[i855] screen does not redraw properly

Bug #326008 reported by nloewen
12
This bug affects 1 person
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
xserver-xorg-video-intel (Ubuntu)
Fix Released
Undecided
Unassigned

Bug Description

distro: ubuntu jaunty jackalople 9.04
When having multiple windows open, sometimes the screen does not redraw properly. The more windows you have open the more likely this is to happen. When this has happened, it either effects one window, the desktop or multiple windows and the desktop. If it effects only one window you can fix it by switching workspaces, moving the window, minimizing and maximizing it switching to another window and switching back. None of these is a for sure fix, and you may have to try multiple ones in order for it to be usable again. When it effects the desktop, you are out of luck and have to wait for it to redraw by itself. A screen shot of the desktop and firefox being effected is attached.

I don't know which package is causing the problem.

[lspci]
00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation 82852/82855 GM/GME/PM/GMV Processor to I/O Controller [8086:3580] (rev 02)
     Subsystem: Acer Incorporated [ALI] Device [1025:0064]
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation 82852/855GM Integrated Graphics Device [8086:3582] (rev 02)
     Subsystem: Acer Incorporated [ALI] Device [1025:0064]

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nloewen (nloewen) wrote :
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nloewen (nloewen) wrote :
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nloewen (nloewen) wrote :

I have also noticed that when scrolling in firefox, sometimes there are horizontal lines across the page and the text is not in the right spot so that when you scroll over a link or highlight text it redraws and moves the lines disapear.

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Kaulbach (mystic-scientist) wrote :

Please attach /var/log/Xorg.0.log

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Bryce Harrington (bryce) wrote :

Could you please also run `lspci -vvnn > lspci-vvnn.txt` and attach that file to this bug report? Thanks ahead of time.

Changed in xorg:
status: New → Incomplete
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foos (roofoos) wrote :

I have the same annoying problem and there is my lspci -vvnn output.

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foos (roofoos) wrote :

...my screenshot

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foos (roofoos) wrote :
Bryce Harrington (bryce)
Changed in xorg:
status: Incomplete → Confirmed
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Bryce Harrington (bryce) wrote :

Thanks, but we need the data from nloewen. Upstream has a "one person per bug report" policy we must follow.

Changed in xserver-xorg-video-intel:
status: Confirmed → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
Bryce Harrington (bryce) wrote :

We're closing this bug since it is has been some time with no response from the original reporter. However, if the issue still exists please feel free to reopen with the requested information. Also, if you could, please test against the latest development version of Ubuntu, since this confirms the bug is one we may be able to pass upstream for help.

@foos, would you mind posting a new bug report using 'ubuntu-bug -p xserver-xorg-video-intel', and also attach your .png and we'll focus on your issue instead.

Changed in xserver-xorg-video-intel (Ubuntu):
status: Incomplete → Invalid
Revision history for this message
nloewen (nloewen) wrote :

sorry, I haven't paid much attention to this. since This was posted, I have reinstalled 8.10 because of this bug and can't supply the info you need. foos screenshot is accurate with what I was experiencing. And his hardware, drivers and kernel from Xorg.0.log is the same as mine. If foos reports that he is no longer expirencing this bug I would be willing to go back to 9.4 as this was the main reason for my downgrading.

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jrk (jrk) wrote :

I have experienced the same problem with Radeon HD driver also in multiple applications - commonly observable in Okular
see the attached screenshot

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jrk (jrk) wrote :

And also Xorg.log.0

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jrk (jrk) wrote :
affects: xserver-xorg-video-intel (Ubuntu) → xorg (Ubuntu)
Changed in xorg (Ubuntu):
status: Invalid → New
Bryce Harrington (bryce)
Changed in xorg (Ubuntu):
status: New → Confirmed
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Bryce Harrington (bryce) wrote :

Okay, we can focus on foos as the principle reporter then.

affects: xorg (Ubuntu) → xserver-xorg-video-intel (Ubuntu)
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nloewen (nloewen) wrote :
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nloewen (nloewen) wrote :

I upgraded back to 9.04 and I'm still experiencing problems. Here's the files asked for previously.

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foos (roofoos) wrote :

Problem is configuration of xorg.conf I think. Because when I was edited my xorg.conf the problem was gone and everyting works great. I don't know exactly whitch option that was because I changed too many options. I suppose this is acceleration method option and compatible for Intel 82852/855GM chipset is XAA :
'Option "AccelMethod" "XAA" '
Look at my xorg.conf...
...sorry for my english

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foos (roofoos) wrote :
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foos (roofoos) wrote :
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Pierre François (pf-openoffice) wrote :

I think I have the same problem. I run Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty) with the Intel 82852/855GM chipset on a Acer TravelMate 240. I cannot change the 'Option "AccelMethod" "XAA" ' because my xorg.conf doesn't contain that information (a lot of stuff has been commented out by hal). I will include a screenshot and my xorg.conf file

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Pierre François (pf-openoffice) wrote :

Here comes the screenshot.

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Pierre François (pf-openoffice) wrote :

For the record, also the output of 'lspci -vvnn > lspci-vvnn.txt'

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Pierre François (pf-openoffice) wrote :

I am sorry: I posted the wrong xorg.conf. The current one is this one.

Bryce Harrington (bryce)
description: updated
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nloewen (nloewen) wrote :

hmm same chip set as me. could it be a driver problem or something similar?

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nloewen (nloewen) wrote :

something interesting I noticed. This also affects the desktop effects in kubuntu even though it doesn't use compiz. The problem occurs in openGL but not xrender.

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Pierre François (pf-openoffice) wrote :

What nleowen says is interesting for providing a workaround: now, my question is: how do you switch from openGL to xrender?

tags: added: corruption intel screen
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nloewen (nloewen) wrote :

even if we could it would not be a good solution. when using openGL in kubuntu I get about 20 frames per second when moving a window, with xrender it's about 10. 20 I can live with but 10 is just awful. (Yes i have an awful graphics card). The fps for openGL is comparable to what I got with compiz in ubuntu.

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Pierre François (pf-openoffice) wrote :

Anyway, I need a workaround.

I can't afford to give presentations and having my screen corrupted at any moment. This is a very ugly, and a good way to prevent people from migrating to Ubuntu. I can obviously tell them: oh don't worry, as long as you don't have an Intel graphic card, this is not an issue. But it is a very bad publicity.

I think the importance of this bug should be set to something rather high. Any objection?

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nloewen (nloewen) wrote :

I agree. You might want to consider installing fusion icon so that you can easily switch to metacity when compiz is misbehaving.

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foos (roofoos) wrote :

Reason : intel driver
My proposition is :
Just repleace my xorg.conf whith yours and everything will be good... i think ;-P

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Pierre François (pf-openoffice) wrote :

Thank you foos.

For the moment, I am experimenting with the configuration hereby attached and it seems to work. The effects are not that smooth, but I noticed no major problem (up to now, cross fingers). I tried some options of your configuration (UXA acceleration v.gr) but that lead to a freezing of my X server.

I added the dontzap capability just in case of freezing, but the enabling of alt-ctrl-bksp didn't help to unblock my laptop: I had to reboot.

If my configuration gives problems, I will try yours. I will keep you informed.

By the way, do you know anything about the fix of this bug upstream?

Thanks and kind regards.

Pierre F.

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Pierre François (pf-openoffice) wrote :

foos: My configuration doesn't do the trick. :( Still a bad behaviour from time to time.

I will try your xorg.conf and keep you informed.

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foos (roofoos) wrote :

ok. then let's try this ...

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Pierre François (pf-openoffice) wrote :

Hey foos, this is great.

The xorg.conf file you posted on May, 14th seems to work perfectly for me. I saw the xorg.conf you posted today doesn't look exactly the same, but I didn't identify the functional differences. Anyway, I will try this one also.

By the way, since I use your xorg.conf, some applets started working again, v.gr the system monitor applet inside the taskbar of gnome.

Thanks a lot.

Revision history for this message
nloewen (nloewen) wrote :

Pierre Francois, try adding "Option "AccelMethod" "XAA"" to your xorg config under Configured video device. It fixed it for me. You can also try replaceing XAA with uxa (the experimental acceleration method in development) which also fixed the problem. Just make sure you know how to change it back in case something goes wrong.

Revision history for this message
Pierre François (pf-openoffice) wrote :

Thank you, nloewen, I had already tried what you tell, but it was not sufficient in my case for getting rid of the bug. If my memory is not bad (I'm afraid actually it is), the UXA method let my screen freeze several times, forcing me to logout for restoring the x-server in a good state.

Revision history for this message
Pierre François (pf-openoffice) wrote :

foos:

You posted two xorg.conf files, one on 14 May, one on 26 May.

The configuration of 14 May works perfectly for me, but not that of 26 May. For your information.

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Jesse Barnes (jbarnes-virtuousgeek) wrote :
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nloewen (nloewen) wrote :

Any idea when we will see these updates?

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foos (roofoos) wrote :

this the good one xorg.conf. how do u feel ? what u think about ?

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foos (roofoos) wrote :

I' SORRY... I'M MISTAKE. THIS IS THE GOOD ONE :

Revision history for this message
Pierre François (pf-openoffice) wrote :

foos: in my configuration, this last version of xorg.conf (posted today) is still buggy. Only the xorg.conf file posted by you on May, 14th worked for me.

Bryce Harrington (bryce)
summary: - screen does not redraw properly
+ [i855] screen does not redraw properly
Revision history for this message
nloewen (nloewen) wrote :

I ran across this how to. http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1130582. I have been able to get better performance and haven't been experiencing this bug. The how to also includes a few bug fixes and updated kernel packages. Video's now display properly first time and no longer flicker for me. I'm using the optimal configuration. Hopefully this is helpful for anyone who is still experiencing problems.

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Bryce Harrington (bryce) wrote :

[This is an automatic notification.]

A new major version of the -intel driver is now available in Karmic.

This version includes a major reworking of the acceleration
architecture, which resolves a huge number of issues. We do not know
whether it resolves the issue you reported.

Would you mind testing Karmic Alpha-2 and seeing if it is still a
problem? CD ISO images are available here:

  http://cdimages.ubuntu.com/releases/karmic/

If the issue can still be reproduced on karmic, please report here with
your findings, and attach a fresh Xorg.0.log from your test, and we will
be able to forward the bug upstream.

Otherwise, if the bug no longer exists in Karmic, let us know that as
well.

In the off chance you encounter different bugs while attempting to test
Karmic, please report those as new bug reports.

Changed in xserver-xorg-video-intel (Ubuntu):
status: Confirmed → New
status: New → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
nloewen (nloewen) wrote :

I have been using the fixes in the link in my previous post to avoid this bug and am already using the Karmic drivers in Jaunty as a workaround for bug 345119.

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Bryce Harrington (bryce) wrote :

Okay, well pretty much everything discussed in that guide is covered in karmic so if that's working well for you, we can consider it sorted for karmic. Thanks!

Changed in xserver-xorg-video-intel (Ubuntu):
status: Incomplete → Fix Released
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