600 864 865 868 900 +hsync +vsync (67.5 kHz e)
[ 23.806] (II) vmware(0): Modeline "1280x768"x59.9 79.50 1280 1344 1472 1664 768 771 778 798 -hsync +vsync (47.8 kHz e)
[ 23.806] (II) vmware(0): Modeline "1024x768"x60.0 65.00 1024 1048 1184 1344 768 771 777 806 -hsync -vsync (48.4 kHz e)
[ 23.806] (II) vmware(0): Modeline "800x600"x60.3 40.00 800 840 968 1056 600 601 605 628 +hsync +vsync (37.9 kHz e)
[ 23.806] (II) vmware(0): Modeline "640x480"x59.9 25.18 640 656 752 800 480 489 492 525 -hsync -vsync (31.5 kHz e)
[ 23.806] (II) vmware(0): EDID for output Virtual2
[ 23.806] (II) vmware(0): EDID for output Virtual3
[ 23.806] (II) vmware(0): EDID for output Virtual4
[ 23.806] (II) vmware(0): EDID for output Virtual5
[ 23.806] (II) vmware(0): EDID for output Virtual6
[ 23.806] (II) vmware(0): EDID for output Virtual7
[ 23.806] (II) vmware(0): EDID for output Virtual8
[ 23.806] (II) vmware(0): Output Virtual1 connected
[ 23.806] (II) vmware(0): Output Virtual2 disconnected
[ 23.806] (II) vmware(0): Output Virtual3 disconnected
[ 23.806] (II) vmware(0): Output Virtual4 disconnected
[ 23.806] (II) vmware(0): Output Virtual5 disconnected
[ 23.806] (II) vmware(0): Output Virtual6 disconnected
[ 23.806] (II) vmware(0): Output Virtual7 disconnected
[ 23.806] (II) vmware(0): Output Virtual8 disconnected
[ 23.806] (II) vmware(0): Using exact sizes for initial modes
[ 23.806] (II) vmware(0): Output Virtual1 using initial mode 1024x768 +0+0
[ 23.806] (==) vmware(0): DPI set to (96, 96)
[ 23.806] (==) vmware(0): Using gamma correction (1.0, 1.0, 1.0)
[ 23.806] (II) Loading sub module "fb"
[ 23.806] (II) LoadModule: "fb"
[ 23.806] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/libfb.so
[ 23.806] (II) Module fb: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[ 23.806] compiled for 1.20.11, module version = 1.0.0
[ 23.806] ABI class: X.Org ANSI C Emulation, version 0.4
[ 23.806] (II) Loading sub module "dri2"
[ 23.806] (II) LoadModule: "dri2"
[ 23.806] (II) Module "dri2" already built-in
[ 23.806] (II) Loading sub module "dri3"
[ 23.806] (II) LoadModule: "dri3"
[ 23.806] (II) Module "dri3" already built-in
[ 23.807] (II) vmware(0): Initialized VMWARE_CTRL extension version 0.2
[ 23.810] (WW) vmware(0): Failed to initialize Gallium3D Xa. No render acceleration available.
[ 23.810] (WW) vmware(0): Skipped initialization of direct rendering due to lack of render acceleration.
[ 23.810] (--) vmware(0): Render acceleration is disabled.
[ 23.810] (==) vmware(0): Rendercheck mode is disabled.
[ 23.810] (--) vmware(0): Direct rendering (DRI2 3D) is disabled.
[ 23.810] (--) vmware(0): Direct rendering (DRI3 3D) is disabled.
[ 23.810] (==) vmware(0): Backing store enabled
[ 23.810] (==) vmware(0): Silken mouse enabled
[ 23.811] (==) vmware(0): DPMS enabled
[ 23.811] (WW) vmware(0): Option "PrimaryGPU" is not used
[ 23.811] (II) vmware(0): No 3D acceleration. Not setting up textured video.
[ 23.811] (II) Initializing extension Generic Event Extension
[ 23.811] (II) Initializing extension SHAPE
[ 23.811] (II) Initializing extension MIT-SHM
[ 23.812] (II) Initializing extension XInputExtension
[ 23.812] (II) Initializing extension XTEST
[ 23.812] (II) Initializing extension BIG-REQUESTS
[ 23.812] (II) Initializing extension SYNC
[ 23.812] (II) Initializing extension XKEYBOARD
[ 23.812] (II) Initializing extension XC-MISC
[ 23.812] (II) Initializing extension SECURITY
[ 23.812] (II) Initializing extension XFIXES
[ 23.813] (II) Initializing extension RENDER
[ 23.813] (II) Initializing extension RANDR
[ 23.813] (II) Initializing extension COMPOSITE
[ 23.813] (II) Initializing extension DAMAGE
[ 23.813] (II) Initializing extension MIT-SCREEN-SAVER
[ 23.813] (II) Initializing extension DOUBLE-BUFFER
[ 23.813] (II) Initializing extension RECORD
[ 23.813] (II) Initializing extension DPMS
[ 23.813] (II) Initializing extension Present
[ 23.814] (II) Initializing extension DRI3
[ 23.814] (II) Initializing extension X-Resource
[ 23.814] (II) Initializing extension XVideo
[ 23.814] (II) Initializing extension XVideo-MotionCompensation
[ 23.814] (II) Initializing extension SELinux
[ 23.814] (II) SELinux: Disabled on system
[ 23.814] (II) Initializing extension GLX
[ 23.814] (II) AIGLX: Screen 0 is not DRI2 capable
[ 23.825] (II) IGLX: Loaded and initialized swrast
[ 23.825] (II) GLX: Initialized DRISWRAST GL provider for screen 0
[ 23.825] (II) Initializing extension XFree86-VidModeExtension
[ 23.825] (II) Initializing extension XFree86-DGA
[ 23.825] (II) Initializing extension XFree86-DRI
[ 23.825] (II) Initializing extension DRI2
[ 23.825] (EE)
Fatal server error:
[ 23.826] (EE) failed to create screen resources(EE)
[ 23.826] (EE)
Please consult the The X.Org Foundation support
at http://wiki.x.org
for help.
[ 23.826] (EE) Please also check the log file at "/var/log/Xorg.0.log" for additional information.
[ 23.826] (EE)
[ 23.835] (EE) Server terminated with error (1). Closing log file.
