Disappearing screen and flickering after upgrade to 16.04

[udippel]

I have two Lenovo T410s that I upgraded from 14.04 to 16.04.
Since then, one is working fine while the other shows mainly an ever disappearing screen and flickering.

I have asked here: https://askubuntu.com/questions/947233/i-upgraded-from-kubuntu-14-04-lts-to-16-04-lts-and-now-my-screen-shows-up-and-di?noredirect=1#comment1506995_947233
I also found I am not the only one: https://askubuntu.com/questions/927407/flickering-screen-with-intel-graphics-on-ubuntu-17-04?noredirect=1#comment1507937_927407
The latter has tried pretty much that could be tried already, to no avail.

I think that I can help with this problem, since my two T410s are identical in hard- and software, including BIOS, except that one is a type 2924 (with NVIDIA-card, though disabled in the BIOS), and the other one is a 2904 (without NVIDIA card).

I have checked for differences at boot time and found DMAR as major difference:
T410s, 2924: [ 0.335616] DMAR: Disabling batched IOTLB flush on Ironlake
T410s, 2904: [ 0.355681] DMAR: BIOS has allocated no shadow GTT; disabling IOMMU for graphics

Should this be initially at the root of the problem, I'd consider the kernel package as responsible, therefore I marked it as above.

The outputs of lspci -k | grep -EA3 'VGA|3D|Display' are identical to the point.

[Ubuntu Kernel Bot (ubuntu-kernel-bot)]

This bug is missing log files that will aid in diagnosing the problem. While running an Ubuntu kernel (not a mainline or third-party kernel) please enter the following command in a terminal window:

apport-collect 1712508

and then change the status of the bug to 'Confirmed'.

If, due to the nature of the issue you have encountered, you are unable to run this command, please add a comment stating that fact and change the bug status to 'Confirmed'.

This change has been made by an automated script, maintained by the Ubuntu Kernel Team.

[udippel (udippel)]

Sorry, but I run into another bug:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apport/+bug/1439784

Therefore, I get the notorious
ERROR: Could not import module, is a package upgrade in progress? Error: No module named PyQt5.QtCore

I add the dmesg, thinking it will help further

[udippel (udippel)]

For comparison, here is the dmesg of a functional machine, same type, lenovo T410s, same software, same BIOS; but with deactivated NVIDIA graphics (type 2924)

[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 v4.13 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/v4.13-rc6

[udippel (udippel)]

at #4: I'd love to, but need to get rid of all kernel modules (hopefully without breaking the system).
The link isn't specific on how to do that. Here I have

$ sudo dkms status
acpi-call, 1.1.0, 3.13.0-128-generic, x86_64: installed
acpi-call, 1.1.0, 4.4.0-92-generic, x86_64: installed
acpi-call, 1.1.0, 4.4.0-93-generic, x86_64: installed
bcmwl, 6.30.223.271+bdcom, 3.13.0-128-generic, x86_64: installed
bcmwl, 6.30.223.271+bdcom, 4.4.0-92-generic, x86_64: installed
bcmwl, 6.30.223.271+bdcom, 4.4.0-93-generic, x86_64: installed
tp-smapi, 0.41, 3.13.0-128-generic, x86_64: installed
tp-smapi, 0.41, 4.4.0-92-generic, x86_64: installed
tp-smapi, 0.41, 4.4.0-93-generic, x86_64: installed
vboxhost, 4.3.40, 3.13.0-128-generic, x86_64: installed
vboxhost, 4.3.40, 4.4.0-92-generic, x86_64: installed
vboxhost, 4.3.40, 4.4.0-93-generic, x86_64: installed

Could you provide a link on the HowTo, please, as well?

[Kai-Heng Feng (kaihengfeng)]

You don't need to touch those DKMS to install mainline kernel.

[udippel (udippel)]

#6:
It says different over there. Nevermind. I don't want to break my system, since I need it.

I was able to boot with an old 3.13.0-kernel, still lingering in my grub menu.
And I can confirm that everything works perfectly well with that kernel.

I also can confirm that my suspicion with the iommu seems to be wrong, since with this kernel it shows the same line; that is it doesn't recognize the bug on Ironlike neither, and yet comes up properly.

In a nutshell: since it runs perfectly okay on an old kernel, I dare to add 'Confirmed', though without any 'upstream' -attribute.

I also add the dmesg with that kernel. Maybe the experts can spot the difference that make the screen flicker. At least, I hope so.

[Kai-Heng Feng (kaihengfeng)]

The "experts" (i915 maintainers in this case) only pay attention to bugs that exist in latest mainline kernel...

[Christian (tigerman33)]

I'm suffering from the same problem. I'm also the author of the referenced question on askubuntu, https://askubuntu.com/questions/927407/flickering-screen-with-intel-graphics-on-ubuntu-17-04 which I update periodically when I've tried new things.

The problem persists with Ubuntu 17.10's kernel 4.13.0-16.

[udippel (udippel)]

Christian, the problem is that 17.10 does not use the mainline kernel. I bet that the mainline kernel doesn't work. Still, I can't tag it, and with *buntu's distro kernel, you can't neither.
Could you follow #4 using the most recent mainline kernel as described in that link in order to tag this bug appropriately?

[Kai-Heng Feng (kaihengfeng)]

Please try kernel in http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/drm-intel-nightly/current/

If the issue is still there, file an upstream bug at https://bugzilla.freedesktop.org

[Christian (tigerman33)]

@udippel @kaihengfeng Sorry for the late get back, for some reason I didn't get notified there were answers.

I tried both the latest mainline kernel (4.14-rc8) and the drm-intel-nightly one. Neither one works.

[udippel (udippel)]

Great! Thanks a bunch!

Have you already filed the upstream bug? If not, please do so. I could do it for you, but then I couldn't be much of a help if they asked me particular questions.

[Christian (tigerman33)]

@udippel What project do I need to file the bug into? Their site is confusing me.

Or if you opened a bug yourself, I could piggyback onto it.

I also tried some more things today (check askubuntu) and none of it worked.

[udippel (udippel)]

Christian,

I am afraid, you may stop trying. Use your time for something more useful.
Sorry, but with a kernel problem, this problem needs to be solved. First.
My interest in workarounds is limited. It is a task of QC to step in for a
remedy to a regression.

On 12 November 2017 at 14:21, Christian <email address hidden> wrote:

> @udippel What project do I need to file the bug into? Their site is
> confusing me.
>
> Or if you opened a bug yourself, I could piggyback onto it.
>
> I also tried some more things today (check askubuntu) and none of it
> worked.
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1712508
>
> Title:
> Disappearing screen and flickering after upgrade to 16.04
>
> Status in linux package in Ubuntu:
> Confirmed
>
> Bug description:
> I have two Lenovo T410s that I upgraded from 14.04 to 16.04.
> Since then, one is working fine while the other shows mainly an ever
> disappearing screen and flickering.
>
> I have asked here: https://askubuntu.com/questions/947233/i-upgraded-
> from-kubuntu-14-04-lts-to-16-04-lts-and-now-my-screen-
> shows-up-and-di?noredirect=1#comment1506995_947233
> I also found I am not the only one: https://askubuntu.com/
> questions/927407/flickering-screen-with-intel-graphics-on-
> ubuntu-17-04?noredirect=1#comment1507937_927407
> The latter has tried pretty much that could be tried already, to no
> avail.
>
> I think that I can help with this problem, since my two T410s are
> identical in hard- and software, including BIOS, except that one is a
> type 2924 (with NVIDIA-card, though disabled in the BIOS), and the
> other one is a 2904 (without NVIDIA card).
>
> I have checked for differences at boot time and found DMAR as major
> difference:
> T410s, 2924: [ 0.335616] DMAR: Disabling batched IOTLB flush on Ironlake
> T410s, 2904: [ 0.355681] DMAR: BIOS has allocated no shadow GTT;
> disabling IOMMU for graphics
>
> Should this be initially at the root of the problem, I'd consider the
> kernel package as responsible, therefore I marked it as above.
>
> The outputs of lspci -k | grep -EA3 'VGA|3D|Display' are identical to
> the point.
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/
> 1712508/+subscriptions
>

[udippel (udippel)]

Christian,

sorry, I slackened for the last months, hoping someone would see this bug, upstream. They didn't. I filed it yesterday.
Finally, I hope somebody sees it and starts working on it. Fingers crossed.

[udippel (udippel)]

The bugs prevails in kubuntu 18.04, unfortunately.

[gdm85 (gdm85)]

I confirm this bug is present on Ubuntu 18.04, my hardware is an Intel HD Graphics 5500.

It was working fine on the previous LTS, 16.04; if I use kernel 4.4.0-161-generic from Ubuntu 16 Xenial I can boot Ubuntu 18 Bionic fine, thus I conclude it's something in the kernel.

I have tried these options (individually) without any effect: i915.enable_ips=0 swiotlb=force i915.enable_ips=0 intel_idle.max_cstate=1 i915.enable_rc6=0 i915.enable_psr=0

On the good kernel I see this error in dmesg:
[drm:intel_dp_link_training_channel_equalization [i915]] *ERROR* failed to train DP, aborting

While on the bad one there are no such failures as it detects everything:
[ 10.429894] input: HDA Intel HDMI HDMI/DP,pcm=3 as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:03.0/sound/card0/input22
[ 10.429989] input: HDA Intel HDMI HDMI/DP,pcm=7 as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:03.0/sound/card0/input23
[ 10.430070] input: HDA Intel HDMI HDMI/DP,pcm=8 as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:03.0/sound/card0/input24
[ 10.430166] input: HDA Intel HDMI HDMI/DP,pcm=9 as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:03.0/sound/card0/input25
[ 10.430250] input: HDA Intel HDMI HDMI/DP,pcm=10 as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:03.0/sound/card0/input26

The most interesting clue to find a solution is however to be found in gparted-live-1.0.0-5-amd64.iso: when booting this live distro via USB I get exactly the same flickering (it uses kernel 5.2.0) but when starting Xorg the problem disappears. Switching back to any VT shows the flickering problem.

I was wondering if it could be possible to dissect the GParted live ISO to find out what makes it work when starting Xorg.