[regression,bisected] Missing boot messages with VESAFB after VT initialization

[Frans Pop <elendil@planet.nl>]

Initially all messages from init scripts are displayed correctly, but after
the init script to set up the VT1-VT6 is run, messages from init scripts
are no longer displayed. Instead the display is blank with only a cursor.

However, if I switch back to VT1 from X.Org after the boot has completed,
the missing messages are visible.

System is x86_64 running Debian stable ("Lenny"). I'm using VESAFB (vga=791)
and no KMS.

I've bisected this to the following commit:
   commit 477346ff74f4c2aed50e8a0db96a61069f3e5b80
   Author: Dave Airlie <airlied@redhat.com>
   Date:   Thu Jan 7 17:04:54 2010 +1000
       x86-64: Allow fbdev primary video code

Kernel config is available in: http://lkml.org/lkml/2010/4/16/230

Relevant part of the boot log (I boot with 'quiet'):
[...]
Sat Apr 17 16:52:07 2010: Starting portmap daemon...Already running..
Sat Apr 17 16:52:07 2010: Starting NFS common utilities: statd idmapd.
Sat Apr 17 16:52:08 2010: Setting sensors limits.
Sat Apr 17 16:52:08 2010: Setting console screen modes and fonts.
[Messages after this point are not displayed]
Sat Apr 17 16:52:08 2010: Setting up ALSA...done.
Sat Apr 17 16:52:09 2010: INIT: Entering runlevel: 2
Sat Apr 17 16:52:09 2010: Loading cpufreq kernel modules...done (acpi-cpufreq).
Sat Apr 17 16:52:10 2010: Starting system log daemon....
Sat Apr 17 16:52:10 2010: Starting kernel log daemon....
Sat Apr 17 16:52:10 2010: Starting ACPI services....
Sat Apr 17 16:52:10 2010: Starting system message bus: dbus.
Sat Apr 17 16:52:11 2010: Starting OpenBSD Secure Shell server: sshd.
Sat Apr 17 16:52:11 2010: CPUFreq Utilities: Setting ondemand CPUFreq governor...CPU0...CPU1...done.
Sat Apr 17 16:52:11 2010: Starting HTTP server: boa.
Sat Apr 17 16:52:11 2010: Starting Common Unix Printing System: cupsd.
Sat Apr 17 16:52:13 2010: Starting DirMngr: dirmngr.
Sat Apr 17 16:52:13 2010: Starting MTA: exim4.
Sat Apr 17 16:52:14 2010: Starting LAN Information Server: lisa.
Sat Apr 17 16:52:14 2010: Setting up Machine Check Exceptions trigger... done.
Sat Apr 17 16:52:14 2010: Running Machine Check Exceptions decoder... done.
Sat Apr 17 16:52:14 2010: Starting NFS common utilities: statd idmapd.
Sat Apr 17 16:52:14 2010: Not starting internet superserver: no services enabled.
Sat Apr 17 16:52:14 2010: Setting sysfs variables....
Sat Apr 17 16:52:15 2010: Starting file alteration monitor: FAM.
Sat Apr 17 16:52:15 2010: Starting Hardware abstraction layer: hald.
Sat Apr 17 16:52:17 2010: Starting bluetooth: disabled. see /etc/default/bluetooth.
Sat Apr 17 16:52:17 2010: Starting /usr/sbin/chronyd...
Sat Apr 17 16:52:18 2010: chronyd is running and online.
Sat Apr 17 16:52:18 2010: Starting anac(h)ronistic cron: anacron.
Sat Apr 17 16:52:18 2010: Starting deferred execution scheduler: atd.
Sat Apr 17 16:52:19 2010: Starting periodic command scheduler: crond.
Sat Apr 17 16:52:19 2010: Starting K Display Manager: kdm.

The "Setting console screen modes and fonts" message comes from the init
script /etc/rcS.d/S48console-screen.sh. When that script is run the 2 tux
logos for my 2 CPU cores also disappear.

Cheers,
FJP