External VGA port on laptop does not work anymore

[Howard Cheng]

I have been using the laptop for almost 2 years now, and I have not had problem connecting to a projector via the external VGA port until recently. Sometime between April and now, there must have been a kernel upgrade that messed it up. I saw a few other bug reports that eventually suggests I go to kernel 3.16.0.

When I was on 3.13.0-63, my VGA output would work with the boot up screen and the log in screen. But once I log on the VGA port seems to be inactive and I can't get the output back. HDMI still seems to work, though the projectors I have access to don't have HDMI inputs.

After I upgraded to 3.16.0, the VGA output would still work during the boot up and log in. Again, once I log on the VGA stopped working. However, when I switched to a text terminal (e.g. Ctrl-Alt-F1) I can see the VGA output again. As soon as I switch back to GUI the VGA output stopped working. The "Display" setting in System Settings cannot find an external monitor, nor could xrandr.

My current work around is to use the HDMI port with an HDMI -> VGA converter. That seems to do the trick for now. Both Display setting and xrandr can see the HDMI connection.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: linux-image-generic 3.13.0.63.71
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.16.0-49.65~14.04.1-generic 3.16.7-ckt15
Uname: Linux 3.16.0-49-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.13
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: howard 2074 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC1: howard 2074 F.... pulseaudio
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Sat Sep 12 09:48:27 2015
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=931fa86c-ffc4-4421-95e5-3f0ed72ef187
InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-01-10 (610 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04.3 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20130820.1)
MachineType: Acer Aspire E1-472
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.16.0-49-generic root=UUID=17eb8564-5cc9-439a-aa44-2160ead649f4 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.16.0-49-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.16.0-49-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.127.15
SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to trusty on 2014-08-14 (393 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 08/16/2013
dmi.bios.vendor: Phoenix Technologies Ltd.
dmi.bios.version: V2.04.
dmi.board.name: EA40_HW
dmi.board.vendor: Acer
dmi.board.version: V2.04.
dmi.chassis.type: 9
dmi.chassis.vendor: Acer
dmi.chassis.version: V2.04.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnPhoenixTechnologiesLtd.:bvrV2.04.:bd08/16/2013:svnAcer:pnAspireE1-472:pvrV2.04.:rvnAcer:rnEA40_HW:rvrV2.04.:cvnAcer:ct9:cvrV2.04.:
dmi.product.name: Aspire E1-472
dmi.product.version: V2.04.
dmi.sys.vendor: Acer

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Did this issue start happening after an update/upgrade? Was there a prior kernel version where you were not having this particular problem?

Would it be possible for you to test the latest upstream kernel? Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Please test the latest v4.3 kernel[0].

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'.

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/v4.3-rc1-unstable/

[Howard Cheng (howard-cheng)]

I use this laptop for teaching, so the only thing I know is that it was working in April and it's no longer working in September (I haven't tried in between). The reason I suspected it was the kernel was based on a web search of similar problems (though none seems exactly the same as mine, and most seem to say 3.16.0 fixes things).

I may not be able to get to trying a new kernel until later this week, but I'll report when I have it done.

[Howard Cheng (howard-cheng)]

I have trouble installing v4.3-rc1-unstable since the only debian package available is the headers. I have, however, tried 4.2-unstable and the result is exactly the same as what I reported for 3.16.0.

[Howard Cheng (howard-cheng)]

If I were to try to install an older kernel to see if I can roll back and make it work again, what is a good version (let's say whatever is available on 14.04 LTS around March 2015)?

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Howard Cheng, as per http://us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/drivers an update to your computer's buggy and outdated BIOS is available (2.11). If you update to this following https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BIOSUpdate does it change anything?

If it doesn't, could you please both specify what happened, and provide the output of the following terminal command:
sudo dmidecode -s bios-version && sudo dmidecode -s bios-release-date

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

Once the BIOS is updated, and the information above is provided, then please mark this report Status Confirmed.

Thank you for your understanding.

[Howard Cheng (howard-cheng)]

It may take me a while to try the BIOS update. I am having difficulties doing it since I don't have Windows at all on my machine (and the update is Windows only...).

[Howard Cheng (howard-cheng)]

I updated my BIOS to the latest version, and everything is now working as far as I can tell (with 4.2-unstable).

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Howard Cheng, so how about with the default Ubuntu kernel?

[Howard Cheng (howard-cheng)]

Yes, it works with 3.13.0-63 after BIOS update.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Howard Cheng, this bug report is being closed due to your last comment https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1495110/comments/11 regarding this being fixed with a BIOS update. For future reference you can manage the status of your own bugs by clicking on the current status in the yellow line and then choosing a new status in the revealed drop down box. You can learn more about bug statuses at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Status. Thank you again for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. Please submit any future bugs you may find.