[HP ProBook 445 G1 Notebook PC] Screen Flickering and display problems

[Shash]

On doing a fresh install of Ubuntu 13.10 on a system which previously had 12.04, using a USB stick, I booted my HP ProBook 445 laptop (AMD A6-5350 chip with Radeon HD Graphics) to find that some launcher icons were flashing on and off, and the screen generally seemed to be flickering, with the icons in the system tray and the launcher blinking. The system itself was working fast, but there seemed to be something wrong with the display. A couple of minutes after it booted completely, the Update Manager started up, but its windows were flickering, and it was difficult to read text written inside the window. After it completed updating, i rebooted the laptop, and things seemed to flickering less than earlier. So i thought i'd open a simple application, like Files, and see if the display was still awry. It still was. I could see occassional streaks and dark lines across the screen, and the display seemed to have some serious internal error. A long press of the Super Key opens the Unity help window, as we know, and when i long-pressed the Super Key, the screen starting behaving weird, with text and icons disappearing and reappearing randomly across the screen. It definitely wasn't fun to see, and it definitely didn't seem like everything was fine. It was just not what one would expect off a fresh install of the latest Ubuntu OS.

I cannot attach screenshots, because whenever i try to take screenshots of a weird looking screen, the screenshot is either never taken, or if taken, everything looks perfect in the picture.

The result for apt-cache policy xorg is

xorg:
  Installed: 1:7.7+1ubuntu6
  Candidate: 1:7.7+1ubuntu6
  Version table:
 *** 1:7.7+1ubuntu6 0
        500 http://in.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ saucy/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.10
Package: xorg 1:7.7+1ubuntu6
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.11.0-13.20-generic 3.11.6
Uname: Linux 3.11.0-13-generic x86_64
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 2.12.5-0ubuntu2.1
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: No value set for `/apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/active_plugins'
CompositorRunning: compiz
CompositorUnredirectDriverBlacklist: '(nouveau|Intel).*Mesa 8.0'
CompositorUnredirectFSW: true
Date: Sat Nov 9 00:05:34 2013
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: saucy
DistroVariant: ubuntu
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes, if not too technical
GraphicsCard:
 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Richland [Radeon HD 8450G] [1002:9995] (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:1950]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-11-08 (0 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.10 "Saucy Salamander" - Release amd64 (20131016.1)
MachineType: Hewlett-Packard HP ProBook 445 G1
MarkForUpload: True
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_IN:en
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_IN
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.11.0-13-generic root=UUID=731cac08-a53d-4405-9318-1681ff7bbda2 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 09/05/2013
dmi.bios.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.bios.version: 68CPE Ver. F.21
dmi.board.asset.tag: Base Board Asset Tag
dmi.board.name: 1950
dmi.board.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.board.version: KBC Version 91.0B
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnHewlett-Packard:bvr68CPEVer.F.21:bd09/05/2013:svnHewlett-Packard:pnHPProBook445G1:pvrA2018CD200:rvnHewlett-Packard:rn1950:rvrKBCVersion91.0B:cvnHewlett-Packard:ct10:cvr:
dmi.product.name: HP ProBook 445 G1
dmi.product.version: A2018CD200
dmi.sys.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.10+13.10.20131011-0ubuntu1
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.46-1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 9.2.1-1ubuntu3
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 9.2.1-1ubuntu3
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.14.3-3ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.7.3-0ubuntu3.1
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:7.2.0-0ubuntu10
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.99.904-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.9-2ubuntu1
xserver.bootTime: Sat Nov 9 00:01:39 2013
xserver.configfile: default
xserver.errors:

xserver.logfile: /var/log/Xorg.0.log
xserver.version: 2:1.14.3-3ubuntu2
xserver.video_driver: radeon

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Shashwat Sridhar, this bug was reported a while ago and there hasn't been any activity in it recently. We were wondering if this is still an issue? If so, could you please test for this with the latest development release of Ubuntu? ISO images are available from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/ .

If it remains an issue, 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 xorg REPLACE-WITH-BUG-NUMBER

Thank you for your understanding.

Helpful bug reporting tips:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ReportingBugs

[Wayne (wsimmerson)]

I'm experiencing the exact same problem with AMD Radeon HD 8450G on Acer Aspire V5-552P-7480.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[mike (jronpaul)]

i am having this problem...

I can run a ubuntu-bug when I get home..

here is the info I have now.

display problem 16 petra x86_64 - Radeon HD 8450G

i just bought a lenovo thinkpad edge.
installed Linux Mint 16 Petra .

my display is making strange lines and blinking .. i assume i have a driver issue??

the card is a VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Richland [Radeon HD 8450G]

ThinkPad-Edge-E545 3.11.0-12-generic #19-Ubuntu SMP Wed Oct 9 16:20:46 UTC 2013 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

ThinkPad-Edge-E545 ~ $ lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 15h (Models 10h-1fh) Processor Root Complex
00:01.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Richland [Radeon HD 8450G]
00:01.1 Audio device: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Trinity HDMI Audio Controller
00:04.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 15h (Models 10h-1fh) Processor Root Port
00:05.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 15h (Models 10h-1fh) Processor Root Port
00:07.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 15h (Models 10h-1fh) Processor Root Port
00:10.0 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH USB XHCI Controller (rev 09)
00:10.1 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH USB XHCI Controller (rev 09)
00:11.0 SATA controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH SATA Controller [AHCI mode] (rev 40)
00:12.0 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH USB OHCI Controller (rev 11)
00:12.2 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH USB EHCI Controller (rev 11)
00:13.0 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH USB OHCI Controller (rev 11)
00:13.2 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH USB EHCI Controller (rev 11)
00:14.0 SMBus: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH SMBus Controller (rev 16)
00:14.2 Audio device: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH Azalia Controller (rev 01)
00:14.3 ISA bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH LPC Bridge (rev 11)
00:14.4 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH PCI Bridge (rev 40)
00:18.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 15h (Models 10h-1fh) Processor Function 0
00:18.1 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 15h (Models 10h-1fh) Processor Function 1
00:18.2 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 15h (Models 10h-1fh) Processor Function 2
00:18.3 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 15h (Models 10h-1fh) Processor Function 3
00:18.4 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 15h (Models 10h-1fh) Processor Function 4
00:18.5 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 15h (Models 10h-1fh) Processor Function 5
01:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller (rev 07)
02:00.0 Network controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8188EE Wireless Network Adapter (rev 01)
03:00.0 Unassigned class [ff00]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTS5229 PCI Express Card Reader (rev 01)

lsmod
Module Size Used by
bnep 19564 2
rfcomm 69070 0
parport_pc 32701 0
ppdev 17671 0
...

[penalvch (penalvch)]

mike, thank you for your comment. So your hardware and problem may be tracked, could you please file a new report by executing the following in a terminal:
ubuntu-bug xorg

Please ensure you have xdiagnose installed, and that you click the Yes button for attaching additional debugging information.

For more on this, please see the official Ubuntu documentation:
Ubuntu X.Org Team, Ubuntu Bug Control, and Ubuntu Bug Squad: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/BestPractices#X.2BAC8-Reporting.Focus_on_One_Issue
Ubuntu Community: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs#Bug_reporting_etiquette

When opening up the new report, please feel free to subscribe me to it.

Please note, not filing a new report will delay your problem being addressed as quickly as possible.

Thank you for your understanding.