Screen flicker on Dell XPS 13 9360 Developer Edition

[spike speigel]

I get a periodic screen flicker across the top of the screen when using the mouse in that area. Otherwise, no other issues like blank screening, corruption, or the like.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: xorg 1:7.7+13ubuntu3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-64.85-generic 4.4.44
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-64-generic x86_64
.tmp.unity_support_test.0:

ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.5
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: Wed Feb 22 10:43:56 2017
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistributionChannelDescriptor:
 # This is a distribution channel descriptor
 # For more information see http://wiki.ubuntu.com/DistributionChannelDescriptor
 canonical-oem-somerville-xenial-amd64-20160624-2
DistroCodename: xenial
DistroVariant: ubuntu
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation Device [8086:5916] (rev 02) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:075b]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2017-02-04 (17 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 16.04 "Xenial" - Build amd64 LIVE Binary 20160624-10:47
MachineType: Dell Inc. XPS 13 9360
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_US
 TERM=xterm-256color
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-64-generic.efi.signed root=UUID=ac2cc55d-dbc1-4ba0-90bb-8ab1d985e80f ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 01/18/2017
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 1.3.2
dmi.board.name: 0839Y6
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: A00
dmi.chassis.type: 9
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvr1.3.2:bd01/18/2017:svnDellInc.:pnXPS139360:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn0839Y6:rvrA00:cvnDellInc.:ct9:cvr:
dmi.product.name: XPS 13 9360
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.12.2+16.04.20160823-0ubuntu1
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.70-1~ubuntu16.04.1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 12.0.6-0ubuntu0.16.04.1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 12.0.6-0ubuntu0.16.04.1
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.18.4-0ubuntu0.2
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.10.1-1ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:7.7.0-1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.99.917+git20160325-1ubuntu1.2
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.12-1build2
xserver.bootTime: Wed Feb 22 09:14:10 2017
xserver.configfile: default
xserver.errors:

xserver.logfile: /var/log/Xorg.0.log
xserver.outputs:
 product id 5194
 vendor SHP
xserver.version: 2:1.18.4-0ubuntu0.2

[spike speigel (frail-knight)]

https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=606152

[penalvch (penalvch)]

spike speigel, thank you for reporting this and helping make Ubuntu better.

To see if this is already resolved in Ubuntu, could you please test the enablement stack via https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/LTSEnablementStack and advise to the results?

[spike speigel (frail-knight)]

I actually moved to the LTS HWE kernel sometime last week to see if that might help. I can say it has made no difference.

$ uname -a
Linux blackhole 4.8.0-41-generic #44~16.04.1-Ubuntu SMP Fri Mar 3 17:11:16 UTC 2017 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

[penalvch (penalvch)]

spike speigel, to test the latest kernel and graphics stack in Ubuntu, could you please test http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/ and advise to the results?

[spike speigel (frail-knight)]

I tested the current live image you suggested via USB drive. I had to enable additional package repos and install google-chrome-stable. I did not add the Dell Xenial/Zesty repos, as I was not sure those are required with the newer Zesty kernel. I also could not add the Dell Xenial/Zesty repos and reboot to have them properly loaded. The USB drive has some file persistence, but not when dealing with system files. Any package installs/updates were lost upon reboot.

I did not experience the issue running the current Zesty live image, but I'm also not sure the latest intel drivers were being used.

If live image customization is something you think I should use, I can go that route.

[spike speigel (frail-knight)]

Mesa: v12.0.6-0ubuntu0.16.04.1
xserver-xorg-video-intel: 2:2.99.917+git20160325-1ubuntu1.2

Although I have the 16.04.1 Hardware Enablement (HWE) kernel, it appears there is an HWE version of xserver-xorg-video-intel I was not aware of, and which was not automatically selected with the HWE kernel. I will try that now (Using my current 16.04.1 LTS xenial HWE install).

xserver-xorg-video-intel-hwe-16.04: 2:2.99.917+git20160706-1ubuntu1~16.04.1

[spike speigel (frail-knight)]

Fond I have to switch to xserver-xorg-hwe-16.04 from xserver-xorg in order to prevent broken dependency issues and completely install hwe versions.

[spike speigel (frail-knight)]

Switching to the xserver-xorg-hwe-16.04 package from plain xserver-xorg (using xserver-xorg-video-intel-hwe-16.04 (2:2.99.917+git20160706-1ubuntu1~16.04.1)) has fixed the issue with screen flicker in chrome.