Screen flickering

[I-mail-3]

Since upgrading from ubuntu 16.04 to 16.10 the screen (backlight?) is flickering irregularly. It only happens with kernel 4.8.x. No flickering problems when manually switching back to kernel versions 4.4.x at boot.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.10
Package: xorg 1:7.7+13ubuntu4
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.8.0-37.39-generic 4.8.16
Uname: Linux 4.8.0-37-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_uvm nvidia_drm nvidia_modeset nvidia
.proc.driver.nvidia.gpus.0000.01.00.0: Error: [Errno 21] Ist ein Verzeichnis: '/proc/driver/nvidia/gpus/0000:01:00.0'
.proc.driver.nvidia.registry: Binary: ""
.proc.driver.nvidia.version:
 NVRM version: NVIDIA UNIX x86_64 Kernel Module 367.57 Mon Oct 3 20:37:01 PDT 2016
 GCC version: gcc version 6.2.0 20161005 (Ubuntu 6.2.0-5ubuntu12)
.tmp.unity_support_test.0:

ApportVersion: 2.20.3-0ubuntu8.2
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
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Sun Feb 12 11:29:15 2017
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: yakkety
DistroVariant: ubuntu
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation 4th Gen Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:0416] (rev 06) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Lenovo 4th Gen Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller [17aa:502a]
   Subsystem: Lenovo GK208M [GeForce GT 740M] [17aa:502a]
Lsusb:
 Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
 Bus 001 Device 002: ID 8087:07dc Intel Corp.
 Bus 001 Device 004: ID 04f2:b398 Chicony Electronics Co., Ltd
 Bus 001 Device 003: ID 138a:0011 Validity Sensors, Inc. VFS5011 Fingerprint Reader
 Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
MachineType: LENOVO 20C600JAGE
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=de_DE
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=de_DE.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.8.0-37-generic.efi.signed root=UUID=1728272d-15ec-4b09-b728-f2f4878b5120 ro net.ifnames=0 biosdevname=0 quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 03/04/2015
dmi.bios.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.bios.version: J9ET98WW (2.18 )
dmi.board.asset.tag: Not Available
dmi.board.name: 20C600JAGE
dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.board.version: SDK0E50512 STD
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.chassis.version: Not Available
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnLENOVO:bvrJ9ET98WW(2.18):bd03/04/2015:svnLENOVO:pn20C600JAGE:pvrThinkPadEdgeE540:rvnLENOVO:rn20C600JAGE:rvrSDK0E50512STD:cvnLENOVO:ct10:cvrNotAvailable:
dmi.product.name: 20C600JAGE
dmi.product.version: ThinkPad Edge E540
dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.13.0+16.10.20160818.2-0ubuntu2
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.70-1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 12.0.3-1ubuntu2
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 12.0.3-1ubuntu2
version.nvidia-graphics-drivers: nvidia-graphics-drivers-* N/A
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.18.4-1ubuntu6.1
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.10.2-1ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:7.7.1-1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.99.917+git20160706-1ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.12-2
xserver.bootTime: Sun Feb 12 11:28:27 2017
xserver.configfile: /etc/X11/xorg.conf
xserver.errors:

xserver.logfile: /var/log/Xorg.0.log
xserver.version: 2:1.18.4-1ubuntu6.1

[Dave Long (longwave)]

Same issue, although I only have Intel graphics. Adding i915.enable_psr=0 to the kernel parameter line fixed the flickering for me.

This is apparently solved upstream in kernel 4.9: https://patchwork.kernel.org/patch/9507451/

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[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 v4.10 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/v4.10-rc8

[Timo Aaltonen (tjaalton)]

Dave, don't hijack bugs, this was originally filed on a system with nvidia, your bug is not the same.

[Timo Aaltonen (tjaalton)]

Now that I had another look i-mail-3 has a hybrid system, so test the mainline kernel first and if it does fix the flickering then move back to linux.

[Dave Long (longwave)]

Sorry I should have explained better, I also have a Lenovo Edge E540 which is how I initially found this bug report via Google, but mine does not have the nvidia chipset, only Intel, so I didn't see how this could be caused by the nvidia driver.

I will try to test the newer upstream kernel when I get time.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Dave Long (longwave)]

Confirmed that the bug is fixed in the 4.10 kernel series.

Further confirmed that this is down to the i915.enable_psr parameter:

Linux 4.8 with no command line => flickering (enable_psr defaults to on)
Linux 4.8 with i915.enable_psr=0 => no flickering
Linux 4.10 with no command line => no flickering (enable_psr defaults to off)
Linux 4.10 with i915.enable_psr=1 => flickering

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.