[Sony VAIO SVE1512Y1ESI] Screen flickering at login screen

[Marcomurk]

On a Sony Vaio E-series with a Radeon HD7650M graphics card the screen starts flickering black at login screen (I'm using Ubuntu 12.10 with the last updates).
It's only a video-issue: apart from this Ubuntu is properly running.

I discovered a dirty workaround for the problem: when screen starts flickering, if I close the laptop lid and wait about 10s for the system to enter sleep/standby mode, after I open it again and resume the pc from sleep/standby the problem disappears until next system boot (even if i launch 3d-stuff like "extremetuxracer" there's no problem until next boot).

Other people are writing about (apparently) the same problem on AskUbuntu:
http://snurl.com/26daxey

The problem exists only with kernel versions >=3.6.10
(and still persists in the last mainline kernel - 3.9.0-rc2 last time I tried).

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.10
Package: xorg 1:7.7+1ubuntu4
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.5.0-22.34-generic 3.5.7.2
Uname: Linux 3.5.0-22-generic x86_64
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 2.6.1-0ubuntu10
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: No value set for `/apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/active_plugins'
CompositorRunning: None
Date: Tue Feb 12 12:54:23 2013
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: quantal
DistroVariant: ubuntu
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes, if not too technical
GraphicsCard:
 Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI Thames [Radeon 7500M/7600M Series] [1002:6841] (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Sony Corporation Device [104d:90ab]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-01-18 (24 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.10 "Quantal Quetzal" - Release amd64 (20121017.5)
MachineType: Sony Corporation SVE1512Y1ESI
MarkForUpload: True
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=it:en
 TERM=unknown
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=it_IT.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.5.0-22-generic root=UUID=d2b13271-2540-4740-b740-85b725579524 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: xorg
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 08/30/2012
dmi.bios.vendor: Insyde Corp.
dmi.bios.version: R0150D5
dmi.board.asset.tag: N/A
dmi.board.name: VAIO
dmi.board.vendor: Sony Corporation
dmi.board.version: N/A
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: N/A
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Sony Corporation
dmi.chassis.version: N/A
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnInsydeCorp.:bvrR0150D5:bd08/30/2012:svnSonyCorporation:pnSVE1512Y1ESI:pvrC10FN8RZ:rvnSonyCorporation:rnVAIO:rvrN/A:cvnSonyCorporation:ct10:cvrN/A:
dmi.product.name: SVE1512Y1ESI
dmi.product.version: C10FN8RZ
dmi.sys.vendor: Sony Corporation
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.8.6-0ubuntu1
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.39-0ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 9.0-0ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 9.0-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.13.0-0ubuntu6.1
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.7.3-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.99.99~git20120913.8637f772-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.20.9-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.2-0ubuntu3

[Marcomurk (marcomurk)]

It's a kernel issue, nothing to do with xserver-xorg-video-ati

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Would it be possible for you to test the latest upstream kernel? Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Please test the latest v3.9 kernel[0] (Not a kernel in the daily directory) and install both the linux-image and linux-image-extra .deb packages.

If this bug is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tag 'kernel-fixed-upstream'.

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the tag: 'kernel-bug-exists-upstream'.

If you are unable to test the mainline kernel, for example it will not boot, please add the tag: 'kernel-unable-to-test-upstream'.
Once testing of the upstream kernel is complete, please mark this bug as "Confirmed".

Thanks in advance.

[0] http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.9-rc2-raring/

[Marcomurk (marcomurk)]

Thanks for your reply!
Tried with the mainline kernel you linked, however the problem persists...

[Joan Jerez (joanjerezt)]

I experienced the same problem. The last working version of kernel was 3.5.0-21. Next version (3.5.0-22) started to give problems, there was a regression here. I have the same symptoms as described here, and I have exactly same hardware.

Problems occur again in 3.8.0-19.

Installing proprietary drivers: only beta drivers work properly and I win the ability to adjust brightness of screen (don't available in opensource radeon driver), but often I don't get to login screen (boot sequence stop after kubuntu blue logo disappears), and when I get it, sometimes I have to go through an abnormal blue screen with vertical lines during some seconds until login screen appears.

[Simos Xenitellis  (simosx)]

I get screen corruption and general problems as well (ATI Radeon HD 7650M)
Tried both free and proprietary drivers, 12.04.2 and 13.04.

The nasty workaround for me is to connect an external HDMI monitor, which helps /fix/ the problem.
When Ubuntu tries to clone the laptop screen, this ends up fixing the screen corruption, when using the fglrx driver (For both the HDMI display and the laptop screen). I can then disconnet the HDMI display and the laptop screen continues to work well.
When I use the radeon (free) driver, the HDMI display works find, however the laptop screen shows artifacts (either 'split' screen or flickering).

Since both the free and proprietary drivers exhibit similar behaviour, it does look like a common kernel issue.
Will try newer kernels.

[Simos Xenitellis  (simosx)]

ATI Radeon HD 7650M with Ubuntu 13.04, Linux 3.9.0-raring (from mainline) and fglrx 13.4: Still same screen corruption as with previous kernels.

[Simos Xenitellis  (simosx)]

Just tried with latest 13.10-daily (http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/saucy-desktop-amd64.iso)
and it works just fine:
    1. The LiveUSB boots up and it works when I "Try Ubuntu".
    2. Connecting and disconnecting an HDMI monitor works as expected.

The kernel in the Ubuntu 3.10 Daily DVD is 3.9.0-3-generic.

I am willing to help figure out which package causes the problem with 13.04/12.04.2.
Could it be the kernel or something else?

[Marcomurk (marcomurk)]

Sure, it's a kernel issue.
Just tried with mainline Kernel 3.9.4 [0] and now the problem seems to be solved (however, by reading the 3.9.2 kernel changelog [1], I think that the issue was already solved in that kernel).
Does this work for you?

[0]: http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.9.4-saucy/
[1]: https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v3.x/ChangeLog-3.9.2

[Marcomurk (marcomurk)]

Ok, confirmed, the latest mainline Kernels solve the issue.
However the latest ubuntu version of the kernel (today 3.5.0-32 for Ubuntu 12.10) it's still affected by the problem.
Now I'll try to check in what version of the mainline kernel the issue was solved.

[Marcomurk (marcomurk)]

Ok, here's the situation:
- problem affects all mainline kernels 3.6.10<=version<=3.9.1
- problem not present in mainline kernels with versions <=3.6.9 or >=3.9.2

Do you agree?

@UbuntuKernelTeam: should I send some kind of notification about this?

[Marcomurk (marcomurk)]

Oh, I forgot... I only tried with the open-source driver: no idea about the situation with fglrx.

[Simos Xenitellis  (simosx)]

I just tried with LiveUSBs with
1. Ubuntu 12.04 (Linux 3.2): installer showed garbled output, Live environment did not show something on screen.
2. Ubuntu 12.04.1 (Linux 3.?): installer showed garbled output, Live environment did not show something on screen.
3. Ubuntu 12.04.2 (Linux 3.5): installer showed garbled output, Live environment did not show something on screen.
4. Ubuntu 12.10 (Linux 3.5): installer showed garbled output, Live environment did not show something on screen.
5. Ubuntu 13.04 (Linux 3.8): installer showed garbled output, Live environment did not show something on screen.

Can comeone verify whether a LiveUSB (any version) worked for them?

(I tried 13.10-daily with fglrx and the screen was messed up; I could get the display to clear up by connecting an HDMI device, however it is cumbersome)

[PsYcHoK9 (psychok9)]

Only the 12.10 amd64 version for me, but so lucky and random.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Marcomurk, could you please confirm this issue exists with the latest development release of Ubuntu? ISO images are available from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/ . If the issue remains, could you please run the following command in the development release from a Terminal (Applications->Accessories->Terminal), as it will automatically gather and attach updated debug information to this report:

apport-collect -p linux <replace-with-bug-number>

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for linux (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]