Screen flickering with 16.04 on Dell XPS13 9350

[Richard Platt]

I have installed Ubuntu 16.04 on my XPS13 9350 and I am experiencing and intermittent screen flickering. The screen goes black for a brief moment and constantly does this. While I have been typing it has done it 20-30 times.

plattr@beatrice:~$ uname -a
Linux beatrice 4.4.0-18-generic #34-Ubuntu SMP Wed Apr 6 14:01:02 UTC 2016 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

plattr@beatrice:~$ sudo dmidecode | grep -A3 '^System Information'
[sudo] password for plattr:
System Information
 Manufacturer: Dell Inc.
 Product Name: XPS 13 9350
 Version: Not Specified

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: linux-image-4.4.0-18-generic 4.4.0-18.34
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-18.34-generic 4.4.6
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-18-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu1
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: plattr 1194 F.... pulseaudio
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Sun Apr 10 21:07:48 2016
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=84cb2e32-5b42-44ab-be61-5906241daa1e
InstallationDate: Installed on 2016-03-28 (12 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 16.04 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Beta amd64 (20160323)
Lsusb:
 Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
 Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0c45:670c Microdia
 Bus 001 Device 002: ID 0a5c:6412 Broadcom Corp.
 Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
MachineType: Dell Inc. XPS 13 9350
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-18-generic.efi.signed root=UUID=ddbb6ae6-9a35-4877-beba-6edd31e0ab97 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-4.4.0-18-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-4.4.0-18-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.157
SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 01/08/2016
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 1.2.3
dmi.board.name: 07TYC2
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: A01
dmi.chassis.type: 9
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvr1.2.3:bd01/08/2016:svnDellInc.:pnXPS139350:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn07TYC2:rvrA01:cvnDellInc.:ct9:cvr:
dmi.product.name: XPS 13 9350
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[Richard Platt (richard-d-platt)]

I did a full re-install of 16.04 from the 14/04 daily build and the flicker seems to have gone. I've been running it for a couple of days now with not a single flicker...

[Nhellwege (nhellwege)]

@ Richard Platt
Are you still without flicker? If so, what Kernel are you on? (uname -a)

[Richard Platt (richard-d-platt)]

flickering has started again after apt-get update/upgrade . kernel 4.4.0.21

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Richard Platt, as per http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/product-support/product/xps-13-9350-laptop/drivers?os=biosa an update to your computer's buggy, insecure, and outdated BIOS is available (1.3.3). If you update to this following https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BIOSUpdate does it change anything?

For more on BIOS updates and linux, please see https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs#Bug_reporting_etiquette .

Please note your current BIOS is already in the Bug Description, so posting this on the old BIOS would not be helpful.

Also, you don't have to create a new bug report.

Once the BIOS is updated, if the problem is still reproducible:
1) Please provide the output of the following terminal command (not perform an apport-collect):
sudo dmidecode -s bios-version && sudo dmidecode -s bios-release-date
2) Please make a comment specifically advising on if there was an improvement or not.
3) Please mark this report Status Confirmed.

If it's not reproducible, please mark this as Invalid.

Thank you for your understanding.

[Richard Platt (richard-d-platt)]

Hi Christopher

I have already upgraded to 1.3.3 a couple of weeks ago. The flickering seems to be very intermittent. It's not doing it today!

1)
plattr@beatrice:~$ sudo dmidecode -s bios-version && sudo dmidecode -s bios-release-date
[sudo] password for plattr:
1.3.3
03/01/2016

2) Its definitely a lot better than when I first installed 16.04 Alpha with the old BIOS. I will continue to monitor to see if the flickering returns.

3) Set to Confirmed,

[Richard Platt (richard-d-platt)]

I just and a stream of flickers when I opened a PDF file and continuing... So yes flickering is still occurring.

[Richard Platt (richard-d-platt)]

I've upgraded kernel to 4.6.0-997-generic in drm-intel-next and the flickering has stopped.