8086:2a42 (Needs i915.powersave quirk) [gm45] flicker on bottom third of screen

Bug #549989 reported by pi-rho
34
This bug affects 7 people
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
linux (Ubuntu)
Confirmed
Medium
Unassigned
Lucid
Confirmed
Medium
Unassigned

Bug Description

Binary package hint: xserver-xorg-video-intel

I've tried with and without compiz and docky. Screen does not flicker outside of Xorg and not in Karmic livecd. sudo lshw -c video corrupts the display every time.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.9.1-1ubuntu17
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-17.26-generic 2.6.32.10+drm33.1
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-17-generic x86_64
Architecture: amd64
CheckboxSubmission: 036ebae473b9f41a3d28bcdb84994cf2
CheckboxSystem: b8f3ec504801f13fc208edb5c785b099
Date: Sat Mar 27 20:18:48 2010
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Alpha amd64 (20091007)
MachineType: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. UL30A
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-2.6.32-17-generic root=UUID=0363152f-7188-4505-8c6f-a90e5236f296 ro quiet splash printk.tiusername=0 gfxpayload=1024x768 i8042.nomux=1 i8042.noloop=1
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: xserver-xorg-video-intel
dmi.bios.date: 08/20/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 206
dmi.board.asset.tag: ATN12345678901234567
dmi.board.name: UL30A
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
dmi.board.version: 1.0
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: ATN12345678901234567
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: 1.0
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr206:bd08/20/2009:svnASUSTeKComputerInc.:pnUL30A:pvr1.0:rvnASUSTeKComputerInc.:rnUL30A:rvr1.0:cvnASUSTeKComputerInc.:ct10:cvr1.0:
dmi.product.name: UL30A
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
system:
 distro: Ubuntu
 codename: lucid
 architecture: x86_64
 kernel: 2.6.32-17-generic

[lspci]
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:2a42] (rev 07)
     Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device [1043:1862]

Revision history for this message
pi-rho (pi-rho) wrote :
Revision history for this message
Robert Hooker (sarvatt) wrote :

Does it only happen when you are using gnome-terminal? The lshw problem is known and the fix has been commited, it was caused by vga16fb.

Changed in xserver-xorg-video-intel (Ubuntu):
status: New → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
pi-rho (pi-rho) wrote :

I closed out of all gnome-terminals and killed guake. The intermittent flickering did not cease.

lshw:

$ dpkg-query -l lshw
Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge/Hold
| Status=Not/Inst/Cfg-files/Unpacked/Failed-cfg/Half-inst/trig-aWait/Trig-pend
|/ Err?=(none)/Reinst-required (Status,Err: uppercase=bad)
||/ Name Version Description
+++-===========================-===========================-======================================================================
ii lshw 02.14-1build1 information about hardware configuration

$ sudo lshw -c video
  *-display:0
       description: VGA compatible controller
       product: Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller
       vendor: Intel Corporation
       physical id: 2
       bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0
       version: 07
       width: 64 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: msi pm bus_master cap_list rom
       configuration: driver=i915 latency=0
       resources: irq:28 memory:fe400000-fe7fffff memory:d0000000-dfffffff(prefetchable) ioport:dc00(size=8)
  *-display:1 UNCLAIMED
       description: Display controller
       product: Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller
       vendor: Intel Corporation
       physical id: 2.1
       bus info: pci@0000:00:02.1
       version: 07
       width: 64 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list
       configuration: latency=0
       resources: memory:fe800000-fe8fffff

... Confirmed fix on lshw -c video

Revision history for this message
pi-rho (pi-rho) wrote :

Additional Info: After thinking about it more, I started xterm and killed off gnome-pty-helper thinking that it may be part of the problem. The intermittent flicker remains.

pi-rho (pi-rho)
Changed in xserver-xorg-video-intel (Ubuntu):
status: Incomplete → New
Bryce Harrington (bryce)
tags: added: flicker
Revision history for this message
pi-rho (pi-rho) wrote :

removed duplicate, since #534894 is on different hardware

Bryce Harrington (bryce)
Changed in xserver-xorg-video-intel (Ubuntu):
status: New → Confirmed
Bryce Harrington (bryce)
description: updated
Bryce Harrington (bryce)
Changed in xserver-xorg-video-intel (Ubuntu Lucid):
assignee: nobody → Chris Halse Rogers (raof)
Revision history for this message
Adam Olsen (arolsen) wrote :

I am also seeing this problem after upgrading to the 10.04 beta on my Thinkpad x200s with an intel GM45 card.

Installing cpuburn and running burnP6 (from a terminal or ALT+F2 run dialog) causes it to happen more often. Just a quick flickering on the bottom half of the screen. This happens whether or not I'm running any gnome-terminals.

Revision history for this message
Robert Hooker (sarvatt) wrote :

pi-rho: Can you please try booting with i915.powersave=0 to see if it fixes the issue? If that does not work, can you boot with drm.debug=0x04 added to grub and attach the dmesg output? Also, does this only happen at low brightness levels or does it also happen with the screen brightness at max as well?

Changed in xserver-xorg-video-intel (Ubuntu Lucid):
status: Confirmed → Incomplete
importance: Undecided → Medium
Revision history for this message
Chris Halse Rogers (raof) wrote : Re: [Bug 549989] Re: [gm45] flicker on bottom third of screen

I also have an x200s, with a GM45 (PCIID 8086:2a43, subsystem vendor
17aa:20e6), and I can't seem to reproduce this bug. How often is the
flickering occurring?

Revision history for this message
pi-rho (pi-rho) wrote : Re: [gm45] flicker on bottom third of screen

@Robert:

i915.powersave=0 looks like it did the trick. Thanks! I'm attaching a full dmesg grepped for "drm"
The flickering happens at max brightness and at lower brightness settings.

@Chris:

Flickering was totally random, but it seemed to slightly increase in frequency when there was more load on the system. That increase could have been totally subjective though.

Revision history for this message
pi-rho (pi-rho) wrote :

Here is the dmesg output grepped for "drm" for convenience...

Changed in xserver-xorg-video-intel (Ubuntu Lucid):
status: Incomplete → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
Chris Halse Rogers (raof) wrote :

This looks like a candidate for powersave quirking then.
@Adam: It would be good to know if i915.powersave=0 works for you as well.

affects: xserver-xorg-video-intel (Ubuntu Lucid) → linux (Ubuntu Lucid)
summary: - [gm45] flicker on bottom third of screen
+ (Needs i915.powersave quirk) [gm45] flicker on bottom third of screen
Changed in linux (Ubuntu Lucid):
assignee: Chris Halse Rogers (raof) → nobody
tags: added: i386 i915 intel
penalvch (penalvch)
summary: - (Needs i915.powersave quirk) [gm45] flicker on bottom third of screen
+ 8086:2a42 (Needs i915.powersave quirk) [gm45] flicker on bottom third of
+ screen
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