Screen flickering

[siva]

ubuntu whole screen flickering.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.10
Package: xorg 1:7.7+19ubuntu15
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.8.0-49.55-generic 5.8.18
Uname: Linux 5.8.0-49-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu50.5
Architecture: amd64
BootLog: Error: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/var/log/boot.log'
CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
CompositorRunning: None
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Tue Apr 13 20:36:04 2021
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: groovy
DistroVariant: ubuntu
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation 4th Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:041e] (rev 06) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Micro-Star International Co., Ltd. [MSI] 4th Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller [1462:7817]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2021-04-13 (0 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 20.10 "Groovy Gorilla" - Release amd64 (20201022)
MachineType: MSI MS-7817
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-5.8.0-49-generic root=UUID=03a76041-a4c2-4e9f-a936-29041654a888 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: xorg
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 04/21/2015
dmi.bios.release: 4.6
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: V6.7
dmi.board.asset.tag: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: H81M-E33 (MS-7817)
dmi.board.vendor: MSI
dmi.board.version: 1.0
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: MSI
dmi.chassis.version: 1.0
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrV6.7:bd04/21/2015:br4.6:svnMSI:pnMS-7817:pvr1.0:rvnMSI:rnH81M-E33(MS-7817):rvr1.0:cvnMSI:ct3:cvr1.0:
dmi.product.family: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.product.name: MS-7817
dmi.product.sku: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: MSI
version.compiz: compiz N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.102-1ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 20.2.6-0ubuntu0.20.10.1
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx N/A
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.20.9-2ubuntu1.1
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev N/A
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:19.1.0-1ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.99.917+git20200714-1
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.16-1

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Linux NN (linuxnn)]

Hello,

I was affected by the same bug as you following the Linux 5.8.0-49-generic kernel update (everything is ok with the 5.8.0-48-generic kernel)

However, the problem has been solved with the X.org update which has been available for a few hours.

Can you look for new updates available and test after updating the X.org server and restarting the PC?

My PC :
- Dell Inc. Inspiron 3847/088DT1, BIOS A11 05/07/2019
- EFI v2.31 by American Megatrends - Secure boot disable
- CPU : Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-4150 CPU @ 3.50GHz
- GPU : Intel Corporation 4th Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 06)
- A single screen connected via HDMI. Resolution: 1920x1080
- RAM : 16 GB DDR3

My Ubuntu 20.10 :
- Linux 5.8.0-49-generic #55-Ubuntu SMP Wed Mar 24 14:45:45 UTC 2021
- X11
- GNOME 3.38.2
- French language

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Is the problem tearing or flickering? In which apps? Only when full screen?

Please attach a video or photo of the problem so we can understand better.

[Tim Passingham (tim-8aw3u04umo)]

I have the same problem on that kernel (ubuntu 20.10), and on the update to 5.8.0-50.55. I have gone back to 5.8.0-48.54 and it has stabilised. I get all sorts of different effects. Blocks of text being partially blank, whole menu boxes being blank, and so on. This usually happened after the system has been on for a few hours, so I initially suspected hardware, but reverting to 5.8.0-48 fixed it.

The worst effected are browsers (Firefox, Chrome and Brave) possibly only when not full screen, but parts of the application icon toolbar and others parts flicker on and off as well.

I tried wayland, but it was no better, so an x.org update may not help (I can't see one available at present)

I'm using "Intel® HD Graphics 4600 (HSW GT2) graphics", on "Intel® Core™ i7-4770T CPU @ 2.50GHz × 8". No special drivers. Monitor connected via HDMI.

[Tim Passingham (tim-8aw3u04umo)]

The lswh information on graphics says:

Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller

[Tim Passingham (tim-8aw3u04umo)]

For lswh read lshw - sorry!

This problem is pretty bad on my system - it becomes unusable after a while. I will have to avoid any kernel upgrades.

Given that the problem seems to happen after a while, and then gets worse and worse, I wonder whether it is some sort of corruption issue that gets worse as the corruption grows. It doesn't seem to be a fundamental graphics issue that happens every time a certain set of actions takes place. That probably means it will be difficult to track down, and may vary a lot between systems.

I'm willing to try and help analyse the issue, but I have no idea what data I could provide to help.

[Linux NN (linuxnn)]

Contrary to what I said above, the problem is still present despite the last updates.

The problem is not systematic, but it is frequent. It can arrive immediately after booting.

My PC :
- Dell Inc. Inspiron 3847/088DT1, BIOS A11 05/07/2019
- EFI v2.31 by American Megatrends - Secure boot disable
- CPU : Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-4150 CPU @ 3.50GHz
- GPU : Intel HD Graphics 4400
- A single screen connected via HDMI. Resolution: 1920x1080
- RAM : 16 GB DDR3

My Ubuntu 20.10 :
- Linux 5.8.0-49-generic #55-Ubuntu SMP Wed Mar 24 14:45:45 UTC 2021
- X11
- GNOME 3.38.2
- French language

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

siva, please answer comment #4.

Everyone else, please open your own separate bugs.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

I'm going to make this bug temporarily private until we get a response from the original reporter because it's getting confused with me-toos. Everyone other than siva please open your own bugs.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. This particular bug has already been reported and is a duplicate of bug 1924624, so it is being marked as such. Please look at the other bug report to see if there is any missing information that you can provide, or to see if there is a workaround for the bug. Additionally, any further discussion regarding the bug should occur in the other report. Feel free to continue to report any other bugs you may find.