external monitor disabled upon editing file with vim

[Krister Swenson]

This is the strangest bug I've encountered in my 20+ years of linux use.
See a video of the bug at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1StYD5kbL5pLRBOc6V-TXuE5DgymTdM0R/view?usp=sharing

Using an external monitor I am editing a Snakefile with vim and syntax highlighting. Under certain condition the monitor will go to sleep.

0. download the Snakefile, vimrc, and the colorscheme that are the attached archive
1. move the colorscheme to ~/.vim/colors/
1. `vim -u vimrc Snakefile`
2. delete one of the quotes, and see the external monitor go into sleep mode.

Pertinent points:
- If I disable the custom colorscheme or disable syntax highlighting there is no problem.
- If I move the gnome-terminal onto the builtin display, then the external monitor reactivates.

I wouldn't normally report this bug because it seems so specific to my setup. What is alarming is that a vim session in a gnome-terminal, under certain conditions, can cause the monitor to go to sleep!

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 21.04
Package: libwayland-client0 1.18.0-2~exp1.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.11.0-17.18-generic 5.11.12
Uname: Linux 5.11.0-17-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: wl
.tmp.unity_support_test.0:

ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu65
Architecture: amd64
BootLog: Error: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/var/log/boot.log'
CasperMD5CheckResult: unknown
CompositorRunning: None
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
CurrentDmesg: Error: command ['pkexec', 'dmesg'] failed with exit code 126: Error executing command as another user: Request dismissed
Date: Wed May 19 12:14:23 2021
DistUpgraded: 2021-04-27 09:44:28,765 ERROR got error from PostInstallScript ./xorg_fix_proprietary.py (g-io-error-quark: Failed to execute child process “./xorg_fix_proprietary.py”: Failed to execve: No such file or directory (1))
DistroCodename: hirsute
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus:
 bcmwl, 6.30.223.271+bdcom, 5.11.0-16-generic, x86_64: installed
 bcmwl, 6.30.223.271+bdcom, 5.11.0-17-generic, x86_64: installed
 facetimehd, 0.1, 5.11.0-16-generic, x86_64: installed
 facetimehd, 0.1, 5.11.0-17-generic, x86_64: installed
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation Haswell-ULT Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:0a26] (rev 09) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Apple Inc. Haswell-ULT Integrated Graphics Controller [106b:011b]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2021-01-19 (119 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 20.10 "Groovy Gorilla" - Release amd64 (20201022)
MachineType: Apple Inc. MacBookAir6,2
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-5.11.0-17-generic root=UUID=418e02d0-7fe0-4fe3-a1c4-ac2167ada4fe ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: wayland
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to hirsute on 2021-04-27 (22 days ago)
acpidump: Error: command ['pkexec', '/usr/share/apport/dump_acpi_tables.py'] failed with exit code 126: Error executing command as another user: Request dismissed
dmi.bios.date: 02/22/2021
dmi.bios.release: 0.1
dmi.bios.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 431.0.0.0.0
dmi.board.asset.tag: Base Board Asset Tag#
dmi.board.name: Mac-7DF21CB3ED6977E5
dmi.board.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.board.version: MacBookAir6,2
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: Mac-7DF21CB3ED6977E5
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAppleInc.:bvr431.0.0.0.0:bd02/22/2021:br0.1:svnAppleInc.:pnMacBookAir6,2:pvr1.0:rvnAppleInc.:rnMac-7DF21CB3ED6977E5:rvrMacBookAir6,2:cvnAppleInc.:ct10:cvrMac-7DF21CB3ED6977E5:
dmi.product.family: MacBook Air
dmi.product.name: MacBookAir6,2
dmi.product.sku: System SKU#
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: Apple Inc.
version.compiz: compiz N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.104-1build1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 21.0.1-2
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 21.0.1-2
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.20.11-1ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.10.6-2build1
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:19.1.0-2
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.99.917+git20200714-1ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.17-1

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Thanks for the bug report. Please try logging into 'Ubuntu on Xorg' (select it on the login screen) and tell us if that has the same bug.

Also, bugs like this are often caused by a faulty connection. It could come and go at times when the amount or the structure of data over the cable (DisplayPort??) changes. So please try a different cable if you can.

[Krister Swenson (thekswenson)]

The bug doesn't occur with XORG.

I'm using a miniDP to VGA adapter.

[Krister Swenson (thekswenson)]

It's actually miniDP->DVI. I don't have another one of those adapters or cables. I'll look around for a VGA cable, and try it with my miniDP->VGA.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Yes please avoid using adapters if you can. They cause a lot of bug reports. Also please avoid analog VGA connections because they also cause a lot of bug reports.

Ideally use a pure digital connection: miniDP->(miniDP or DisplayPort or HDMI). If you still find problems after that then the bug should be reported upstream:

  https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/mutter/issues

but probably not before.

[Krister Swenson (thekswenson)]

Understood. I don't have access at the moment to a monitor with a DP input but the VGA adapter with VGA cable works fine, so I assume there is no bug.

[Krister Swenson (thekswenson)]

VGA cable works fine.

[Krister Swenson (thekswenson)]

I bought a new adapter and changed the DVI cable. I continue to experience the bug with the new cables.

[Krister Swenson (thekswenson)]

@daniel: I don't have a monitor with DP input. Should I refrain from reporting a bug upstream even though the new equipment doesn't work?

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

It's worth a try. Just open a new issue at:

  https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/mutter/issues

And then tell us the new issue ID.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

I see it: https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/mutter/-/issues/1819

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Thank you for reporting this bug to Ubuntu.
Ubuntu 21.04 (hirsute) reached end-of-life on January 20, 2022.

See this document for currently supported Ubuntu releases:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases

We appreciate that this bug may be old and you might not be interested in discussing it any more. But if you are then please upgrade to the latest Ubuntu version and re-test. If you then find the bug is still present in the newer Ubuntu version, please add a comment here telling us which new version it is in.